The Atlanta Dream ran into a New York Liberty team firing on all cylinders Thursday night at Gateway Center Arena, falling 104-90 in Commissioner’s Cup play. Despite a strong effort from Rhyne Howard, Angel Reese, and Allisha Gray, the Dream couldn’t overcome a Liberty squad that shot the ball with remarkable efficiency and used a dominant third quarter to pull away for good.
New York controlled the game from the opening tip, leading 21-19 after one quarter and pushing the margin to 51-44 at halftime. The third quarter proved decisive. The Liberty outscored Atlanta 29-20 in the period, stretching their lead to 15 points heading into the fourth and leaving the Dream too much ground to recover. Atlanta won the final frame 26-24, a modest consolation in an otherwise difficult night.
The difference on the stat sheet was stark. New York shot 54.2 percent from the field and an eye-popping 51.6 percent from three-point range, connecting on 16 of 31 attempts from beyond the arc. The Dream shot a respectable 44 percent overall but went just 9-for-29 from deep and struggled at the free-throw line, converting only 55.6 percent of their attempts. Atlanta’s biggest culprit may have been turnovers — the Dream gave the ball away five times and the Liberty converted those miscues into 23 points.
Rhyne Howard led Atlanta with 24 points on 7-of-18 shooting, draining five threes and adding four steals in an energetic two-way performance. Angel Reese was dominant in the paint, finishing with 25 points on 11-of-22 shooting to go with nine rebounds, six of which came on the offensive glass. Reese’s physical presence at the rim accounted for 22 of her points in the paint. Allisha Gray added 18 points on 63.6 percent shooting, consistently getting to her spots and attacking off the bounce. Jordin Canada ran the offense with her usual poise, dishing out seven assists against just one turnover, though she went scoreless from the field.
On the New York side, the damage came from all directions. Breanna Stewart recorded 19 points and 11 rebounds while Jonquel Jones matched her with 16 points and 10 boards — two double-doubles that anchored the Liberty’s interior. Satou Sabally poured in 19 points, hitting five of her six three-point attempts in a sensational display of shooting, while Marine Johannes came off the bench to score 17 on a perfect 5-of-5 from the field. New York’s bench outscored Atlanta’s reserves 30-13 — an advantage that proved insurmountable.
The loss drops Atlanta to 8-4 on the season, still firmly in second place in the Eastern Conference. The Liberty improve to 9-4 and hold the Eastern lead. The Dream have now played two Commissioner’s Cup games with an eye toward regular-season momentum; Thursday’s result was a reminder of just how good the reigning WNBA champions can be when their shooters get hot.
Atlanta will look to bounce back quickly, heading to Toronto on Sunday afternoon to face the Tempo. Tip-off is set for 3:00 PM EDT.
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