ATLANTA, GA — The Atlanta Dream delivered an offensive showcase Saturday night, setting a new franchise scoring record while defeating the Indiana Fever 113-96 before a packed house at State Farm Arena.
Rhyne Howard led the way with 24 points and Allisha Gray added 22 as Atlanta recorded its highest-scoring game in franchise history, earning its third consecutive victory and improving to 11-4 on the season.
The Dream also celebrated a milestone achievement from Angel Reese, who became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 1,000 career rebounds. Reese accomplished the feat in just her 79th career game, surpassing previous league marks. She finished the night with 18 points and eight rebounds, narrowly missing another double-double.
Playing before a sold-out crowd of 17,044 fans, Atlanta once again demonstrated why it has emerged as one of the league’s most dangerous teams. The matchup marked the second meeting between the Dream and Fever in three days after Atlanta secured a 108-101 victory in Indiana on Thursday.
Indiana came out firing early behind Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell. Mitchell scored 16 first-half points while Clark helped orchestrate the offense as the Fever carried a 59-56 advantage into halftime.
The game turned decisively in the third quarter.
Atlanta tightened its defense and dominated both ends of the floor, outscoring Indiana 28-15 during the period. Veteran guard Jordin Canada sparked the surge, scoring eight of her 12 points in the quarter as the Dream transformed a halftime deficit into an 84-74 lead entering the final period.
Naz Hillmon provided another major boost for Atlanta, contributing 19 points and helping the Dream maintain control down the stretch.
Clark finished with a team-high 26 points for Indiana, while Mitchell added 16. Aliyah Boston and Sophie Cunningham each scored 13 points, but the Fever were unable to keep pace with Atlanta’s relentless offensive attack in the second half.
The atmosphere inside State Farm Arena reflected the growing excitement surrounding the Dream. The crowd included several notable guests, among them legendary South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley, Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson, NBA veteran C.J. McCollum, Atlanta Falcons defensive back Avieon Terrell, and Grammy-nominated recording artist Latto.
Staley received a standing ovation from the crowd as fans recognized her influence on the game. Seven former South Carolina players were featured between the two teams, further highlighting her impact on women’s basketball.
Atlanta’s victory continued its strong start to the season and reinforced its position among the WNBA’s elite teams. The Dream will look to keep their momentum rolling when they host Toronto on Monday night.
Indiana returns home Monday to face the Phoenix Mercury as the Fever seek to bounce back from consecutive losses to Atlanta.
