Dream top Sun, earn rare back-to-back wins

Field Level Media|published: Sun 18th August, 17:32 2024

Oct 10, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; A view of the offical game ball during the second half of game one of the 2021 WNBA Finals between the Phoenix Mercury and the Chicago Sky at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Tina Charles had 22 points and 15 rebounds and the host Atlanta Dream held off the Connecticut Sun 82-70 Sunday afternoon in College Park, Ga.

Jordin Canada added 19 points, six assists and six steals, Rhyne Howard scored 13 points and Allisha Gray had 11 as the Dream (9-17) won their second straight game for just the second time this season and first since May 29 and 31.

Alyssa Thomas had 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists, Brionna Jones had 12 points and eight rebounds, Tyasha Harris scored 12 and Marina Mabrey added 11 to lead the Sun (19-7), who got outscored 11-0 in the final two minutes.

DeWanna Bonner made two free throws to start the fourth-quarter scoring, triggering a 9-0 run that gave Connecticut its first lead of the game, 61-59.

Naz Hillmon's layup gave the Dream their first points of the period and tied the score, but Harris followed with a three-point play for the Sun. Connecticut led by as many as five points before an 8-0 run gave Atlanta a 71-68 lead.

The Sun got within one point, but Gray made two free throws and Howard added a 3-pointer to give the Dream a 76-70 advantage with 59 seconds left.

The Sun never led in the first half, but Jones scored the first four points of the third quarter to get even at 38. The Dream scored the next four points and held a four-point lead on four more occasions.

Canada's second straight 3-pointer gave the Dream a 54-47 lead with 2:23 left in the quarter. Thomas made consecutive field goals to trim the lead to three points, before Atlanta rebuilt the lead to 59-52 at the end of the period.

Howard scored the first five points of the game to kickstart the Dream's offense. They led by as many as seven points on two occasions before holding a 19-15 edge at the end of the period.

Veronica Burton's three-point play and DiJonai Carrington's two free throws helped the Sun get within one point early in the second quarter. Canada had two assists and made two free throws to start a 12-4 run and Atlanta expanded the lead to nine points.

Bonner scored five points and added an assist to help Connecticut close within 38-34 at halftime.

--Field Level Media

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