The 85-Second Heist: Dream Shock Mercury with Late 9-0 Explosion in Atlanta
The 85-Second Heist: Dream Shock Mercury with Late 9-0 Explosion in Atlanta
ATLANTA — If you left Gateway Center Arena with two minutes left on Sunday to beat the Atlanta traffic, go ahead and delete your ticket app. You missed a robbery in broad daylight.
The Phoenix Mercury looked well on their way to securing a gritty road win, holding a late nine-point lead. But the Atlanta Dream apparently looks at deficits as mere suggestions. In a blinding, 85-second flash of absolute chaos, the Dream staged a ferocious 9-0 run to flip the game on its head, ultimately escaping with a thrilling 82-80 victory.
With the win, Atlanta elevates to a stellar 4-1 on the season, while leaving the Mercury wondering how a victory vanished into thin air.
The Bayou Barbie and the Dream Blueprint
While the final 90 seconds provided the theatrics, the foundational brick-laying belonged to Atlanta's star trio. Rhyne Howard anchored the offense with a game-high 21 points, including the ice-cold, dagger three-pointer with 24 seconds left that effectively put the game out of reach. Allisha Gray was lethal as usual, chipping in 17 points and knocking down two clutch free throws in the dying seconds to preserve the lead.
But the real story of the afternoon was the relentless work on the glass. Angel Reese continued her rookie-year transition from the college ranks to the pros by treating the paint like her personal property.
The Double-Double Club:
Angel Reese: 17 points, 10 rebounds (Her 3rd double-double of the season).
Jordin Canada: 11 points, 14 rebounds (Her 1st double-double of the year, despite playing the guard position!).
When you have your point guard crashing the glass for 14 rebounds, you are simply outworking the opposition.
Anatomy of an 85-Second Audit
For Phoenix (2-5), this loss is going to burn on the flight home. The Mercury had a brilliant inside-outside balance for 38 minutes. Kahleah Copper was spectacular, dropping 20 points, including a furious late triple to try and save the game. Alyssa Thomas matched her with a monstrous 20-point, 12-rebound double-double, while Jovana Nogic and Kyara Linskins provided 11 and 10 points, respectively.
But when Atlanta flipped the press switch, Phoenix completely unraveled.
Time Remaining Score The Micro-Heist Sequence
~2:30 Left Phoenix +9 Mercury comfortably cruising.
~1:05 Left Tied 73-73 Dream execute a lightning-fast 9-0 run in just 85 seconds.
0:24 Left Atlanta +4 Rhyne Howard buries a cold-blooded 3-pointer.
0:00 Left Atlanta 82-80 Dream survive late Copper free throws to secure the W.
Next Up
The structural grit of this Atlanta roster is proving to be a problem for the rest of the WNBA. They don't panic, they dominate the glass, and they have enough perimeter shot-makers to close any gap in the blink of an eye.
The Mercury will try to pick up the pieces on Wednesday when they head to Brooklyn to face the New York Liberty.
The Dream will pack their bags and head north to Minneapolis on Wednesday for a heavyweight clash with the Minnesota Lynx. If the Dream keep hunting down deficits like this, the Lynx better keep their foot on the gas for all 40 minutes.
