Another late surge propelled the Atlanta Dream to victory, as the Dream defeated the Phoenix Mercury, 82-80, in front of a capacity crowd at Gateway Center Arena.

The Dream used a 16-5 run over the game’s final two and a half minutes to earn a gritty home win as four Atlanta starters scored in double figures. Guard Jordin Canada recorded a double-double with 11 points and 14 assists — her fourth game with 10 or more points this season — including a go-ahead bucket late in the fourth quarter.

“We are a resilient team, and the game is not over until it is over,” Canada said. “We fight to the end. We always come together in the fourth quarter knowing we have to make a run or sustain a lead, whatever we have to do.”

Canada’s layup through contact gave Atlanta its first lead since the game’s opening minutes, set up by a clutch three-pointer from Isobel Borlase that brought Atlanta within two points with 90 seconds remaining. A possession later, Rhyne Howard extended the lead with a 25-foot three-pointer, one of six shots from beyond the arc she converted during the game.

“(There were) so many big plays, and we needed every last one of them,” Dream Head Coach Karl Smesko said. “It’s a lot of fun when you’re able to come back and close the deal with a W, and I think there’s a lot, both good and bad, that we’ll be able to grow from.”

Howard’s three-point shooting sparked the Atlanta offense in the third and fourth quarters as part of a team-high 21-point performance. Guard Allisha Gray added 18 points, while center Angel Reese recorded her third double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Howard noted the impact Reese has made in her short time with Atlanta.

“She’s doing all the little things we haven’t done in the past,” Howard said. “Oftentimes we would have folded, but because of the tenacity she brings, because of the energy she brings, we have no choice but to follow her.”

Phoenix jumped out to a quick start, shooting 45% from the field behind Kahleah Copper’s 10 first-quarter points. Halfway through the opening period, the Dream found themselves down 10 points after a 9-0 Mercury run. The league’s top rebounding team also struggled early on the glass, as the Dream was outrebounded 11-7 in the first quarter.

The Dream put together a more productive second quarter, spurred by Reese and Gray. Reese scored seven of her eight first-half points in the period, while Gray added eight points to lead the team in the quarter. Atlanta pieced together an 8-0 run early in the frame, ultimately trimming the visitors’ lead to seven points at halftime.

Howard picked up three fouls in the game’s first eight minutes, limiting her playing time in the half, but the forward still led the team in first-quarter scoring with six points and a steal. Borlase provided support off the bench in the first half, finishing in the paint with her left hand, assisting on a Naz Hillmon and-one opportunity and adding a block on defense.

The Dream overcame struggles at the free-throw line en route to the victory. Atlanta shot 46.7% from the stripe through three quarters before knocking down four of its final six attempts to secure the win, while the visitors made all but one of their 19 free-throw attempts during the

game. Additionally, Indya Nivar made the first three-pointer of her career during her fourth appearance with the team since being selected in the 2026 WNBA Draft.

Atlanta returns to action Wednesday when it travels to face the Minnesota Lynx.