Rhyne Howard posted a game-high 18 points to go with six assists, helping the Atlanta Dream post an 87-62 victory over the Connecticut Sun on Monday in College Park, Ga.
Allisha Gray added 15 points for Atlanta while Naz Hillmon chipped in 14. Reserves Maya Caldwell and Brittney Griner scored 11 and 10 points, respectively, for the Dream, who extended their winning streak to five straight.
Atlanta outscored Connecticut 42-19 in the second half of the teams’ penultimate regular-season game. Both sides will finish their regular-season campaigns when they meet again Wednesday in Connecticut.
The second-place Dream (29-14) hold a half-game lead on third-place Las Vegas (28-14), but the Aces would move up if they win both of their remaining games as they hold the tiebreaker over Atlanta.
Saniya Rivers led the Sun (11-32) with 16 points, while Aneesha Morrow produced 13 points and 14 rebounds. Tina Charles added 12 points for Connecticut, which dropped its fourth game in five tries.
After Rivers’ jumper cut the Sun’s deficit to three with 5:56 left in the third, Griner’s layup began a 9-0 run to push the Dream’s lead to 61-49. Charles’ basket and Aaliyah Edwards’ free throw stopped the bleeding for Connecticut, but Gray’s jumper and Howard’s five straight points gave Atlanta a 68-52 advantage entering the fourth.
The Dream pushed that 7-0 run into 16 straight points as they opened the fourth quarter with Gray’s personal 5-0 spurt — followed by Caldwell’s 3-point play, Howard’s technical foul free throw and a Caldwell free throw that extended the Dream’s lead to 77-52.
Connecticut was held without a fourth-quarter field goal until the 5:39 mark, when Mamignan Toure’s 3-pointer cut Atlanta’s lead to 79-56.
Atlanta led 26-16 before Rivers’ five straight points and Marina Mabrey’s 3-pointer cut the Sun’s deficit to two entering the second quarter.
Hillmon’s layup gave the Dream a 32-29 lead before Mabrey scored four of Connecticut’s 6-0 spurt to help the Sun grab a three-point edge.
After Gray’s four straight points gave the Dream a 45-40 advantage, Rivers’ 3-pointer at the first-half buzzer cut Atlanta’s halftime lead to two.
–Field Level Media
