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Atlanta Dream (8-8) dominated offensively and defensively to blow out the Dallas Wings (9-10) 98-78.
The game started with a fast pace as Tiffany Hayes got it going early being aggressive for the Dream.
Hayes went out the game early after a collision with Wings guard Skylar Diggins-Smith. She suffered an injury to the face.
Diggins-Smith was an offensive force for the Wings being able to go wherever she wanted to. She controlled the game by scoring 13 points including 9-9 from the free throw line in the first quarter.
The Dream was able to take control of the game by dominating in the paint where they scored 14 of their 25 points.
Atlanta led 25-23 at the end of the first led by guard Layshia Clarendon and center Elizabeth Smith who both had six points.
Hayes started the second quarter and scored four quick points but collected her third foul with 7:29 left in the first half. Atlanta continued to attack the paint by getting inside and making the extra pass for easy buckets.
“I wasn’t going to let that stop me, like I wasn’t going to go in and keep playing defense,” said Hayes.
Dallas took their first lead of the game with 3:32 left in the second quarter. Wings guard Allisha Gray received a pass from forward Theresa Plaisance and hit an acrobatic reversed layup while drawing the foul for a three-point play.
Atlanta led 53-51 with at the half. Clarendon lead the charge by scoring 12 points and dishing out four assist. Digging-Smith led Dallas with 15 points and five assist.
The Dream came out hot in the second half building on a 6-0 run (9-0 run in second half) from the end of the second quarter to push the lead to 62-51. They capitalize from turnovers and turning then into fast break points.
Brittany Sykes scored six of the first 12 points in the third quarter. It helped extend the league to 13 points 69-56.
Atlanta went on another 11-0 run sparked by Sykes once again hitting another three-pointer. “The first one went in and I was like whew, and the the second now fell in and that’s when I knew I was hot,” stated Sykes.
They closed out the quarter leading 78-61 holding the Wings to 30.0 percent shooting from the field in three quarters.
Sykes led the Dream with 12 points including three 3-pointers in the third quarter. She finished with 18 points hitting four three pointers total.
Dallas made a mini 7-0 run to get back into the game led by Diggins-Smith with five of those points. Atlanta was able to maintain the big lead and they never relinquished it for the rest of the game.
Hayes took over on a seven-point spurt to put them back up by 17 to close out the game.
Atlanta defense was what sparked the runs. They held the Wings to 32.5 percent and blocked a total of 10 shots.
Hayes led the team with 19 points, Sykes scored 18 and Clarendon added 16 points and eight assist. Digging-Smith scored 22 points with seven assist.
The Dream will travel to Phoenix to play the Mercury on Wednesday while the Wings will stay on the road to play the Chicago Sky on Wednesday.
