The Atlanta Dream stifled the Portland Fire in the second half to earn an 86-66 victory over the surging WNBA expansion team.

The Dream forced 28 turnovers, converting them into 33 points en route to a road victory to conclude its short road trip. Rhyne Howard and Naz Hillmon combined for 11 of Atlanta's 16 steals, while center Angel Reese recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 18 points and 12 rebounds.

"I think we put good pressure on them and we made a lot of defensive plays," Head Coach Karl Smesko said. "We got a lot of steals. When you get the steals, (you have) to get out in transition, and I thought we got some good looks in transition."

Atlanta utilized all facets of scoring in the victory. The Dream outscored the Fire 42-30 in the paint, showcasing its ability to get to the rim, while making 17 free throws and nine 3-pointers. The team's 12 offensive rebounds led to 16 second-chance points, while four starters recorded four or more assists.

"We were pretty focused on the game plan," Smesko said. "We were determined to execute it. I give (Portland) credit. They were battling. It was back and forth there for a while. I just like that when we got the lead, even when they hit a couple threes, we kept our composure and were able to get the separation at the end."

Howard and Jordin Canada set the tone early in the fourth quarter, creating and-one opportunities during a 7-0 run in the first 1:15, part of a larger 14-4 surge. The Dream shot 50% from the field in the fourth quarter as Hillmon led the team with seven points and four rebounds. Te-Hina Paopao added five points and an assist off the bench during the period.

The Dream's defensive intensity helped the team put together a 14-1 run in the third quarter. Atlanta forced nine turnovers and recorded six steals during the period, as Allisha Gray sparked a smaller 7-0 Dream run. The guard knocked down a 26-foot 3-pointer, made a pair of free throws and forced a steal, epitomizing the effort from the team.

"We've kind of emphasized a lot on having that second-half surge," Reese said. "We haven't always come out in the third quarter and doing what we were supposed to do, but I think tonight we came out in that second half and did what we were supposed to."

A pair of late 3-pointers by Howard created some separation between the teams heading into halftime. Howard scored all nine of her first-half points in the second quarter – all from beyond the arc – as the Dream shot 61.5% from the field. Atlanta's bench provided a spark during the back-and-forth period, including a step-back jumper by Isobel Borlase and a three-point play by Madina Okot, who scored five points in the quarter.

The Dream offense got off to a fast start, opening on a 10-3 run sparked by 3-pointers from Hillmon and Gray, coupled with layups from Canada and Reese. Reese led the Dream with six points and five rebounds in the first quarter, while Howard paced the defensive effort with two steals. Atlanta found early success on the glass, outrebounding the Fire 16-10 in the opening quarter.

Atlanta returns to action June 2 when it hosts the Connecticut Sun at Gateway Center Arena.