A big game from Jordin Canada wasn’t enough.
The Atlanta Dream were defeated by the Indiana Fever 99-82 Friday night as the return of Caitlin Clark was too much for the Dream to overcome. It was her second game back from her injury, and she scored 12 points and nine assists.
Atlanta’s records drop to 12-8, currently placing them second in the Eastern Conference.
Atlanta started fast as they led 23-21 in the first quarter. Jordin Canada opened the scoring for the Dream as she scored the first points for Atlanta with 8:59 left in the quarter. Canada scored 10 points in the quarter while dishing out two assists. She finished the game with 30 points and eight assists.
Rhyne Howard was also back in the lineup for her second game after missing time with an upper body injury. She ended the game with 14 points in 26 minutes. Howard was also recently selected for the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game.
The Dream led at halftime with a 45-40. They were aggressive on both ends, led by their Canada/Howard duo, who combined for 32 first half points. Atlanta controlled the pace early with strong ball movement and transition play, while their defense limited Indiana’s open looks from three.
Indiana’s Kelsey Mitchell kept the Fever within striking distance, posting 14 points in the first two quarters. However, the Fever struggled with turnovers, giving the Dream key opportunities to build momentum.
Atlanta found success inside the paint in the half, outscoring the Fever near the rim and pulling down key offensive rebounds to extend possessions. The Dream also held a slight edge in fastbreak points, using their speed to capitalize on Indiana’s missed shots.
Atlanta may have won one in the first half, but the Fever won the second half and the game. The Fever outrebounded the Dream 35 to 29 while also outscoring the Dream in the paint 40-34.
Aliyah Boston was a problem for the Dream, finishing with 19 points and six rebounds. Sophie Cunningham also had 10 rebounds and 16 points.
Atlanta will be back in action on Sunday against the New York Liberty. The Dream will have two more games before the All-Star Game.