The Atlanta Dream secured a 101-92 win in their first matchup of the season against the Los Angeles Sparks on Monday night.
From start to finish, the Dream held off the Sparks by getting active on the glass early, courtesy of Angel Reese and Madina Okot. They stayed aggressive at the paint, communicated effectively, converted second-chance points and knocked down a series of 3-pointers that energized the sold-out crowd at Gateway Center Arena.
Atlanta’s formula for success included 16 second-chance points, 21 points off turnovers and 35 rebounds. That combination helped the Dream return to their identity and intensity for all four quarters.
Key Moment
To close the first half, Reese grabbed an offensive rebound off Rhyne Howard’s missed 3-point attempt and lobbed in a shot at the buzzer, sending the crowd to their feet in cheers as she urged fans to get louder in celebration.
This game also marked Reese’s return after being sidelined in the Dream’s previous matchup against the Portland Fire due to a leg injury.
Top performers
Dream
Angel Reese: 23 PTS, 13 REB, 2 AST
Allisha Gray: 20 PTS, 1 REB, 2 AST
Jordin Canada: 16 PTS, 3 REB, 9 AST
Rhyne Howard: 11 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST
Isobel Borlase: 10 PTS, 1 AST
Madina Okot: 9 PTS, 6 REB
Sparks
Nneka Ogwumike: 19 PTS, 5 REB
Rae Burrell: 18 PTS, 4 AST
Erica Wheeler: 20 PTS, 4 AST
Highlight Play
Isobel Borlase gave Atlanta the spark they needed off the bench in the second quarter. Her most impressive sequence of the night, however, came on a pair of reverse layups that helped propel the Dream’s offense.
Quotable:
“I haven’t been too happy with how I’ve been finishing at the basket, so I was happy that they went in today, and I think that’s what I’m good at. Being aggressive in getting to the hoop. And I feel like over the past couple of weeks, I’ve had to remind myself of that. So, any way I can help the team coming off the bench and finishing as efficiently as I can. That’s what I can do.”- Isobel Borlase on her performance off the bench.
“All I remember is me just crashing the O-board, and Angel knocked it (3-pointer) down, squeezed the target. I mean, she works on that every single day after practice, before practice. Like, people really don’t see the type of work that she puts in. She’s a superstar, but a very unselfish superstar, and she really puts in the work. So I’m not surprised she hit that 3 because it’s just like she works on it every single day.” –Allisha Gray on Reese’s 3-pointer made with 3:26 left in the fourth quarter.
“But what I’m happy (about) is when there’s times when things go wrong like that (fourth-quarter slump) to regroup and then to make the plays necessary to win. Sometimes that can be difficult, and JC (Canada) is a point guard as our leader to help us get into that. I think Angel made the big emotional plays that kind of gave us some energy to close it out. ...Nas had a big offensive rebound that was crucial. So literally it was everybody on the floor made a big play in the last five minutes to help us win.” -Head coach Karl Smesko on the team’s collaborative effort.
“I thought she (Borlase) came in and gave us a lift right away. …She’s capable of becoming a really good player in this league, and I think she’s feeling more comfortable. There’s still, as with most rookies, a little bit of inconsistency. But I think she’s – on a daily basis – feeling more and more comfortable, which gives her a chance to stay out there longer. And we really need it.” –Smesko on Borlase off the bench.
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