A game marred by a big injury to Rhyne Howard.
In a night marked by intense defense and missed opportunities, the Atlanta Dream fell to the Minnesota Lynx, 68-55, in a hard-fought WNBA clash at the Target Center. The Dream fell to 6-7 overall on the season.
Unfortunately for Dream, they lost more than just a game as star guard Rhyne Howard was injured during the game. Howard left the game in the third quarter to what appears to be an ankle injury.
Tina Charles had another double-double for the Dream as she had 14 points and 10 rebounds. There were some positives for the Dream as they can build on a season high 47 rebounds. It was the fifth consecutive win for the Lynx as they are now 12-3 on the season. Dream head coach Tanisha Wright acknowledged the tough loss but remained optimistic.
“It was a good gritty fight against a real good team. Down a person, I thought our fight was good holding this team to 68 points. I thought defensively we were ok as we were a little bit choppy, but once we settled in we were ok. Offensively we missed shots. That’s the nature of the game as it happens, but we got to have short term memory,” said head coach Wright.
From the outset, the Lynx established their defensive dominance, limiting the Dream to just 30 points in the first half. The Dream struggled to find rhythm against a well-coordinated Lynx defense that clogged passing lanes and contested every shot.
Offensively, the Mystics were led by their star forward, Napheesa Collier, who recorded a game-high 16 points, plus eight rebounds and four assists. Collier’s ability to penetrate the Dream defense and create scoring opportunities proved crucial in a game where every point was hard-earned.
The Dream, known for their explosive offense, were uncharacteristically sluggish. Their second leading scorer, Allisha Gray, was held to just 8 points on 1-of-16 shooting. Gray’s struggles mirrored the overall shooting woes of the Dream, who shot a season-low 28% from the field. The Dream shot 17% (4-23) on there 3-pointers and 65% from the free throw line. They allowed the Lynx to score 36 points in the paint.
Despite the offensive challenges, the Dream made a valiant effort to claw back into the game in the third quarter. After a brief scoring run, Haley Jones scored on a buzzer-beater to cut the Lynx lead to single digits. However, every time the Dream seemed poised to make a significant comeback, the Lynx responded with timely baskets and defensive stops.
The fourth quarter saw the Lynx pull away for good. Solid free-throw shooting and disciplined play down the stretch ensured that the Dream could not mount another comeback. The Dream only scored eight points in the quarter. The Lynx depth was also on display, with significant contributions from their bench, particularly from forward Cecilia Zanalasini, who added 10 points and 11 rebounds.