The Atlanta Dream absolutely kicked off their playoff run with a dominant 92-77 victory over the Washington Mystics on Sunday, even with star center Angel Reese having a rough night from the field. Game 1 went to the fourth-seeded Dream in front of their home crowd at State Farm Arena, and honestly, they looked ready for whatever the postseason throws at them.
Dream Explode After Halftime to Take Control
The Dream didn’t exactly start hot, trailing the fifth-seeded Mystics 41-36 at halftime. But whatever adjustments they made in the locker room worked wonders. Atlanta exploded in the third quarter, putting up a massive 29-12 run that completely flipped the script. That outburst gave them a lead that stretched to as many as 17 points, and they never looked back. Rhyne Howard was on fire, leading the charge with 26 points and an impressive five steals, just slicing through the Mystics’ defense. Allisha Gray was right there with her, adding 22 points to secure the win.
Mystics’ Turnover Nightmare and Reese’s Resilient Double-Double
Angel Reese still grabbed a double-double, finishing with 13 points and 12 rebounds. But she struggled to find her rhythm, shooting just 4-of-15 from the field. The Mystics, despite some strong individual efforts, just couldn’t capitalize on that. Sonia Citron led Washington with 25 points, and their frontcourt stars, Kiki Iriafen and Shakira Austin, both notched double-doubles with 15 points and 14 rebounds, and 12 points and 16 rebounds respectively. However, the real killer for Washington was their astounding 22 turnovers. You can’t give the ball away that many times in a playoff game and expect to win.
The Dream will now try to close out the series. Game 2 is set for Wednesday in Washington, and the Mystics absolutely have to clean up those turnovers if they want to avoid a swift playoff elimination.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
Leave a Reply