The Atlanta Dream found themselves on both ends of an emotional roller coaster Sunday afternoon, but thanks to Jordin Canada’s clutch heroics, they walked away with a dramatic 93-91 victory over the Chicago Sky.
Canada scored the game-winning layup as time expired, helping Atlanta overcome a stunning collapse after blowing a 22-point lead. The victory also came after Chicago lost star forward Angel Reese to a scary knee injury in the fourth quarter, putting a damper on an otherwise thrilling finish.
The Dream have now won seven consecutive meetings against the Sky and improved to 16-10 on the season while extending their recent surge with three straight victories and four wins in their last five games.
After Allisha Gray calmly knocked down two free throws with 9.5 seconds remaining to give Atlanta a 91-88 lead, it appeared the Dream had finally secured the win. However, Chicago wasn’t finished.
Following a timeout, Sydney Taylor curled around a Kamilla Cardoso screen and drilled a deep game-tying 3-pointer with just over five seconds left, silencing the Atlanta crowd and setting up one final possession.
Canada made sure there would be no overtime.
Taking a handoff from Brionna Jones on the right wing, the veteran point guard exploded into the lane and finished a layup at the buzzer, sending the Dream bench into celebration.
Allisha Gray once again powered Atlanta offensively, finishing with a game-high 29 points while continuing her All-Star caliber season. Canada contributed 10 points, nine assists and three steals while orchestrating the Dream offense throughout the afternoon.
Madina Okot provided a major spark off the bench with 14 points and four rebounds in just 11 minutes. Brionna Jones, playing only her second game after returning from a knee injury that sidelined her for the first 24 games, grabbed 10 rebounds and scored six points in 15 productive minutes.
The game’s biggest concern came early in the fourth quarter when Angel Reese suffered a frightening knee injury. Reese’s knee appeared to buckle after she came to a jump stop underneath the basket while attempting a layup. Although she briefly got back to her feet, she quickly went down again before making her way to the bench.
Chicago later ruled Reese out for the remainder of the contest.
Dream head coach Karl Smesko admitted the injury overshadowed the game’s tense closing moments.
“It’s hard because we’re in the timeout. It seemed like a really long timeout and there wasn’t a lot being said because we were all just looking at Angel,” Smesko said. “And when I was looking at her, it seemed like she was in a lot of pain, and she wanted to go out there and keep playing because she’s competitive and she wants to win the game. I just didn’t feel comfortable with it because she looked like she was in a lot of pain.”
Chicago, now 9-17, saw its two-game winning streak come to an end despite strong performances from Azura Stevens, who scored 20 points with nine rebounds, Sydney Taylor’s 18 points, and Kamilla Cardoso’s 15-point effort. The Sky also continued to play without veteran guard Skylar Diggins, who missed her sixth straight game because of a knee injury.
Atlanta was also shorthanded, with guard Te-Hina Paopao missing her second consecutive game due to a leg injury.
For the Dream, however, Sunday’s contest belonged to Canada, whose fearless drive at the final horn ensured Atlanta escaped with another memorable victory over Chicago.
