LOS ANGELES, CA — Allisha Gray dropped 25 points as the Atlanta Dream held off a late rally from the Los Angeles Sparks to secure an 88-82 win Tuesday night.
Atlanta seemed to have the game in control, leading by 17 late in the third quarter. But the Sparks stormed back with a 14-3 run to open the fourth, cutting the lead to just two. Kelsey Plum was at the heart of the comeback, scoring six points and dishing an assist during the surge.
With five minutes left, the Dream clung to a 69-67 lead. That’s when clutch threes from Rhyne Howard and Gray helped Atlanta regain some breathing room. A late triple from Naz Hillmon pushed the lead back to seven with under a minute to go, and Gray iced the game at the line with four free throws in the final seconds.
Howard was just shy of a triple-double, finishing with 15 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. Brionna Jones added 13 points, Hillmon had 11, and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough chipped in 10.
Despite the loss, Dearica Hamby put up a huge stat line for L.A. with 28 points, eight assists, six rebounds, and four steals. Plum added 27 points and five assists, while Azura Stevens recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Atlanta started heating up in the second quarter, opening with three straight triples and taking a 40-31 lead into halftime. The Sparks made a push in the third, but Atlanta’s offense, led by Gray and Howard, kept them ahead 66-53 heading into the final period.
The Dream were without Brittney Griner, who remains sidelined with a knee injury.
Up Next:
The Sparks hit the road to face the defending champion Las Vegas Aces on Friday.
The Dream travel to Seattle for a matchup against the Storm, also on Friday.
