by Troy Jenkins

After allowing a 15-point lead to slip away, the Atlanta Dream were able to withstand a rally to come away with a 67-63 win over the Connecticut Sun Sunday afternoon at Mohegan Sun Arena.

 

Here Are a Few Notes From Sunday’s Game:

Dream Hang On to Claim Third Straight Victory

• Although the Sun were able to erase a 15-point deficit with a 14-3 third quarter run, the Dream were able to pull away late in the fourth quarter to win their third straight game.
• The Dream saw three players record double-digit points: Angel McCoughtry led all scorers with 26 points, Sancho Lyttle had 17 points and Elizabeth Williams chipped in 10.
• With Sunday’s victory, the Dream have now won six straight over the Sun, and lead the season series with a 3-0 record. The Dream also lead the all-time series with a 19-16 record.
• Coach Cooper’s Take: “We knew it was going to be a tough game but we just had to stick to it. I like the way we started. We came out and got on them, sometimes that can help you a lot because down the back stretch, in the third and fourth quarter, they made their run and it seemed like we had just a little bit more.”
• Player’s Take: “They came back but we just kept our composure. Connecticut was complaining about a lot of calls, which I thought affected the game a little bit but we kept our composure to get the win”, said McCoughtry after the win.

 

Three Key Statistics From Sunday’s Win

• The Dream won the rebounding battle by a final tally of 41-24. The Dream are now 6-3 when outrebounding their opponent. Atlanta also posted a 21-2 edge in second-chance points off the strength of 14 offensive rebounds.
• Sunday’s game marks the Dream’s first victory when scoring less than 70 points in a game (1-2). Also, the Dream improve to 3-0 when holding their opponents under 70 points.
• This game was the Dream’s first win that was decided by less than five points. They are now 1-2 in such games.

 

McCoughtry Scores 26

• Angel McCoughtry had a 26-point game against the Sun. McCoughtry has now posted 20 or more points in 13 of the last 17 games overall.

 

Sancho Lyttle Post Another Double-Double

• Sancho Lyttle has put together three straight games with a double-double after her 17 points and 14 rebounds in Sunday’s victory over the Sun.
• Lyttle has posted a double-double in four of seven games played since returning from Spain’s Olympic Qualifier.

 

Williams Impresses With Defense

• In Sunday’s game, Elizabeth Williams recorded 10 points, 7 rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots.
• Williams is averaging 3.8 blocked shots over the last four games and currently ranks second overall among WNBA leaders in rejections.

 

Player of the Game: Sancho Lyttle

• Sancho Lyttle gets the nod for player of the game. She finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds (seven offensive rebounds and seven defensive rebounds). Lyttle was able to control the glass in key moments of the game. This included a big offensive rebound and put back which gave the Dream a three-point lead with 20 seconds to go in the game. Her complete play for four quarters helped the Dream secure their third straight victory.

 

Playoff Picture 

• The Dream now move to 11-9 with Sunday’s triumph over the Sun. They’re in second place in the Eastern Conference, and 3.5 games back of the first-place New York Liberty.
• The Dream’s record ranks fourth overall in the WNBA Standings.

 

Up Next 

The Dream will continue their three-game road trip on Wednesday, July 13 in New York against Tina Charles and the Liberty in an early 11:00 a.m. ET tip.

After a visit to New York, the Dream will head to Indianapolis on July 15 to face Tamika Catchings and the Indiana Fever at 7:00 p.m. ET.

The Dream will return home next Sunday July 17 when they face Candace Parker and current WNBA front runner Los Angeles in a 3 p.m. tip at Philips Arena.