Atlanta Dream closed out a dominant performance with a 99-89 win over Phoenix Mercury in the Women's National Basketball Association on Saturday night. The visitors, sitting top of the standings with 26 victories from 40 games, made things comfortable long before the final buzzer. Phoenix, seventh in the table with 14 wins and 26 defeats, could not find a way back into the contest after trailing from the opening period. By then Atlanta had already established a 16-point advantage that would never seriously be threatened.
The Dream controlled the paint with 48 points compared to Phoenix's 30, and their interior presence proved decisive. Phoenix struggled to contain Atlanta inside, while the visitors' 12 steals against just five for the hosts disrupted their offensive rhythm. Atlanta also limited their own mistakes with only eight turnovers, whereas Phoenix coughed up the ball 16 times. The support of the fans could be called devoted, but that is an assessment, not a fact. The fact is that the club sits top of the table
What struck me watching from the stands was how Atlanta balanced their attack. They shot 37 from 76 from the field at nearly 49 per cent, yet made only 11 three-pointers from 38 attempts. Phoenix was sharper from distance, hitting 11 of 23 attempts, but could not match Atlanta's volume inside. And here's the thing, the difference came in free throws — Phoenix converted 20 of 25 attempts to Atlanta's 14 of 16, but that margin could not overcome the paint deficit.
Atlanta arrived in Phoenix on the back of a 124-88 demolition of the Sparks on Wednesday, and they carried that momentum into this fixture. Phoenix had lost four of their last five games, including an 82-96 defeat to Atlanta earlier in August. The visitors' 11 fast-break points and 10 second-chance points showed they were working harder when Phoenix's defence broke down. To be fair, Phoenix had 22 assists to Atlanta's 24, meaning their ball movement was not the issue.
The result leaves Atlanta eight points clear at the summit of the Western Conference, while Phoenix drop further behind in the hunt for a playoff spot. The Dream's 26-14 record and two-point gap over second place gives them home-court advantage should they reach the postseason. Phoenix now face a difficult run if they hope to climb out of the bottom half of the standings. By then the margin may have grown wider still.
