Dream Top Mystics 92-77 as Bonner, Reese Link Up in Third Quarter
The short version
- Atlanta defeated Washington 92-77 on Sunday to take a 1-0 lead in their best-of-three WNBA playoff series.
- Rhyne Howard scored 26 points and Allisha Gray added 22; Angel Reese and DeWanna Bonner had 13 each.
- Reese grabbed 12 rebounds in her WNBA playoff debut; Bonner added four rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block off the bench.
- A third-quarter three-point play off a Bonner pass to Reese pushed Atlanta's lead to 61-48.
- Game 2 is Wednesday in Washington, and the Mystics must win to extend the series.
Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray led the scoring, and DeWanna Bonner's third-quarter pass to Angel Reese added another dimension as Atlanta beat Washington 92-77 in Game 1.
The Atlanta Dream opened the WNBA playoffs with a 92-77 win over the Washington Mystics on Sunday, taking a 1-0 lead in their best-of-three series. The result left Atlanta one victory from a semifinal berth. For Washington, every remaining game is now an elimination scenario.
Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray carried the scoring for Atlanta. Howard finished with 26 points and Gray added 22, and the two led the response after the Dream fell into an 11-point hole in the first half. Atlanta did not need Angel Reese and DeWanna Bonner to lead the offense in Game 1, and the pair instead made its mark at a decisive moment.
Reese and Bonner scored 13 points each, giving Atlanta four double-figure scorers. Reese pulled down 12 rebounds in the first WNBA playoff game of her career, while Bonner worked off the bench and filled out the box score with four rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block.
The link between the two arrived late in the third quarter. Atlanta led by 10 when Bonner spotted Reese cutting toward the basket and slipped her a pass on the run. Reese absorbed the contact and finished, then converted the free throw to complete a three-point play that stretched the advantage to 61-48. The possession showed the payoff when an experienced passer and a willing cutter connect.
Bonner joined the Dream after she and the Phoenix Mercury agreed to a buyout. On Sunday's play, she read a gap in the Washington defense and released the ball before the Mystics could react, with Reese timing her run into space. The sequence reflected the judgment Atlanta gets from Bonner without a set play being called for her shot.
Reese's rebounding earned attention all season, and she led the WNBA at 12.1 rebounds per game in the regular season, according to Athlon Sports. Her 12 boards in Game 1 sat almost exactly on that figure. Involving her on cuts near the basket gives defenses a further problem, since they cannot concentrate solely on keeping her away from the glass.
Game 1 laid out the range Atlanta can turn to. Howard and Gray are capable of leading the offense, Bonner can create for others as a reserve, and Reese can shape possessions even on a night when her own shot is not falling. The Dream wiped out their early deficit without leaning on one player.
The series resumes Wednesday with Game 2 at Washington. The Mystics must win on their home floor to level the series and force a decisive Game 3, and their defensive planning will need to cover Atlanta's full set of options rather than only Howard and Gray. Another victory for the Dream would close the series and send the club to the semifinals.
Games to watch
