Naz Hillmon knocked down a 3-pointer with 2.6 seconds left to propel the Atlanta Dream to an 88-85 victory over the Dallas Wings on Wednesday in Arlington, Texas.
Hillmon led Atlanta (16-11) with 21 points, while Allisha Gray added 15 points and Brionna Jones scored 14. Maya Caldwell had a season-high 13 points, while Te-Hina Paopao collected 11 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Dream, who have won three of four.
Rookie star Paige Bueckers led Dallas (8-20) with 21 points, followed by Luisa Geiselsoder’s 13. Arike Ogunbowale and Haley Jones chipped in 12 points apiece for the Wings, who have lost seven of their last nine.
Atlanta trailed by two entering the final quarter but began the period on a 12-2 run, including a pair of Hillmon triples to take a 74-66 lead with 7:26 remaining.
Dallas then held the Dream scoreless for more than three minutes with an 8-0 spurt, capped with Bueckers’ three-point play.
Paopao’s consecutive layups later gave Atlanta an 85-83 edge with 34.8 seconds remaining before Ogunbowale’s jumper tied the score with 21.6 seconds left.
Trailing by four at halftime, Dallas began the third quarter with a 7-2 spurt to grab a one-point lead less than two minutes into the second half. Brionna Jones then scored four in a row and Hillmon connected on a pair of free throws to help Atlanta take a 52-47 advantage.
After the Dream’s lead was pushed to seven, Myisha Hines-Allen’s 3-pointer and Li Yueru’s mid-range jumper began a 13-2 Dallas’ run, giving the Wings a 64-60 edge with just over a minute left in the third.
Brionna Jones’ layup stopped the bleeding for Atlanta, cutting the deficit to 64-62 entering the fourth.
After Atlanta took a 26-21 lead into the second quarter, Dallas went on an 8-3 run — including Bueckers and Haley Jones’ 3-pointers to pull even at 29 with 4:42 left in the first half.
With less than a minute left in the second quarter, Bueckers’ mid-range jumper knotted the score at 40, before Brittney Griner’s layup and Caldwell’s basket gave the Dream a four-point edge at the break. Gray led all scorers with 13 first-half points, while Bueckers paced Dallas with 10.
–Field Level Media
