by Troy Jenkins
The Atlanta Dream took the lead early and didn’t look back as they handed the Los Angeles Sparks only their second loss this season by a 91-74 margin on Sunday Afternoon at Philips Arena.
Here Are A Few Notes From Sunday’s Game:
Dream End Sparks Bid For History
- After a back and forth first quarter, the Atlanta Dream were able to seize control of the game with an 11-2 second quarter run before pulling away with a 9-2 spurt to finish the game and the Sparks bid for history.
- Sancho Lyttle sat out Sunday’s game with a fifth metatarsal tear in her right foot. She will miss the remainder of the 2016 WNBA season.
- The Dream saw four players reach double-figures in scoring: Angel McCoughtry and Layshia Clarendon led the way with 17 points, Bria Holmes scored 15 points and Tiffany Hayes notched 14 points.
- With Sunday’s victory, the Dream have won three of the last four games against the Sparks, and lead the all-time series with an 11-6 record.
- Coach Cooper’s Take: “The last road trip we had was very difficult, but the two things that we did not do very well was rebounding the basketball and continuing to play at a high intensity level. Those were two things that we’ve talked about with the team after the loss at Indiana. If you do those two things well, we put ourselves in a position to win. That’s what we were able to do today. We kept reinforcing throughout the game that Los Angeles was going to come at us hard, but we were able to keep our spirits high.”
- Player’s Take: “Hard Work. We just wanted it. I told the team that this could be the one that could turn the season around for us and it proved that we can beat anyone in this league. I hope that the girls take this and build their confidence and together we can move forward and contend in this league and do some damage”, said McCoughtry after the win.
Three Key Statistics From Sunday’s Win:
- The Dream were able to score 91 points against Los Angeles. The Dream improve to 5-0 when scoring 90 or more points in a game.
- The Dream outrebounded Los Angeles by a final tally of 42-34. They are now 7-3 when outrebounding their opponent.
- The Dream outshot Los Angeles from the free throw line. They went 27 for 31 from the charity stripe while Los Angeles went 22 for 28. The Dream now sit at 11-3 when outshooting the opposition from the free throw line.
Holmes Steps Up in Lyttle’s Absence
- With Sancho Lyttle out due to injury, Dream Guard Bria Holmes made her second start of the season, and matched her career-high in scoring with 15 points.
- Holmes is averaging 15 points as a starter, and the Dream are 1-1 with her in the starting lineup.
Clarendon Gets back on Track With 17-Point Game
- After averaging only 6.6 points during the Dream’s three-game road trip, Dream Guard Layshia Clarendon was able to bounce back with a 17-point performance in Sunday’s win.
- Clarendon has notched double-digit points in 13 of 23 games since joining the Dream this season.
McCoughtry Post 17 Points
- After scoring a combined 13 points in the last two games, Dream Forward Angel McCoughtry got back on track with a 17-point showing in Sunday’s game.
- McCoughtry has posted double-digit points in 21 of 23 games this season and ranks seventh in the WNBA in scoring.
Player(s) of the Game: The Atlanta Dream
- One player cannot receive all of the credit for this victory. The Dream faced an opponent on the precipice of history, and received contributions from everyone on the roster. In addition to having four starters in double-figures, the Dream received a 12-rebound performance from center Elizabeth Williams and a combined 19 points from their reserves. The Dream played a complete four quarters of basketball as a unit and handed Los Angeles their first road loss of the season.
Playoff Picture
- Sunday’s triumph gives the Dream a record of 12-11. They remain four and a half games behind the first-place New York Liberty in the Eastern Conference Standings.
- The Dream also remain in the fourth spot of the overall WNBA Standings.
Up Next
The Dream will take a quick road trip to Minneapolis on July 20 to take on Maya Moore and the defending WNBA Champion Minnesota Lynx at 1:00 p.m. ET. After paying the Lynx a visit, the Dream will then return to Atlanta on July 22 to face Skylar Diggins and the Dallas Wings at 7:30 p.m ET at McCamish Pavilion on the campus of Georgia Tech.
The WNBA will break for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games from July 23-August 24. The Atlanta Dream’s own Angel McCoughtry will be a participant for the USA’s Women’s National Basketball Team in Rio.