Jordin Canada's buzzer-beating layup lifts Dream past Sky 93-91 as Angel Reese exits with leg injury
Jordin Canada didn't score a point in the first half. With 0.3 seconds on the clock and the game tied at 91, she scored the biggest basket of the night.
Canada darted to the hoop and converted a game-winning layup off a feed from Brionna Jones as time expired, lifting the Atlanta Dream to a 93-91 win over the Chicago Sky on Sunday night inside Gateway Center Arena.
The Dream led by as many as 22 points in the second quarter before nearly letting it slip away entirely. Chicago erased the deficit in the fourth quarter, tied the game at 91 on a deep Sydney Taylor three-pointer with six seconds remaining, and appeared headed toward overtime before Canada delivered the decisive blow.
Canada said the play was actually designed to go to Allisha Gray first.
"The call was actually for Lish to get downhill off of Naz's screen," Canada said. "If she wasn't open, then to try to find a way to get open and attack downhill. I saw as soon as Lish wasn't open, I had to turn on the jets. I knew as soon as I could get past their defender it was going to be a wide-open layup, so I just tried to focus on finishing the basket."
Coach Karl Smesko confirmed the play had two options and that Brionna Jones made the right read.
"Option 1 was well guarded, and option 2 was to get it to JC to go downhill," Smesko said. "Bri didn't force a pass to someone who was not open and had the patience to wait and got it back to JC, and JC did the rest. Great finish and great way to win the game."
Gray scored a season-high 29 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 4-of-6 from three and 11-of-13 from the free throw line, to lead Atlanta. She also had six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Madina Okot was the story off the bench, finishing with 14 points and four rebounds, including a remarkable stretch of 10 points in the final five minutes when the Dream needed her most.
Canada finished with 10 points, nine assists and three steals.
"I'm all about what the game calls for and the flow of the game," Canada said. "I don't want to force anything, I don't want to rush anything or take bad shots. In the first half it was me distributing; my teammates were getting wide-open looks, I was just trying to pass the ball. In the second half, knowing it would open up for me, I was just trying to be a little more aggressive, find my shots, take what the defense gives me and play at my pace."
The Dream got off to a blazing start, building a 13-point lead in the first quarter after an 11-4 run and extending it to 22 points in the second quarter. Gray was the engine, pouring in 16 points in the first half alone, making more three-pointers than the entire Chicago team by halftime. Atlanta led 49-34 at the break and was outrebounding the Sky 27-12.
But Chicago came out of halftime with a purpose. The Sky opened the third quarter on a quick 4-0 run, forcing Smesko to call an early timeout, and proceeded to outscore Atlanta 27-13 in the period. What had been a comfortable lead was suddenly a one-point game as the quarter wound down.
A huge gasp could be heard throughout the arena when Angel Reese took a hard fall driving to the basket late in the third quarter. She limped off the court and into the locker room, and the team announced she had been ruled out for the remainder of the game with a left leg injury. Reese was seen on the bench with a large ice pack wrapped around her left leg, cheering on her teammates as the fourth quarter played out.
Okot filled the void. The reserve forward scored back-to-back baskets to give Atlanta a 72-71 lead in the fourth and kept coming back every time Chicago threatened. When the Sky pulled ahead 75-74, Okot found Canada slashing to the basket for a layup to push Atlanta back in front. When the game was tied at 86, Gray knocked down a tough jumper to make it 88-86, only for Kamilla Cardoso to answer with a layup to tie it again.
Gray then made two clutch free throws with 9.5 seconds left to give Atlanta a 91-88 lead, setting up Taylor's tying three with 6.2 seconds remaining.
Chicago's Courtney Vandersloot missed a layup on the other end in the final seconds, and Jones secured the rebound. Then came Canada.
"Give Chicago credit, they just kept coming and coming," Smesko said. "We're very fortunate that we were able to make the final play and get the win."
Taylor led Chicago with 18 points. Azura Stevens added 20, Cardoso scored 15, and Elizabeth Williams contributed 12 off the bench for the Sky.
"The biggest thing is getting this win so we can enjoy our All-Star break," Gray said. "Just keeping our momentum going into the break so when we get back, we just pick up where we left off."
Smesko said the break comes at a good time for a team still finding its best version of itself.
"I think we have a really good team," he said. "There's not a lot of separation between the very top teams and the teams near the bottom of the standings. Everybody is capable on any given day of beating another team. For us, hopefully we come back recharged, well rested. We're going to have to lock in on something every day and feel like when we're getting to the end of the season that we're the best version of the Atlanta Dream that we can be. If we get to that best version, just about anything is possible with this team."
The status of Reese's left leg injury heading into the All-Star break was not immediately known following the contest.
Angel Reese responds to Tempo coach's "protected species" comment:
Angel Reese addressed reporters Sunday for the first time since audio of Toronto Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello calling her a "protected species" went viral Friday night. Brondello made the comment in a heated moment during a 111-92 loss to the Dream. While the phrase is common in Australia — where it refers to a player receiving favorable treatment from officials — it was widely received as dehumanizing language directed at a Black woman in the United States.
Reese said she appreciated Brondello's apology and the support she received over the weekend, while also expressing gratitude that the league took action.
"First, I appreciate Sandy's apology, but I also appreciate the love and support that I've had for the last 48 hours. It has been very overwhelming with a lot of love and also other things, but I am grateful that the league did take action." Reese said. "There is no place for discrimination or hate in this league from anyone, from fans to coaches to players."
The WNBA suspended Brondello without pay for one game, which she will serve Monday when Toronto hosts the Las Vegas Aces.
Brondello was emotional when speaking to reporters Sunday, saying she should have been more aware of the cultural context of her words.
"I should have took a breath and realized where I am and what it's like in America, because I know racism is such a big deal here," she said.
Brondello added that she has reached out to the Dream organization and wants to apologize to Reese directly when she is ready.
