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Atlanta’s Sims and Williams Combine for 41 to Beat Mystics 101-78.

The Atlanta Dream had the highest shooting percentage as a team in franchise history at 50% from the field.

The Dream also snapped their four game losing streak with the win, Sunday afternoon.

Sims bounces back

Atlanta’s Odyssey Sims had one of the best performances of her entire career on Sunday. Sims scored a season-high 20 points and snatched four steals. 

“I just played more free today,” said Sims.

“I am a defensive-minded player, this is not a surprise to me.”

Sims, in her first season with the Dream, scored a season-high as she has seen her average points per game slip in recent years. 

Sims’ production has decreased since 2019 when she averaged 14.5 points per game as a starter on the Minnesota Lynx. She has remained a defensive staple for every team she suited up for.

Sims also won the Georgia Lottery Player of the Game. 

Williams scoring outbreak


Atlanta guard Courtney Williams got four three-pointers to fall for the Dream. She entered the game shooting over 41% from beyond the arc.

Williams finished with 21 points against the Mystics and reeled in three rebounds.

Williams stayed hot after recording a double-double against the powerhouse Seattle Storm on Friday. 

Three-point shooters

Tiffany Hayes drained three threes while Cheyenne Parker shot 50% from deep. Hayes totaled 18 points and six assists while having a plus/minus of +25. Parker added 11 points of her own. 

The entire Atlanta squad hit 13 shots from beyond the arc, shooting over 42% from that range. 

Photo | Getty Images

“When you make shots, this game isn’t hard,” said Dream head coach Mike Petersen. 

The Atlanta Dream are top-three in the WNBA in both three-pointers attempted and three-pointers made per game.

Atlanta hawks the offense

The aggressive Atlanta defense forced 17 turnovers Sunday afternoon. 10 of these Mystic’s turnovers were in the form of steals by Atlanta. 

The Dream are third in the WNBA in turnovers forced per game. They also average just under nine steals, the most steals per game in the league.

This successful defense allowed just 29 points in the second half. The Washington Mystics only connected on 38% of their shots from the field.

“The defensive game plan had a lot of moving parts,” said Petersen.

 “The credit goes to our players who can focus and are able to execute.”

Tina Charles subdued

The Washington Mystics star center came into the matchup as the leading scorer per game in the WNBA at over 25 points. Charles has been dominating in the paint, also ranked in the top-seven in rebounds per contest.

Photo | Getty Images

The 11-year veteran had her hands full with the Atlanta Dream’s double-teams. Charles finished the game with just 13 points with seven rebounds.

“Tina is having an MVP season,” said Dream forward Tiana Hawkins.

“We tried to make her day a living hell.” 

Charles had a very difficult day, shooting under 33% from the field. She also shot 20% from three and turned the ball over twice. 

What’s Next

The Washington Mystics now sit at 4-6 with just one of those wins being part of the Commissioner’s Cup qualifiers. They sit in second-to-last in the Eastern Conference standings for the in-season tournament.

The Atlanta Dream snap their four-game losing streak with this convincing victory. The Dream’s record moves to 5-6 with four of those wins counting towards the Cup. 

Both teams remain in the middle of the Eastern Conference, in terms of record. The Atlanta Dream now has a ½ game lead on Washington.

These two teams will face off again on Thursday. The Mystics will look to get back to their winning ways as the Dream try to ride this momentum to avoid another early-season losing streak.

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