The Dream had been waiting all season for Jordin Canada to have her breakout game. The two-time WNBA champion finished with a season-high 25 points while Brionna Jones added 18 on a night where the Dream were without star Rhyne Howard due to an upper body injury.
However, in a contest that featured 25 lead changes and nine ties, it was Skylar Diggins who delivered the game-winning shot for Seattle, as the Storm defeated the Dream 80-79 in dramatic fashion inside Gateway Center Arena.
“Very frustrating that we didn’t close this out,” Dream coach Karl Smesko said postgame. “Give them (Storm) credit for making some shots down the stretch.”
The Dream dropped to 11-7 and 7-3 at home this season.
The fourth quarter opened with both teams trading baskets in a tightly contested finish. Seattle grabbed a 64-60 lead after Erica Wheeler knocked down a three-pointer. But Atlanta quickly countered.
The Dream ripped off a 9-2 run, sparked by Canada, Brittney Griner and a fastbreak layup from Maya Caldwell to take a 69-66 edge.
Jones extended the momentum with a strong post move—spinning and finishing under Ezi Magbegor—to push the lead to 73-70. That bucket forced Storm head coach Noelle Quinn to call a timeout with just over three minutes remaining. Out of the break, Caldwell scored again, this time over Diggins, giving the Dream a five-point cushion.
But the Storm refused to go quietly. Nneka Ogwumike hit a jumper to make it 75-72. Then, following another Dream bucket, Wheeler buried a deep 3—off of an offensive rebound from Diggins—with 11.4 seconds left to pull Seattle within one, 79-78.
After a timeout, the Storm set up a high ball screen for Diggins. She drew the switch off Canada, beat Jones off the dribble, and finished the go-ahead layup, sealing the win for Seattle.
“I need to take responsibility of a missed box out on Skyler (Diggins),” Canada after the loss. “They were able to get a wide open 3 for Erica Wheeler. Then down the stretch, another possession, she just made a really good play. Skylar is a pro and pros are going to make good plays. … I think for us, we just got to lock in and focus. …All it takes is one possession. And I think those last two possessions, we kind of lost a little bit of focus.”
Allisha Gray gave the Dream a third double-figure scorer on Friday night, finishing with her first double-double of the season and the 10th of her career. The two-time WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month joined Canada and Jones — who recorded her eighth double-double of the season — in leading the Dream’s offensive effort. The Dream shot just 43.9% from the field and struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on only 4-of-21 (19%) attempts in the loss.
“She (Jones) does a great job sealing inside (the paint),” Smesko said. “… She had some opportunities for some and ones. … She helped us get that lead in the fourth quarter. I definitely think she’s an all-star (this season).”
Ogwumike powered the Storm with a game-high 24 points. Wheeler added 21, while Gabby Williams and Diggins each chipped in 11. The Storm shot 46.4% from the field and knocked down 10-of-23 from three-point range, finishing at an efficient 43.5% from deep.
The third quarter opened much like the second, with the Dream attacking the rim and drawing trips to the free throw line. But after the Dream grabbed a 48-46 lead, the Storm responded with a 9-0 run. Ogwumike drilled her second 3-pointer of the quarter and Diggins added a pair of free throws to push Seattle ahead, 55-48.
Still, the Dream refused to fold. Canada kept the offense rolling, earning free throws and hitting a 17-foot pull-up jumper to reclaim the lead, 56-55.
“She was getting by people attacking space,” Smesko said postgame. “… I didn’t think our screening was that good today. That was something that I thought could have been better. …We were creating space, but she was beating the player in front of her, getting a little bit of an advantage and then getting to the free throw line, initiating contact, knocking down free throws.”
Seattle closed the quarter strong, as Clark and Wheeler combined for the final four points to send the Storm into the fourth with a 59-56 edge. The Dream committed seven of their total 17 turnovers in the third, leading to nine points for Seattle.
Canada stopped on a dime and converted a floater to give the Dream a 24-17 lead, the Dream’s largest of the first half. But Seattle answered quickly. Magbegor and Ogwumike hit back-to-back threes, trimming the gap to 24-23. After trading possessions, Erica Wheeler sprayed a left wing three, putting the Storm back in front, 31-30, with 2:29 left in the half.
Gray responded with only the Dream’s second 3 of the game. However, Alysha Clark closed the quarter with a triple of her own, sending Seattle into halftime with a 39-37 lead.
The Storm opened the game with a quick 10-9 lead over the Atlanta Dream, setting the tone early. Over the final 4:52 of the first quarter, the Storm edged the Dream 15-13, taking a two-point advantage into the second quarter.
The Dream return to action Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET against the Golden State Valkyries.
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