Atlanta Dream hold off Chicago Sky 82-75, Rhyne Howard becomes youngest player to hit rare WNBA milestone
The Atlanta Dream beat the Chicago Sky 82-75 Tuesday night, pulling away in the fourth quarter to move to 3-1 in Commissioner's Cup play.
Atlanta outscored Chicago 25-17 in the fourth to put the game away after the Sky had cut it to one point midway through the third quarter. Jordin Canada, Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard each made key plays down the stretch to secure the win.
"When it got to the point where we just had to make plays, everybody on the floor stepped up," head coach Karl Smesko said. "Lish got a couple steals and got out in transition. Angel had a couple really good screens and got behind the defense for layups. Rhy made some huge plays down the stretch. Nas had the big three. JC was just tough all day."
Howard became the youngest player in WNBA history to reach 2,500 career points, 500 rebounds, 500 assists, 200 steals and 100 blocks, finishing with 17 points and five assists.
Angel Reese added 17 points and 17 rebounds, her second straight 17-rebound game, the first time any player in Atlanta Dream history has done that back-to-back. It was also her eighth double-double of the season and the 57th of her career, the most double-doubles in WNBA history through 75 games.
"Offensive rebounding is something I know I can always get," Reese said. "I think my energy is what is contagious. It was just a team effort tonight, finding my flow, finding where I fit in. There's so much talent around me, and you can't just sit on me the whole time when everybody else is just so great."
Reese credited her teammates for making her job easier, specifically calling out the trust they showed in one another down the stretch.
"Naz was just right in the perfect spot, as always," Reese said. "She always comes up on the stat sheet in ways that don't always show, but it showed tonight."
Naz Hillmon chipped in a season-high 16 points on 50% shooting, knocking down three 3-pointers, while Allisha Gray added 14 points and three steals off the bench.
Atlanta led after the first quarter, 18-17, then fell behind by as many as three in the second half before pulling away in the fourth quarter. Canada controlled the floor all night, finishing with 14 points and six assists.
Natasha Cloud led Chicago with 18 points off the bench, and Skylar Diggins added 17. But the Sky couldn't stop Atlanta's second-half surge.
"You don't win a lot of games when you shoot under 20% from three and your opponent shoots over 50%," Smesko said. "I give Chicago a lot of credit; they executed at a high level. But we just found a way. We just made the plays when we needed to. That's what really good teams do."
Reese, who spent two seasons with the Sky before joining Atlanta, said returning to Chicago brought out the best in her.
"I have a lot of love for Chicago," Reese said. "I had two great years here and did a lot of great things. The fans have still embraced me, and I'm still appreciative of it."
With the Dream's third Commissioner Cup win, they have raised $10,000 for The King Center, their designated charity for the competition.
