by Troy Jenkins

The Atlanta Dream rallied to force two overtimes but ultimately fell short against the New York Liberty by a final score of 90-79 on Wednesday afternoon at Philips Arena.

 

Here’s A Few Notes From Wednesday’s Game:

Dream rally ends in second overtime in loss to Liberty

The Dream rallied from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime, but eventually fell prey to a 14-3 run in the second overtime in a valiant loss to the Liberty.

• With this loss, the Dream and Liberty are split in the season series at one game apiece. The Liberty lead the all-time series with a record of 23-12. The teams play one more time during the regular season – an 11 a.m. tip on July 13 at Madison Square Garden.
• The Dream saw four players reach double-figures in scoring. Angel McCoughtry led the team with 22 points, Tiffany Hayes added17 points, Elizabeth Williams 16 and Sancho Lyttle 11.
• Coach’s Take: “We just caught a team that’s red hot at this point and time, but I still really love the fight our players took to them. It was a good game for TV”.
• Player’s Take: “You gotta play to the end and to the last whistle. We tried and failed today. There’s not really a lesson, but we have to play harder and better in [regulation] to win the game”, said Lyttle after the loss.

Tweet of the Game

Three Key Stats From Wednesday’s Loss

• The Liberty out rebounded the Dream by a final tally of 42-37. The Dream now fall to 3-3 when being out rebounded by their opponent.
• The Dream shot 33.3% from the field. The Dream are now 1-3 when shooting under 40% in a game.
• Wednesday’s defeat is the first overtime loss for the Dream this season. Their record falls to 3-1 in games that go beyond regulation.

 

Sancho’s Big Return

• Dream Forward Sancho Lyttle made her return to the team after missing four games to compete for Spain in the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifier.
• Lyttle finished with 11 points, 11 rebounds and tied her career high with eight steals.

 

Hayes Upward Trend Continues

• Dream Guard Tiffany Hayes has now scored double-digits in 10 of 13 games this season following her 17-point performance against New York on Wednesday.

 

McCoughtry’s Streak Lives On 

• Dream Forward Angel McCoughtry successfully extended her streak of double-digit scoring games to 28 games. She registered 22 points in Wednesday’s defeat.
• McCoughtry has also scored 20 or more points in eight of the last 11 games.

 

A Glance At the Standings

• With Wednesday’s loss, the Dream fall one game behind the first-place Liberty in the Eastern Conference Standings with a current record of 8-5.
• The Dream’s 8-5 record is now the fourth-best overall record in the WNBA.

 

Player of the Game: Tina Charles

• Former WNBA MVP and reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week Tina Charles had a big day. She finished with 23 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds in 42 minutes of action. This marked her fifth straight game with at least 20 points. Her consistent all-around play was key for the Liberty securing their eighth win in the last nine contests.

 

Next Up

The Atlanta Dream will hit the road for a three-game west coast road trip. The first stop will be June 25 in San Antonio as the Dream take on the Stars in an 8 p.m. tip. The Dream will then head to Seattle on June 28 to face Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart and the Storm in a late 10 p.m. tip ET. The Dream will wrap up their road swing on June 30 in Los Angeles against Candace Parker and the Sparks.

 

The Dream will return home to Philips Arena on July 3 to host Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner and the Phoenix Mercury. The game will tip off at 6 p.m ET.