Dream Drop Third Straight Game in Loss to Storm
Published on June 27, 2026 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Atlanta Dream News Release
The Atlanta Dream couldn't keep pace with a red-hot Seattle Storm, falling 105-90 on Saturday night at Climate Pledge Arena.
The Dream defense forced 18 turnovers and recorded seven steals but struggled to slow a Seattle offense that shot 60.3% from the field. Playing its sixth game in 10 days, Atlanta dropped its third straight game during its road trip.
"Seattle was outstanding," Atlanta Head Coach Karl Smesko said. "They were great from the opening tip. They just shot the ball incredibly well today, and I thought we hung around, hung around, but we just couldn't make that run to really put some stress on them."
Rhyne Howard led Atlanta with 27 points, while Angel Reese added 17 and Allisha Gray finished with 15. Jordin Canada dished out a team-high 10 assists to go along with eight points, while Isobel Borlase scored seven points to lead the Dream reserves.
In the third quarter, Gray surpassed 4,500 career points with her ninth point of the night on a driving layup assisted by Canada. The three-time All-Star and Olympic gold medalist is coming off her fourth Eastern Conference Player of the Month award in the past five eligible months.
Both teams traded baskets in a high-scoring second half. Gray, Howard and Reese scored key buckets during the final two quarters, helping Atlanta shoot 18-for-29 after halftime. Seattle was even more efficient, shooting 72.4% from the field over the final 20 minutes, including 85.7% in the third quarter.
"When a team is shooting that well, you have to take advantage of the misses, and they were able to get O-boards for second chance points," Gray said. "The way they were shooting, it hurt us a lot tonight."
Reese jump-started the offense in the second quarter, banking in a floater before converting a pair of free throws. Howard followed with back-to-back 3-pointers as part of a 13-8 Dream run that cut the deficit to three. The forward rebounded from Friday night's quiet outing, scoring 15 points on 6-for-8 shooting by the midway point of the second quarter.
Four straight free throws - two by Gray and two by Madina Okot - brought the Dream within one point, but a late 11-5 Seattle run gave the Storm a seven-point lead at halftime. Atlanta shot 29% from the field and 21.1% from 3-point range in the first half, while Seattle shot 50% from the field and 58.3% from beyond the arc. The Dream found success at the free throw line, converting 11 of 12 attempts in the opening 20 minutes.
Seattle opened the game with a 12-0 run, holding Atlanta scoreless for more than four minutes before Reese converted a pair of free throws for the visitors' first points. The Dream defense settled in from there, forcing seven turnovers by the end of the opening quarter.
Despite the three-game skid, the team's focus remains on improving with plenty of the season still ahead.
"Just getting back, looking at film, seeing what we can improve, and just continuing working to get better," Gray said. "It's still early in the season, so these are the types of things you want to experience early so you can learn from them so when it gets to playoff time, it's not too late."
Atlanta returns to action Thursday night when it travels to face the Washington Mystics.
Women's National Basketball Association Stories from June 27, 2026
- Dream Drop Third Straight Game in Loss to Storm - Atlanta Dream
- Ty Harris Delivers in Bounce Back Win over Sparks - Indiana Fever
- Indiana Fever Dominate Sparks in 111-87 Win - Indiana Fever
- Inside Courtney Vandersloot's Record-Breaking Return - Chicago Sky
- Kamilla Cardoso Records Historic Night in Rout of Fire - Chicago Sky
- Sky Set for United Center Clash with Las Vegas Aces - Chicago Sky
- Sky Shatter Records Upon Courtney Vandersloot's Return in 124-94 Triumph over Fire - Chicago Sky
- Sydney Taylor's Stock Is Rising - and Should Result in Rookie of the Year Consideration - Chicago Sky
- Game Preview: Dallas Wings vs. Minnesota Lynx (Game #19)- June 28 - Dallas Wings
- Game Preview: Valkyries vs. New York Liberty, 6/28/26 - Golden State Valkyries
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
