The Atlanta Dream protected the basketball, attacked the paint and got big performances from their top scorers.
Against the New York Liberty, it still wasn’t enough.
New York shot 54 percent from the field and 52 percent from beyond the arc Thursday night, knocking down 16 three-pointers on the way to a 104-90 victory over Atlanta.
The Liberty’s offensive efficiency overshadowed an otherwise solid performance by the Dream, who committed just five turnovers and scored 90 points against one of the WNBA’s top teams.
“We gave up over 100 points,” Dream coach Karl Smesko said after the game. “When they got open shots, they shot it well, but they also shot it well when they were contested or late in the clock. It was just a high-level shot-making night on their part.”
New York received contributions throughout its lineup.
Breanna Stewart finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. Satou Sabally scored 19 points in just 17 minutes, connecting on five of her six attempts from three-point range. Marine Johannes added 17 points off the bench, while Jonquel Jones posted 16 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three blocks.
Pauline Astier chipped in 16 points, eight rebounds and five assists as five Liberty players scored at least 16 points.
Atlanta countered with strong performances from its own stars.
Angel Reese led all scorers with 25 points and added nine rebounds while repeatedly attacking the basket. Rhyne Howard scored 24 points and knocked down five three-pointers, and Allisha Gray added 18 points.
Smesko praised Reese’s aggressiveness throughout the night.
“I thought she had a really good game offensively,” Smesko said. “She was helping keep us around for a good portion of that second half. She was getting to the rim and finishing around the basket. It was a great game by her. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough.”
The final score was especially frustrating for Atlanta because the Dream won several of the statistical categories that often determine games.
Atlanta forced 19 turnovers while committing only five. The Dream also held a 9-7 edge in offensive rebounds and outscored New York 48-32 in the paint.
But the Liberty’s shooting erased those advantages.
“Whenever you shoot it poorly and the other team shoots it well, you’re going to lose,” Smesko said. “Plus-14 in turnovers, plus-two on offensive rebounds, all those extra shots kept it close, but they didn’t result in us winning because they just dominated us in field-goal percentage.”
New York’s ability to create quality looks through its ball-screen action was another key factor.
The Liberty repeatedly forced Atlanta into difficult defensive decisions, generating open perimeter shots and favorable matchups throughout the game.
“They have some unusual ball screens,” Smesko said. “They’ll set them for Stewie, they’ll set them for JJ. A lot of these inverted things where guards will set them. Every time we had any type of miscommunication or we let them get outside us on a ball screen, they made us pay. That’s what good teams do.”
The Liberty also delivered several momentum-changing shots late in the first half.
A deep three-pointer from well beyond the arc and a half-court buzzer-beater helped New York build separation heading into halftime and left a lasting impression on the Dream coach.
“They threw in a 35-foot three-pointer and then a half-court shot off the buzzer,” Smesko said. “That’s great shot-making. Some of this can be attributed to some bad luck, but not all of it. The part that’s not all of it is the stuff we’ve got to address and get better at.”
Atlanta appeared poised to make a fourth-quarter push before a lengthy replay review sequence halted some of the momentum the Dream had started to build.
“We were on our way,” Smesko said. “It was a tough situation, but those things happen. You’ve got to try to make another run.”
Despite the defeat, Smesko saw positives in his team’s offensive approach. Atlanta consistently generated quality opportunities around the basket and finished with 22 assists.
“I would say the vast majority of our shots were good shots,” Smesko said. “We got a lot of shots around the rim. We didn’t turn it over.”
The challenge was simply keeping pace with a Liberty team that converted nearly every defensive mistake into points.
For Atlanta, the loss serves as both a measuring stick and a learning opportunity against one of the league’s premier contenders.
“We understand New York was better than us today,” Smesko said. “Hopefully we can improve over the course of the season and be the best team at the end of the year.”
On a night when the Dream did many things well, New York’s elite shot-making proved to be the difference.
