The Atlanta Dream have shown a lot of fight while battling for a playoff spot, rallying from 16 down to beat Dallas in overtime on Friday night.
The Dream (12-22) look to carry that momentum into Sunday’s date with the Indiana Fever (18-17) in Indianapolis.
The Dream are tied with Chicago for the league’s eighth-best record, but the Sky hold the tiebreaker advantage for the final playoff spot. Atlanta does hold the tiebreakers over 10th-place Washington and 11th-place Dallas after its 107-96 comeback win against the Wings.
“That was a playoff game,” Dream coach Tanisha Wright said after the win. “We understand that every game from here on out is (going to) be like that for us. That type of fight and that type of energy is (going to) be needed as we continue to push to make the playoffs.”
Rhyne Howard led the way with 33 points as she continues to play a pivotal role in the push for the postseason. She’s averaging 17.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.
The Fever will present a big challenge as one of the hottest teams in the league as of late. They have won seven of their last 10 but are coming off a 99-88 loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Friday night.
Rookie star Caitlin Clark turned in another stellar performance despite the defeat, scoring 25 points, pulling down eight rebounds and dishing out eight assists.
Clark, averaging 19.0 points per game, made five 3-pointers in the loss and now holds the record for most triples (107) in a season in franchise history.
Clark said afterward that she felt like the Fever got away from playing the style of basketball that led to a halftime lead over the Lynx. It’s a lesson learned.
“I thought we kind of stopped playing in a way that made us successful in the first half,” Clark said. “So, it’s just a good learning opportunity for us.”
Indiana swept the first three meetings with Atlanta this season, including a 91-84 victory in Indianapolis on June 13.
–Field Level Media
