Several All-Stars. Check.
Big-game vibes at State Farm Arena. Check.
Two high-level teams. Double-check.
The Dream tip off the home slate with a marquee matchup against A’ja Wilson and the Aces on Sunday, with a ton of anticipation for what the Dream can do coming off last season’s impressive 30-win season and the addition of All-Star Angel Reese.
The AJC has you covered with game-day coverage of the Dream and Aces. Check out the live updates from Sunday’s game:
Aces at Dream
Tipoff: 1:30 p.m. Sunday, State Farm Arena
TV/radio: NBC/Peacock
Records: Aces 2-1; Dream 2-0
After a jump ball won by the Aces' Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray converted a spinning jump shot with 3.6 seconds left, giving the Aces an 85-84 lead.
The Dream had one last shot on the final possession, but Allisha Gray got the inbounds pass and had the ball poked away as the final seconds ticked away.
With a one-point lead in the final minute, the Aces looked to solidify the margin. A'ja Wilson had the ball and was being defended by Angel Reese, who poked the ball away.
Jordin Canada picked up the loose ball and drove for a lay-in with 36.5 left for an 84-83 lead for the Dream.
The Dream trailed by 12 to start the fourth quarter, but they've staged a furious rally to get it down to single digits, getting as close as one in the final two-plus minutes.
Allisha Gray hit a pair of free throws with 59.9 seconds left to make it an 83-82 deficit.
The Dream whittled into the lead but couldn't get it into single digits down the stretch. A'ja Wilson picked up her fourth foul and went to the bench with 18 points and four rebounds, but the Dream didn't cut much further into the lead.
Welcome to Atlanta, Angel Reese.
After barrelling through contact, deploying a Euro step and getting to the line, Reese saw her first field goal on home court fall.
In front of a sold-out crowd at State Farm Arena, Reese scored a putback that sparked some life into the Dream's offense. Dream forward Naz Hillmon put up a 3-pointer from the left wing that hit the front of the rim. Reese launched up for the offensive board and scored the second-chance jumper.
Her bucket cut the Dream's deficit to 44-36 with 2:59 to play in the second quarter. The Dream trailed the Aces by as many as 12 points in the first half of Sunday's matinee.
The Aces have led most of the game and had a 10-point lead in the final minutes of the second quarter, but the Dream rallied with a driving lay-in by Allisha Gray (13 pts) and a 3-pointer by Te-Hina Paopao (10 pts) to trim the lead to five.
The Aces got a basket in the final seconds for the seven-point halftime margin.
A'ja Wilson: 14 pts
Chelsea Gray: 13 pts
Chennedy Carter: 12 pts
Dream guard Allisha Gray was fouled trying to run through a screen by the Aces' A'ja Wilson. Gray fell to the court in pain for a few seconds and went to the bench to try to work her way through the issue.
She had a towel over her mouth and then hurried away toward the tunnel, as if she had to vomit. It's not clear what the issue was, but she did return to the bench area shortly thereafter.
Te-Hina PaoPao had 7 points and Jordin Canada had 5 for the Dream. Angel Reese added 4 points and two rebounds, as the Dream started slow but picked things up in the final minutes of the quarter.
It's a little unusual to have a Sunday afternoon game at 1:30 ... and the fans probably had to adjust as well. About 30 minutes ahead of tipoff, there were still significant lines outside State Farm Arena.
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