Atlanta returns home after defeating two of the top three teams in the WNBA.
The Atlanta Dream return home after defeating two of the top three teams in the WNBA. After the wins, Atlanta sits at 15-10 with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference.
Brittney Griner scores season high in points
Brittney Griner scored 22 points in Atlanta’s upset victory over the league-leading Minnesota Lynx in Minneapolis on Sunday. This tally included a made three-pointer on her only attempt from long range, along with four rebounds, three assists, and just a single turnover despite playing 30 minutes in the game. Notably, only two of Griner’s eight made shots were layups. Griner demonstrated solid touch with her shooting from outside the key with six of her converted shots coming from at least five feet away from the basket.
In Atlanta’s previous game against the Phoenix Mercury, Griner also tied her season high in field goals made with eight. Wednesday’s game was her first time playing in Phoenix since she left the team in the offseason as a free agent. The Mercury honored her with a touching tribute before the game and Griner returned the favor by scoring 17 points with eight rebounds.
@espnw A special tribute for a Mercury legend (via @Phoenix Mercury) #wnba #brittneygriner #mercury
If Griner can stay healthy and continue to contribute with significant minutes while scoring inside the paint and limiting opposing teams around the basket, she will increase Atlanta’s potential ceiling and force opponents to defend the Dream differently.
The Dream return home after an extended road trip and All-Star break
Atlanta will host the Golden State Valkyries for the second time in 2025 on Tuesday night. They defeated the Valkyries 90-81 in their first matchup on July 7th — this will be the first home game for Atlanta since that victory.
Atlanta finished their six-game road trip with a 3-3 record. The travel started poorly with losses against the Indiana Fever (with a then-healthy Caitlin Clark) and New York Liberty. In both games, Atlanta held leads, including a seven-point margin against Indiana and a notable 19-point margin against New York. Unfortunately, they were not able to close out against either team.
Atlanta bounced back in their third road game to defeat the Chicago Sky 86-49 in their final game before the WNBA All-Star break. Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray, and Brionna Jones were present in Indianapolis for All-Star festivities. Gray scored 18 points for the victorious Team Collier, while Jones scored 11 points as an injury replacement for Team Clark in a losing effort. Howard was ruled out with a leg injury through the end of July and did not participate in the All-Star game.
Photo by Tyler Kaufman/NBAE via Getty Images
Atlanta upset two of the top three teams in the WNBA
After the All-Star break, the Dream opened the second half with a loss to a struggling Las Vegas Aces team, falling to 1-3 on their road trip. Atlanta then flew to Phoenix in a back-to-back matchup with a third-place Phoenix team that is getting healthy for the first time all season. Stars Kahleah Copper, Satou Sabally, and Alyssa Thomas have missed time with injuries in 2025 but were all available for the game against Atlanta. Despite this, the Dream were able to upset the Mercury after getting out to an early 26-17 lead through the first quarter. In addition to Griner’s excellent scoring game, Allisha Gray scored 28 points, shooting 10-for-16 from the field — with Jordin Canada adding 14 and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough scoring a season-high 11 points off the bench.
Atlanta was then able to close out their road trip on a high note as they handed the first-place Minnesota Lynx their first home loss of the season. A 46-32 lead at halftime dwindled to just three points in the final two minutes of the third quarter, but Atlanta was able to hold on to win 90-86. Canada had her third-highest offensive output of the season with 18 points while Walker-Kimbrough set a new season-high with 12 points off the bench.
Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images
With their wins over the Mercury and the Lynx, the Atlanta Dream showed that they are capable of beating the best teams in the WNBA. Atlanta will look to continue their momentum with four of their next five games coming against teams with losing records in the bottom half of the standings. Atlanta currently sits in fourth place, something that would give them home-court advantage in a potential playoff opening round.
What impressed you in the Atlanta Dream’s victories over the Phoenix Mercury and Minnesota Lynx? Let us know in the comments below!