The Atlanta Dream once again found themselves battling uphill early, but just like they have all season, they refused to let the game get away from them. After trailing by as much as double digits in the first half, Atlanta clawed back behind the aggressive play of Allisha Gray, Angel Reese, Naz Hillmon, and Rhyne Howard before heading into halftime trailing the Minnesota Lynx 42-37.
Minnesota came out sharp offensively, led by another impressive performance from rookie sensation Olivia Miles, who continued to show why she has quickly become one of the most exciting young guards in the league. But while Miles controlled portions of the offense, the biggest surprise of the first half was Nia Coffey. Coffey was everywhere early for Minnesota, knocking down shots and finishing the half with 11 points while helping the Lynx maintain momentum throughout much of the opening two quarters.
Atlanta’s slow starts are beginning to become a trend, but so are their comebacks.
The Dream looked stagnant offensively early in the first quarter before finally finding rhythm in the second. At the 8:08 mark of the second quarter, Atlanta had cut the deficit to just three points behind the combined efforts of Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, and Angel Reese.
Then came the stretch that completely shifted the energy of the game.
Sika Koné provided a major spark off the bench and tied the game at 26 with 6:47 remaining in the second quarter. That moment energized Atlanta and quieted the Minnesota crowd as the Dream suddenly looked like the more aggressive team on both ends of the floor.
Naz Hillmon played a huge role in erasing the deficit. Her activity around the basket, defensive energy, and ability to score in transition helped stabilize Atlanta during one of their best stretches of the half. At the end of the first half, Hillmon and Allisha Gray are tied as Atlanta’s leading scorers with 9 points each.
Gray once again showed why she has been one of the Dream’s most consistent stars this season. Even when the offense struggled early, she found ways to settle the team down and attack when Atlanta needed it most.
Angel Reese may not have dominated the scoring column in the first half, but her impact was undeniable. Reese finished the half with 6 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists while going a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line. She also may have had the smartest sequence of the game.
After being called for an offensive foul, Reese immediately urged Coach Karl Smesko to challenge the play. The challenge was successful, marking the second time this season Reese correctly identified a bad call that was overturned after review. Instead of Minnesota extending momentum, the Dream regained possession and stayed within striking distance.
That type of awareness continues to show the growth in Reese’s overall game. She is impacting winning in more ways than just scoring and rebounding.
Before the game, Coach Karl Smesko specifically pointed out Nia Coffey as one of the keys to slowing down Minnesota, and through the first half, his concerns proved correct.
“Nia’s a great defender. She’s very competitive. She’s a great rebounder, so you have to keep her off the boards,” Smesko said pregame. “I think last time we were here, she blocked several shots. She’s got really good timing for that. On the offensive end, you can’t leave her open because she’s good at catch and shoot threes. This year, she’s really done a good job finding her opportunities to cut as well. I think she’s done some really good things for Minnesota.”
Coffey validated every word of that assessment in the opening half, spacing the floor, attacking openings in Atlanta’s defense, and helping Minnesota maintain control despite Atlanta’s comeback efforts.
Rhyne Howard also quietly contributed despite struggling offensively. Howard had just 3 points at halftime, but her defensive activity and presence helped Atlanta stay competitive while searching for offensive rhythm.
Minnesota still enters halftime with the advantage after shooting efficiently for much of the first half, but Atlanta has to feel encouraged after cutting what once looked like a dangerous deficit down to five.
The Dream have already shown they can erase leads quickly.
Now the question becomes whether they can finally put together a complete second half.
