Dream Surge Past Sun, Move Into 2nd-Place Tie in WNBA Standings

AP Photo/Darron Cummings

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — The Atlanta Dream are peaking at the right time. Behind Rhyne Howard’s 23 points and a dominant closing stretch, Atlanta stormed past the Connecticut Sun 93-76 on Monday night to climb into a second-place tie in the WNBA standings. The Dream (26-14), already locked into their third straight playoff appearance, pulled even with the Las Vegas Aces (26-14) with four games remaining. For a franchise still seeking its first postseason victory since 2018, the result marked another important step forward. Atlanta trailed 76-74 with just over five minutes left, but the Dream flipped the game with a decisive 17-2 run to the final buzzer. Howard and Jordin Canada fueled the surge with six points apiece, while Naz Hillmon added five to slam the door shut. “It was about composure and trust,” Howard said. “We knew the game was on the line, and we wanted to send a message heading into the postseason.” Hillmon and Allisha Gray each scored 17 points, while Canada provided a spark off the bench with 15. Brionna Jones chipped in 10 points and 11 rebounds to anchor the interior. Connecticut (10-30), despite another strong outing from veteran Tina Charles, couldn’t withstand Atlanta’s late burst. Charles finished with 22 points and eight rebounds. Rookie Leila Lacan added 17 points, Marina Mabrey had 12, and Saniya Rivers contributed 10.

The Sun controlled much of the first half, closing on an 8-0 spurt to take a 48-42 lead at the break, with Lacan scoring five during the stretch. But momentum shifted in the third quarter when Canada’s three-point play with 4.4 seconds left gave Atlanta a 67-64 edge. Rivers briefly answered with a buzzer-beater to cut it to one, but the Dream’s depth proved too much down the stretch. The matchup was the first of three meetings between Atlanta and Connecticut in the final five games of the regular season — a stretch that could heavily influence playoff seeding. With their eyes set on securing home-court advantage, the Dream are not just winning — they’re building confidence at the most crucial time of year.