The Atlanta Dream closed their home regular season with a statement win, defeating the Connecticut Sun 87–62 and setting a new franchise record with 29 victories. From the opening tip, Atlanta showed balance and depth, starting Jordin Canada, Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, Naz Hillmon, and Brionna Jones. That unit improved to 1-0 together this season and quickly built momentum behind Hillmon, who knocked down two threes and tallied 10 points in the first quarter. Despite a push from Tina Charles and a late three from Marina Mabrey, Atlanta held a 26–24 lead after the opening frame.
The second quarter highlighted Karl Smesko’s offensive philosophy — move the ball until the best shot emerges. Hillmon passed up a contested jumper at the top of the key, Howard kept the possession alive, and Maya Caldwell drilled an uncontested corner three. Mabrey showed flashes of her silky scoring touch, but Charles was Connecticut’s anchor with 10 points at halftime. Saniya Rivers stole momentum before the break, drilling a deep three that cut the deficit to two, but the Dream still held a 45–43 advantage at the half.
Out of the locker room, Rivers exploded. She relentlessly attacked Atlanta’s defense, even challenging Gray one-on-one. But while Rivers carried the Sun, Atlanta responded with collective intensity. Aggressive traps in the paint and disruptive defense led to turnovers and transition opportunities. Howard closed the quarter on a scoring surge, Hillmon added steady production, and the Dream ended the frame on a 16–3 run to stretch their lead to 68–52. “It was our defense,” Hillmon said. “We play our best offense when we get stops and push in transition. Once our defense locked in, I think we were able to get wherever we wanted on the offensive end.”
The Dream sealed the win in the fourth with quick bursts from Gray, who scored the first five points of the quarter, and Caldwell, who added acrobatic finishes at the rim. Paopao joined the party with her first three-pointer of the night, and Walker-Kimbrough closed it with a putback to secure the 87–62 final. Howard paced the team with 18 points, five rebounds, and six assists — her sixth straight game leading Atlanta in scoring. Gray added 15 points and six boards, Hillmon chipped in 14 points and four assists, Caldwell delivered 11 off the bench, and Griner anchored the paint with 10 points and three blocks. It was the kind of balanced effort that has defined Atlanta’s season.
Postgame, the attention shifted to milestones. With the win, Smesko became the winningest first-year coach in WNBA history. Hillmon praised her coach’s adaptability, saying, “He’s been able to adapt, he’s been able to relate. I think it’s just the makings of what I feel like is definitely a Coach of the Year candidate. Every game he’s always trying to figure out how he could be better and how we could be better.” Smesko himself downplayed the personal record: “It’s nice that we’re winning and in a good position for the playoffs, but those types of things don’t have a lot of meaning for me. The meaningful part is coming up — are we going to be the best prepared for the playoffs?”
Griner, who knows the grind of championship runs, spoke about the mindset ahead: “Once you hit playoffs it’s a different level. Calls aren’t going to go our way, and we’ve got to stick together when things go wrong. That’s what will get us that championship.” She also credited Atlanta’s depth: “From the starting five to everybody on that bench, we’re ready to come in and do what we need to do. Coach has done an amazing job of challenging each and every one of us, and when you’ve got a coach like that, we’re all ready to go play for him.”
After the last meeting in Connecticut, the Sun’s head coach dismissed their loss to Atlanta as a matter of execution, not talent, insisting the Dream weren’t the more talented team. Tonight proved otherwise. The Dream are more talented, and they continue to uncover new weapons each game. That doesn’t mean the Sun lack talent — Saniya Rivers looks like a future star, lighting up the third quarter before fading late, and Mabrey remains a dangerous scorer. But Atlanta’s roster is flush with proven stars and developing threats. Maya Caldwell has become a magician around the basket with her acrobatic finishes. Hillmon is evolving into a confident three-point shooter to complement her inside presence. Gray continues to rebound and score with efficiency, while Howard has elevated into one of the league’s most consistent offensive leaders. Combined with Griner’s defensive presence, the Dream have built a team capable of winning in multiple ways. This wasn’t just about execution — this was about talent, and tonight Atlanta proved theirs runs deeper.
