Photo Credit: Atlanta Dream/Instagram
By: Jennifer Portee
Rhyne Howard scored 26 points and recorded five steals as the Atlanta Dream erased an 11-point deficit and pulled away from the Washington Mystics for a 92-77 win in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series Sunday night.
Angel Reese added 13 points and 12 rebounds in her first postseason game, Allisha Gray scored 22 points, and Jordin Canada had 10 points and 11 assists for Atlanta, which can close out the series Wednesday in Washington.
The Dream did not look comfortable early. Washington led 41-36 at halftime after forcing Atlanta into rushed possessions and contested looks around the basket. But the game flipped quickly after the break.
Canada’s layup late in the second quarter cut the deficit to five, and Gray opened the third by knocking down a 3-pointer to finish a 7-0 Atlanta run and give the Dream their first lead since the opening minute. Atlanta kept coming from there.
DeWanna Bonner scored 11 of her 13 points during an 18-5 surge that pushed the Dream ahead 61-48 late in the third quarter. Washington never got closer than seven the rest of the way.
“We were just playing with a lot of nerves,” Bonner said. “I think the second half, Karl settled us down.”
Atlanta’s defense did the rest. The Dream forced 22 turnovers, converted them into 27 points, and set a franchise playoff record with 16 steals. Howard led that pressure with five, consistently jumping passing lanes and turning Washington’s loose possessions into transition opportunities.
Howard did not have her cleanest shooting night, finishing 7-for-18 from the field, but she made every trip to the foul line count. She went 10-for-10 at the stripe and gave Atlanta the steady scoring it needed while the offense found its rhythm.
Reese also had to work for her points, shooting 4-for-15, but she stayed involved on the glass and gave the Dream extra possessions with her activity around the rim. Her 12 rebounds helped Atlanta survive a physical battle inside against Washington’s Kiki Iriafen and Shakira Austin.
Sonia Citron led the Mystics with 25 points. Iriafen finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds, including nine offensive boards, while Austin added 12 points and 16 rebounds. Washington had enough production in the frontcourt to stay in the game, but it could not overcome the turnovers once Atlanta raised its defensive intensity.
“In the first half we did a good job of just making everything hard for them,” Citron said. “Then in that third quarter, we just let some of our discipline slip.”
The Mystics were making their first playoff appearance since 2023 and were chasing their first postseason win since their 2019 championship run. They now return home needing a win to extend the series.
“This is just round one,” Dream coach Karl Smesko said. “We feel good about how we set the tone for the first game, but there is a lot more work to be done.”
Atlanta has the early advantage, but the Dream know the job is not finished. Washington showed in the first half that it can make Atlanta uncomfortable. The question for Game 2 is whether the Mystics can take better care of the ball before Howard, Gray and Canada get another chance to turn defense into points.