SEATTLE -- The Atlanta Dream took down the Seattle Storm on the road, 94-87, after facing a 17-point deficit. In a battle of different schemes, Atlanta’s five-out offense proved effective enough to win. As the Dream used their unique offense to rattle their opponents, they could use a run in the second half to gain the edge. Although they left the Pacific Northwest with a win, they didn’t start the contest on the right foot. 

Seattle started the game the right way, taking a 23-15 lead. Nneka Ogwumike (NEH-kuh Oh-gwoo-MIH-kay) led the Storm with eight points, three rebounds, and one steal in the quarter. Skylar Diggins scored six of her 20 points in the opening period to go along with two rebounds and one steal.  The Dream was led by All-Star guard Rhyne Howard (RYAN), who scored seven points and grabbed two rebounds in the quarter. Although she scored three of her five points in the period, Te-Hina Paopao (Tuh-HEE-nuh Pow-Pow) is excelling for Atlanta this season. She is taking advantage of the starting opportunity ever since their starting point guard, Jordan Canada, went down with a knee injury. Their head coach, Karl Smesko, commented before the game on her mentality and how she’s helped as the primary point guard who can also shoot.

“(Paopao)’s not afraid of the moment,” Smesko said before the win. Her shooting has really helped to space the floor, and without Jordan (Canada), she’s been somebody who’s had some primary ball handler responsibilities, and she’s done well with that.” 

Although Paopao has impressed her coaches this season, she is easing back into the rotation after recovering from a facial injury suffered on Saturday, May 24th. After the first quarter, the Storm kept their foot on the gas as the two teams entered the locker rooms. 

Before Seattle and Atlanta finished the half, the Storm had a 45-36 lead. Erica Wheeler finished with six points of her 14 points in the half, to go along with four assists and four rebounds. She got the starting spot while Alysha Clark nursed a left ankle injury. Gabby Williams finished the first half with four points, one steal, and one rebound. She recorded her 100th steal in a Storm uniform, tying Sue Bird (64 games) for the third-fastest to 100 steals with the franchise. Before the break, Seattle scored 30 points in the paint before halftime against Atlanta, which matches the most points in the paint scored by any team in a first half this season. Although the Dream tried to claw their way back into the game, they were held back by one of their bigs returning from injury. Brittney Griner scored two points but was a -22 in the contest, playing 13:33 of her 14:50 in the first half. Atlanta’s other All-Star guard, Allisha Gray, played well as the teams entered the locker room, scoring seven of her 28 points in the half. Her point total for the contest is a new career-high for her. Both All-Star guards Howard and Gray combined for 61 points, which was a big reason for the team’s comeback. As both teams returned from the break, the Dream used a huge run in the third quarter to take control of the contest.

After starting the third quarter down 17 points, Atlanta cut it down to three with Seattle still leading 66-63 before the final period. In the first half, the Dream saw that using Griner wasn’t working on offense, so they made an adjustment that aided in their comeback. Forward Naz Hillmon (NOZ) played most of the second half and scored seven points, grabbed six rebounds, and was a +26 when she was on the floor. Atlanta used a 15-6 run in the last five and a half minutes of the third quarter, which took the air out of the Storm crowd. Smesko talked about the run after the win and said it was only a matter of time before they gutted out that final run to take over the game.

“I thought we had a run in us to get back in the game,” Smesko said. “I just wanted us to keep competing, and if we got the run, we could see if we could finish it off, and fortunately, we got it.”

The team used the game of runs to their advantage, using the last run in the third to deliver the final punch. Even though Griner struggled, their other forward, Brionna Jones, played well in the win. She finished with 15 points, 11 of which were in the second half. Jones also grabbed five rebounds and recorded one steal in the contest. Despite the struggles for Seattle, Gabby Williams did what she could to keep them in the lead. She finished with 14 points, 10 of which were in the second half. Williams also provided two steals, showing her two-way abilities. The Storm needed more offense in this game, and she was able to provide that even though they fell short. Her Achilles heel was foul trouble, finishing the contest with five fouls, which limited her aggressiveness. Williams also struggled to take care of the ball with her seven turnovers. Even though the game was still competitive in the fourth quarter, the Dream looked like they had more energy after coming back in the third quarter.

The fourth quarter seemed like a formality as Atlanta used their momentum to secure the win. Even though they faced a 17-point deficit at the beginning of the third quarter, the Dream never seemed out of the game. As the Dream capture their fifth win in seven games this season, they are starting to look like a serious contending team. Their next game will be Friday, June 6th, against the Connecticut Sun. Seattle will drop to 3-3 with the loss, looking to avenge their loss on Sunday, June 1st, when they face the Las Vegas Aces.