Kristy Wallace was one of five scorers in double figures for Atlanta, pouring in a career-best 17 points to fuel a balanced attack that propelled the Dream to an 81-54 victory over the visiting Phoenix Mercury Sunday afternoon in College Park, Ga.
Atlanta (5-3) outscored Phoenix 23-8 in the second quarter and led 50-23 at the half as it halted its two-game losing streak and sent the Mercury (2-6) to their fifth consecutive loss.
Wallace reached double figures for the third time this season while Cheyenne Parker recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
No. 1 pick Rhyne Howard, scoreless in her last outing, made two 3-pointers and finished with 12 points, including eight in the second half. Erica Wheeler scored 16. Aari McDonald added 10.
Phoenix, making its first trip of the year out East, has lost its past four road games.
Diamond DeShields was the lone Mercury player in double figures, scoring a season-best 23. Skylar Diggins-Smith failed to hit double figures for the first time in 2022, finishing with only seven points.
Atlanta scored as many points in one half as it did in its entire game Tuesday against Washington in a 70-50 loss.
Parker scored eight in the opening quarter, including two off a short jumper in the lane where the ball bounced high off the rim and in for a 15-11 lead.
It was a sign of things to come.
McDonald’s 3-pointer extended the Dream’s edge to double digits for the first time at 22-11, and Wheeler’s 3-pointer with 44.6 seconds to play helped Atlanta close out the first with a 27-15 lead.
Atlanta kept its momentum going in the second. On one play, Wallace drove and kicked the ball out to Wheeler, who nailed a shot from beyond the arc to give the Dream a 36-19 cushion at the six-minute mark.
Wheeler’s basket was one of six 3-pointers the Dream made en route to building the 27-point halftime lead.
–Field Level Media
