The Atlanta Dream continued their strong start to the season Tuesday night, overcoming a sluggish first half to defeat the Dallas Wings 77-72 and spoil Dallas’ home opener.
Atlanta improved to 2-0 on the young season thanks to another dominant performance from Allisha Gray, who finished with a game-high 26 points while knocking down four three-pointers. Gray once again proved to be the offensive engine for the Dream, especially during a decisive fourth-quarter run that helped Atlanta pull away late.
After trailing 59-58 entering the final quarter, the Dream erupted on a 19-8 run to seize control of the game. Gray delivered the biggest blows, connecting on back-to-back three-pointers that extended Atlanta’s advantage to six points and shifted momentum completely in the visitors’ favor.
Jordin Canada also turned in a stellar all-around performance, scoring 19 points while adding seven rebounds, five assists and three steals. Canada came through in key moments, including a clutch late three-pointer that pushed the Dream lead to 73-65 and gave Atlanta enough breathing room to survive Dallas’ final push.
Rhyne Howard added 14 points and displayed toughness throughout the night despite struggling from beyond the arc. Howard shot just 1-for-9 from three-point range but continued attacking the basket aggressively and converted all seven of her free-throw attempts.
Meanwhile, Angel Reese continued to dominate the glass in her second game with Atlanta. Reese recorded 12 points and 16 rebounds for her 51st career double-double while also controlling the offensive boards. She grabbed eight offensive rebounds by herself — one more than the entire Dallas team managed collectively.
The 24-year-old Reese is already making history early in the season. After posting 11 points and 14 rebounds in Atlanta’s season-opening 91-90 win over the Minnesota Lynx, Reese became the second-youngest player in WNBA history to reach 50 career double-doubles, trailing only Tina Charles.
Atlanta’s balanced attack has been one of the early storylines of the season. In the opener, all five Dream starters scored in double figures, led by Gray’s 24-point performance.
Now sitting at 2-0, the Dream will face their toughest test yet Sunday when they host the defending champion Las Vegas Aces in a matchup that could provide an early measuring stick for Atlanta’s playoff aspirations.
