A fifth straight loss.
The Atlanta Dream lost to the Chicago Sky for the second time in eight days as Chicago defeated Atlanta 78-69. The Dream once again didn’t have an answer for Chicago’s dynamic duo of Chennedy Carter and Angel Reese. Carter scored 19 points and Reese had her 14th straight double-double as she finished with 11 points and 13 rebounds. The loss drops the Dream’s overall record to 7-14 on the season.
The injury bug has plagued the Dream severely this season. They were without Rhyne Howard (left ankle), Jordin Canada (right finger) and Aerial Powers (left calf). Howard was the team’s leading scorer for the team before she went down. Her scoring and leadership has been missed on the court.
Canada has only played in four games but she was averaging 8.8 points when healthy. Powers has been great for the Dream off the bench this season as she is often times the first player off the bench.
The second and third quarter proved to be a turning point in the game. The Dream struggled with turnovers and missed opportunities throughout the game. Atlanta was only able to manage 12 points in the second quarter and 15 in the final quarter. Atlanta only made two three-pointers on the night.
Despite the loss, several Atlanta Dream players delivered standout performances. The team’s leading scorer, Allisha Gray, contributed 20 points, showcasing her scoring ability and leadership on the court. Other key players were Haley Hones and Naz Hillmon as they added 12 each. Tina Charles also had nine points and four rebounds.
“We got to figure way to keep winning basketball games. I don’t think we did a good job executing down the stretch, so we got to continue to find ways to win basketball games. I think the message right now is to figure out ways to be mentally tough despite when things are not going your way. Right now, we are in a stretch where things are not going our way, and we have to find ways to get better and stay mentally tough and engaged when things aren’t going our way,” said head coach Tanisha Wright.