Rhyne Howard scores 23 points, Jordin Canada sets assists record as Dream beat Mercury 96-82
The Atlanta Dream needed a bounce-back game after dropping one to the Aces. Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray and Jordin Canada made sure they got one, as the Dream handled the Phoenix Mercury 96-82 Wednesday night at Gateway Center Arena.
Canada broke the Atlanta Dream's single-season assists record with her 227th of the year, doing it in just 30 games. Howard shook off a shooting slump to pour in a game-high 23 points on 5-of-9 shooting from three. Gray added 20 points on 3-of-8 from deepm and Angel Reese chipped in with 14 points and 10 rebounds. She currently leads the WNBA in double-doubles with 21.
"The ball movement, the screening ... I thought we did a really good job getting good shots in the first half," Smesko said. "It was probably the best ball movement we've had in a long time."
Howard, who openly acknowledged she had been in a slump throughout the last month, said the way Atlanta generated its three-point looks made the difference Wednesday.
"I feel like I've been in a slump because I was. I'm very aware of what was going on, so we don't have to pretend like that wasn't a thing," Howard said. "But I've earned this so that I could afford to have a slump and we could still win a lot of games. They never lost confidence in me; they always continued to give me the ball, and it's just a matter of what I do and how I turn it around."
Howard also said the quality of the looks, not just the volume, was what made Wednesday feel different.
"Everybody knows that we want to shoot threes; you can't win a game only making four," Howard said. "I think the way we found those threes is what felt the best, because now you have the extra confidence to knock it down. We worked to get a great shot and now it's just about finishing it."
Gray said the tone was set from the opening tip.
"I was just aggressive from the jump ball at the beginning and just finding the open teammate," Gray said. "We moved the ball really well tonight; we were able to just hit shots and play real hard, and I think that's why we were successful."
Smesko said Canada's record-breaking night was a fitting reward for a player who competes through everything.
"She's a competitor," Smesko said. "She knocked down a couple threes in the second half, got to the foul line a couple times. JC's really tough; she puts a lot of pressure on herself, but after she had time to regroup at halftime, she showed what she's capable of doing."
Howard added that Canada's assists record is a reflection of the entire team doing its job.
"You don't get assists unless you're hitting shots," Howard said. "She's doing her job to create those advantages, find us when we're open, and we have to knock it down so that she looks as good as she does."
Kelsey Plum led Phoenix with 19 points off the bench. Alyssa Thomas added 17 points and seven assists for the Mercury, but Atlanta's defense held the Mercury to 41% shooting from the field.
The Dream improve to 19-11 on the season and are tied for first place in the Eastern Conference.
