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The Atlanta Dream Drop Game To Surging Sparks

Cheyenne Parker #32 of the Atlanta Dream handles the ball during the game against the Los Angeles Sparks on August 25, 2023 at Gateway Center Arena at College Park in College Park, Georgia. Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Dale Zanine/NBAE via Getty Images)

Split Season Series With LA 2-2 

By: Jameelah Johnson  

It was a tale of two halves as the Atlanta Dream (16-18) faced the Los Angeles Sparks (15-18) Friday night at Gateway Center Arena. The Sparks picked up their sixth straight win with the 83-78 final against the Dream.
 

Dream’s Cheyenne Parker scored 22 points while her teammate Monique Billings finished with a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds. Billings scored her 1000th career point in the game.
 

Sparks’ Nneka Ogwumike finished with a double-double of 29 points and 12 rebounds. Azurá Stevens added 18 points for Los Angeles.
 

The Dream announced on Thursday that they would be without Nia Coffey for the remainder of the season due to a left-hand injury she sustained last week.
 

As the game tipped off, Atlanta fed Parker early and thrived. The Dream scored 24 of their first half 52 points in the paint. While Parker scored 11 in the first quarter, Howard went on to lead Atlanta with eight points in the second quarter.
 

The third quarter was once again where Atlanta faltered, allowing Los Angeles to outscore them 23-12 behind Ogwumike’s 11 points on 100% shooting from the field. She carried that momentum into the final period where she scored eight more points, and the Sparks held the Dream to just 14 points.
 

“In the second half, we didn’t do anything intentionally, and I thought LA did an amazing job being very intentional,” Atlanta Dream’s head coach Tanisha Wright said following the loss.
 

Lineup Notes: 

Nia Coffey (hand) and Allisha Gray (ankle) remained out. 

Atlanta: Danielle Robinson, Aari McDonald, Rhyne Howard, Monique Billings, Cheyenne Parker
 

Los Angeles: Jordin Canada, Layshia Clarendon, Karlie Samuelson, Azurá Stevens, Nneka Ogwumike
 

Game Highlights: 

Howard opened up the scoring for Atlanta with a catch-and-shoot three off of the assist from McDonald.
 

Parker was all over the offense as she got the ball down low and attacked the paint. She showed a bit of her scoring variety in the paint as she hit Sparks defense with a euro step early.  

 

The Dream’s bench contributed 10 points in the first half and 8 of those came from Asia Durr. They saw opportunities in the paint and continued to score by picking up the pace and being unrelenting towards the basket.
 

Monique went up hard for the offensive board in a sea of Sparks and got the reverse layup to drop.
 

Robinson scored eight points during the third quarter and led much of the offense for Atlanta. She used her speed and quick change of direction to get to the basket.
 

 

Fitting for Billings to score her 1000th career point on one of her patented midrange jumpers. The defense gave her space and she took it.
 

 

 

Postgame Sounds: 

Atlanta Dream head coach Tanisha Wright on what happened in the third quarter: “Terrible shot selection. Walking through everything. And fussing with the referees. So a ton of lack of toughness, mentally and physically.”
 

Danielle Robinson: “I mean it’s unacceptable how we came out in the second half. I mean it literally just happened in LA…it’s unacceptable. Period. We’re not locked into anything, we’re comfortable, and we have to fix it. We can’t go to Indiana and do the same thing or we’re going to get blown out.”
 

Stats:
 

Atlanta: 48.4% (30-of-62 FG) from the field 

Los Angeles: 47.7% (31-of-65 FG) from the field
 

Atlanta: 13-of-16 from the line 

Los Angeles: 15-of-17 from the line
 

Atlanta: 29 rebounds (six offensive) 

Los Angeles: 27 rebounds (five offensive)
 

Atlanta:  

Cheyenne Parker: 22 points (7-16 FG, 7-10 FT), 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks; Rhyne Howard: 15 points (5-12 FG, 2-2 FT), 2 assists, 1 rebound 

 

Los Angeles: 

Nneka Ogwumike: 29 points (12-17 FG, 4-4 FT), 12 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 blocks; Azurá Stevens: 18 points (7-16 FG, 2-3 FT)