By Ernest Ricks | MTMV Sports
ATLANTA — Sunday night at Gateway Center Arena, the Atlanta Dream proved again why they’re in the conversation as one of the WNBA’s most complete and dangerous teams. With a 93–80 win over the Chicago Sky, the Dream improved to 10–4 — tying a franchise record for the fewest games needed to reach double-digit wins (14, first done in 2014) — and showed the depth and chemistry that could make them a serious title threat.
While much of the attention around Chicago has focused on the growing stardom of Angel Reese, her production continues to come in losing efforts. Reese posted another monster stat line — 10 points and 19 rebounds — and is currently averaging a double-double in her sophomore campaign. But once again, it wasn’t enough. The Sky were tied with Atlanta entering the fourth, but the Dream’s closing power overwhelmed them down the stretch.
The biggest story of the night? Atlanta’s second unit — affectionately known as The Bench Mob. Naz Hillmon and Te-Hina Paopao combined for 28 points off the bench, swinging momentum in the Dream’s favor and helping seal a game that had been deadlocked after three quarters.
“We call ourselves the Bench Mob,” said Hillmon before the game. “We do all the little things to make sure we are picking up the energy when we come into the game, whether the energy is high or low. We have to always raise it because we don’t want any drop-off. That’s something we really take to heart. We know how hard our first five are working, and we want to be able to give them a rest. If you’re not performing, they won’t be able to have a couple minutes on the bench to get themselves together — so we really take pride in that.”
That pride showed up on the scoreboard. Paopao tied her career-high with 16 points — her third time hitting that mark this season — and Hillmon added 12, including a key three-pointer early in the fourth that helped Atlanta take control. The pair connected on back-to-back threes to ignite a 24–11 closing run and shared a moment of celebration after lighting up the Sky’s defense.
When asked about that sequence, Paopao smiled and said, “Like I said before I came in — she wanted to be like me. Nah, I’m just playing.” Then she turned serious. “She’s been doing a great job shooting the three and being confident, and we know that she’s going to knock it down. For her to do that is just something that we enjoy and something that she’s going to keep building on. The confidence that she’s playing with is just going to go up from here.”
Hillmon returned the praise postgame: “She brings energy, she gets the ball up the floor quickly, and of course, you guys saw her three-point shooting tonight — that’s a spark for us. I think she’s done great with that all year long, and she just continues to get better every single night.”
Paopao also spoke to her approach with this team: “The mentality was to make the team,” she said with a laugh. “But from that point on, it was just about doing what my job is — to make shots and to gain confidence from my team that I’m going to be able to make shots that they pass to me. I’m going to keep building on that and building that trust with the team.”
Coach Karl Smesko echoed the impact Paopao has had. “She’s an amazing shooter,” he said. “We’re running some things for her to get shots, although those plays weren’t run particularly well. But we want to get her opportunities to get to her shot. And if you’re paying a lot of attention to her and you’re afraid to help off her, then we have our bigs down low, or Lish or Rhye have more space to work — so having that extra shooter out there has really been helpful on the offensive end in particular.”
That spacing was crucial. Allisha Gray continued her MVP-caliber campaign with 19 points and passed Renee Montgomery for fourth on the Dream’s all-time three-point list. Atlanta is now 10–1 this season when Gray scores at least 15.
Rhyne Howard led the team in scoring with 22 points, and Brionna Jones added another double-double — her seventh of the season — with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Her post presence was pivotal against a Chicago frontcourt that featured Reese and Kamilla Cardoso.
Jones’ ability to finish through contact and own the glass gave Atlanta the edge when things tightened. She continues to prove herself as a quiet All-Star candidate, now averaging a double-double every other game this season.
Atlanta’s offense roared in the fourth. After entering the quarter tied at 69, the Dream opened with three straight threes — one each from Gray, Paopao, and Howard — and never looked back.
Hillmon, speaking about her newfound confidence from deep, credited the coaching staff. “In the past, my three-point shot was very flat, right at the front of the rim. I had to get it higher so my arc could be better,” she said. “Coaches prepared it for me to feel super comfortable from the three-point line. It’s been helping my game and helping us spread out — giving my teammates more space and myself more looks.”
And when it goes in? “I feel amazing. I feel like the best ever,” she said jokingly.
With the win, the Dream improved to 5–2 with the starting lineup of Jordin Canada, Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, Brionna Jones, and Brittney Griner. They also improved to 16–19 all-time at home against the Sky and 28–37 overall in the series.
Now, the real test begins. The Dream will face the Dallas Wings on Tuesday before entering a stretch that will define their season. Over the next seven games, they’ll face the Lynx (1st), Liberty (2nd) twice, Storm (5th), Valkyries (6th), and Fever (7th), before seeing the Sky again in Chicago.
If they can come out of that run with at least four wins and their health intact, they won’t just be a team to watch — they’ll be a team to fear.
And with the starters rolling, Smesko’s system humming, and The Bench Mob rising?
They might already be.
