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Allisha Gray’s 25 points not enough as Atlanta Dream fall to Liberty

Allisha Gray #15 of the Atlanta Dream goes up for a layup against Courtney Vandersloot #22 of the New York Liberty in the second half at the Barclays Center on July 27, 2023 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

 

 

Aari McDonald added a season-high 18 points off the bench 

By: Em Adler

Game recap: 

BROOKLYN — Allisha Gray led Atlanta with 25 points and 6 assists while Aari McDonald scored a season-high 18 points with assists off the bench, but the Dream were unable to overcome a slow start in New York. Atlanta (13-11) lost to the Liberty (18-5) 95-84 in the teams’ final matchup of the year, dropping their season series 3-1 and falling a half-game behind Dallas in the fight for the last home-court advantage spot in the standings. 

New York scored the first 11 points of the game, but the Dream continued to fight their way back from what became a 16-point deficit. Allisha Gray led Atlanta with 18 points at halftime, second among all scorers. Liberty forward Breanna Stewart had 25 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists at the half. 

The Dream opened the second half on an 8-0 run, cutting the lead to 59-52 and forcing a New York timeout. Atlanta held serve from there and trailed 73-66 going into the fourth quarter. 

The teams traded runs for most of the final period. New York scored the first 9 points and the Dream responded with an 8-2 run, but the Liberty slowly increased their lead through the waning minutes. 

Lineup notes: 

The Dream used the same starting lineup for the 3rd-straight game and 9th time in their past 11 games. The Liberty have had the same starting five in 21 of their 23 games this season. 

Atlanta: Danielle Robinson, Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, Nia Coffey, Cheyenne Parker 

New York: Courtney Vandersloot, Sabrina Ionescu, Betnijah Laney, Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones 

Standout moments: 

On the first play of the game, the Dream swung the ball all around the court looking for a good opening. But with the shot clock winding down, Cheyenne Parker had to put up a heavily contested jumper that Stewart blocked. That set the tone early, as Atlanta would fall behind 18-2 just four minutes later. The Dream closed the first quarter on a 14-8 run, though, punctuated by a big block from Monique Billings just before the end of the period. 

Atlanta came out of halftime with a vengeance, scoring the first 8 points of the second half and forcing a quick New York timeout. That run cut the deficit to 7 and included Gray hitting Cheyenne Parker in transition on a long kick-ahead pass: 

McDonald was one of the biggest catalysts in the Dream winning the third quarter, and her 3-pointer toward the end of the period brought Atlanta within 5 points. 

 

Parker remained involved in the offense through the second half and brought the Dream the closest they would get in the fourth quarter when she scored a classic one-on-one post-up against Stewart. 

Postgame sounds: 

Head coach Tanisha Wright: “Very frustrating game for us, just in terms of how we started. Our focus, our energy level to start the game, our execution, both offensively and defensively, just not where it needs to be. If we want to be a playoff team … [we] gotta compete against the best teams in the league. And right now we have yet to prove that we can do that at a high level. 

Wright: “The expectation is that if you want to win games, then you try to execute the game plan. And that helps you win the game. So no, it’s not encouraging [that we went on runs during the game]; it’s actually frustrating that we don’t do it consistently, especially now that we’re in the second half of the season.” 

Gray: “Aari’s been playing hard, aggressively. You can tell that when Aari’s on the court a lot, good things happen. She’s worked really hard to get back from her injury, so I’ve just been really happy how she’s been playing and been really aggressive. I’m glad she’s back.” 

McDonald: “While I’m on the bench, I’m seeing what’s working, I’m seeing what’s not working, and I’m just trying to come in, push the pace and I want to set the tone defensively. I want to get my teammates involved and just make sure they’re successful on the court. 

Stats: 

Atlanta: 42.5% shooting (31-of-73 FG) New York: 48.5% shooting (32-of-66 FG) 

Atlanta: 14-of-23 from the line 

New York: 20-of-22 from the line 

Atlanta: 32 rebounds (eight offensive) New York: 39 rebounds (five offensive) 

Atlanta:
Allisha Gray: 25 points (10-16 FG, 2-5 3PT), 8 rebounds, 6 assists Aari McDonald: 18 points (3-8 3PT, 7-9 FT), 3 rebounds, 5 assists 

New York:
Breanna Stewart: 33 points (8-17 FG, 14-16 FT), 12 rebounds, 5 assists Jonquel Jones: 19 points (7-11 FG), 13 rebounds