State Farm Arena was dressed for a party. The Dream had one of their own to throw, too — Angel Reese, Atlanta’s own Barbie-in-cleats, headlined a sold-out Barbie Night that had pink towels in every seat and pink jerseys, headbands, and boas scattered across the crowd. For a franchise riding a five-game winning streak, it had the makings of a signature moment.
Instead, the Las Vegas Aces crashed the party. Jackie Young ran a triple-double through Atlanta’s defense, A’ja Wilson and company hit almost everything they threw up, and the Aces walked out of State Farm Arena with a 109-87 win that handed the Dream their worst loss of the season and snapped their streak in the most emphatic way possible.
A Second Quarter That Buried Atlanta
The game was competitive for one quarter. Then it wasn’t.
Las Vegas outscored Atlanta 33-14 in the second, turning a manageable game into a rout. The Dream missed eight of nine 3-point attempts in the period, part of a night in which they clanked 21 of 25 attempts from deep overall. Meanwhile, the Aces were shooting 65% as a team in the first half alone, and Atlanta went into the locker room trailing 55-38.
“Great energy in the arena, great support, we appreciate everybody that came out,” Dream Head Coach Karl Smesko said. “Unfortunately, the Aces were just outstanding today, and that second quarter they just really stuck it to us, and really never let us get back in the game. They were really, really good.”
Smesko said Las Vegas’ defensive game plan was simple and effective: deny Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard the ball and dare everyone else on the roster to beat them. On a night when the Dream’s supporting cast couldn’t find the rim, that plan worked.
The third quarter offered no relief. Las Vegas shot 68% from the field in the period, outscored Atlanta 22-14 in the paint, and pushed the lead to 86-61 heading into the fourth. By the numbers, it was the most points Atlanta has allowed all season, the most field goals it has surrendered (44), and the highest shooting percentage it has given up to an opponent (62%).
Jackie Young Was Unstoppable
If there was one player Atlanta couldn’t slow down, it was Young. She finished with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists — a triple-double that powered the Aces from start to finish. Wilson added 23 points, NaLyssa Smith chipped in 18, and Chelsea Gray had 17 as Las Vegas got scoring from every corner of the roster.
“She’s really aggressive and we let her get downhill to her right too many times,” Smesko said of Young. “She had just an outstanding game today.”
Reese and Howard Fight, But It Wasn’t Enough
True to the night’s theme, Reese made sure the Barbie Night crowd had something to cheer for. She finished with 23 points and 16 rebounds, and when the Dream trailed by as many as 25 in the fourth quarter, she personally ripped off a 7-0 run to jolt the arena back to life and trim the deficit to 17.
Howard was the only other Dream player to reach double figures, adding 19 points as Las Vegas’ defense zeroed in on the Dream’s top two scorers most of the night.
“We can’t allow that, especially with the confidence we have in our defense,” Howard said of the second-quarter collapse.
Atlanta has built its identity this season on strong fourth-quarter finishes, but the hole was simply too deep this time. The Dream never got closer than 17 points down the stretch.
Smesko: “Championship Level”
Smesko didn’t mince words about what Atlanta was up against.
“I don’t care who the Aces were playing, they were going to win,” he said. “This was one of their best games of the season. They reached a level today that was definitely championship level. We are capable of playing better and shooting better than we did today.”
At 19-11, the Dream still sit in solid position, but Monday was a reminder of how quickly a night meant for celebration can turn lopsided against one of the league’s best. Atlanta will look to bounce back and shake off its worst shooting performance of the season as the stretch run of the WNBA schedule continues.
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