Angel Reese blocked Emese Hof’s shot as time expired, and the Atlanta Dream outlasted the Minnesota Lynx for a 91-90 win on Saturday night in Minneapolis.
Allisha Gray finished with a game-high 24 points to lead Atlanta in the season opener for both teams. Naz Hillmon and Rhyne Howard scored 15 points apiece, and Reese notched a double-double with 11 points and a game-high 14 rebounds in her Dream debut.
Olivia Miles, the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s WNBA draft, scored 21 points and dished eight assists as a starter in her first game for Minnesota. Kayla McBride scored 18 points on 6-for-12 shooting, and Courtney Williams tallied 14 points.
Atlanta outscored Minnesota 54-38 in the second half to complete the comeback victory.
The Lynx led 85-78 with 4:27 remaining. Miles made a driving layup to give Minnesota the seven-point advantage.
Atlanta rallied with a 7-0 run to even the score at 85-all with 2:44 to go. Hillmon scored all seven points during the run on back-to-back layups and a 3-pointer.
The score was 87-all when McBride made a 3-pointer to give the Lynx a 90-87 lead with 1:11 remaining.
A layup by Jordin Canada pulled Atlanta within 90-89 with 59 seconds to go.
Te-Hina Paopao put the Dream on top 91-90 when she drained a jump shot with 12 seconds remaining.
The Lynx had a final chance to go ahead but Reese denied Hof’s layup attempt.
Minnesota opened the game with a 24-12 lead after the first quarter.
Minnesota scored the first seven points of the game on a 3-pointer by Nia Coffey, a pull-up jump shot by Williams and a jump shot by Coffey.
Atlanta ended its scoring drought when Reese drove toward the rim and finished with a layup for her first basket as a member of the Dream after starting her WNBA career with the Chicago Sky.
The Lynx increased their lead to 19 points late in the first half.
McBride knocked down a 3-pointer to put Minnesota on top 50-33 with 1:48 left before the break. McBride and Emma Cechova added one free throw apiece to boost the Lynx’s advantage to 52-33 with 58 seconds remaining.
Atlanta finished the first-half scoring on a 3-pointer by Hillmon and one free throw by Reese to cut the deficit to 52-37.
–Field Level Media
