Another tough offensive performance.
Atlanta — The Atlanta Dream faced another tough defeat, losing 61-78 to a New York Liberty team in a game that highlighted both their strengths and areas for improvement. Atlanta’s overall record moves to 4-4, 2-3 at home and 0-2 in Commissioner’s Cup play.
With the result, a second donation of $1,000 has been made to the Dream’s Commissioner’s Cup charity, Helping Mamas, totaling $2000 for the season.
The Dream played in front of its fifth consecutive sellout crowd at Gateway Center Arena.
“I thought our effort was really piss poor. We weren’t a professional team today. We didn’t come to do our job today. That was from the very start, that first group started that, and then it trickled down as well,” said head coach Tanisha Wright.
The game began with high energy and intense competition. The Dream had a tough time finding their shot throughout the night as they were outscored every quarter. The Dream shot 34% from the field and 82.4% from the free throw line for the night.
Allisha Gray led all scorers with 16 points, two steals and five rebounds. Tina Charles almost had another double-double, as she finished the game with eight points and eight rebounds. Aerial Powers headlined the Dream bench with 13 points, two assists and three rebounds.
“I think we need to find our identity, who we want to be as a team. The coaching staff is putting us in the right positions, and we just have to have like [coach Wright] said, the fortitude to go out there and hustle,” said Powers.
The first quarter saw the Dream keeping pace with Liberty, ending with a narrow 15-12 score. The Dream opened the game with an 8-0 run, fueled by Rhyne Howard, Cheyenne Parker-Tyus and Gray. Atlanta was perfect from the free throw line shooting 100% while also producing eight points in the paint, going 4-for-14.
Defensively, the Dream held Liberty to shooting just 27.3 % from the field and 18.2% from 3-point range. Atlanta held New York to a new season low in first quarter points, holding the Liberty to 15.
Powers opened the second quarter with seven consecutive points for the Dream, tying it up for Atlanta 19-19 and ending a 15-6 Liberty run. She was the sole source of offense for Atlanta’s bench in the first half. Gray and Parker-Tyus headlined Atlanta in the first half, finishing with 8 points each.
Lorela Cubaj scored her first points of the 2024 season for the Dream, knocking down two free throws. Her four total points in the quarter equaled her career high. Cubaj also recorded her first assist of the 2024 season, finding Gray for an 8-foot jumper to bring the Dream within five of the Liberty, 47-42, forcing a New York timeout. Cubaj felt good about her performance off the bench against Liberty.
“It felt good. My teammates and my coaches give me a lot of confidence, So, I just went out there and just tried to do my best,” said Cubaj.
The second half proved to be challenging for the Dream. Despite their best efforts, turnovers and missed shots began to accumulate. Liberty capitalized on these mistakes, extending their lead with fast breaks and accurate shooting from beyond the arc. The team’s defense, which had been a strength in the first half, struggled to contain the relentless offensive pressure.
The final minutes saw the team fighting valiantly, but the gap proved insurmountable. The game concluded with a 61-78 loss, marking a disappointing end to a hard-fought battle.