ATLANTA, Ga. (Interstat) — Rhyne Howard scored 18 points and added six assists to guide the Atlanta Dream to an 86-69 victory over the Dallas Wings on Friday night at State Farm Arena. Howard, a guard from Cleveland, Tennessee, also grabbed four rebounds and had two blocks in 27 minutes. Angel Reese contributed 13 points and six rebounds, Allisha Gray added 10 points and three rebounds and Te-Hina Paopao scored nine points for Atlanta, which improved to 3-1. Dallas, which fell to 3-3, was led by Awak Kuier with 15 points off the bench. Jessica Shepard posted eight points and 10 rebounds, Paige Bueckers had seven points and seven assists and Aziaha James scored six points with five assists. Atlanta led 19-9 after the first quarter and 44-31 at halftime. The Dream outscored the Wings 23-11 in the fourth quarter. Atlanta made 12 of 13 free throws, while Dallas made 3 of 8. The Dream forced 11 turnovers and committed 14. Attendance was 3,626.

ATLANTA (Interstat) — Rhyne Howard scored 18 points and dished six assists, leading the Atlanta Dream to an 86-69 victory over the Dallas Wings on Friday night at State Farm Arena in front of 3,626 fans. Atlanta improved to 3-1 on the season, while Dallas fell to 3-3. The Dream controlled the game from the opening tip, building a 19-9 lead after the first quarter and stretching it to 44-31 by halftime. Dallas struggled offensively in the first half, shooting 36 percent from the field and committing nine turnovers. The Wings’ offensive rating of 86.8 for the game underscored their difficulties, with only 69 points on 67 possessions. The Wings mounted a spirited third-quarter comeback, outscoring Atlanta 27-19 to trim the deficit to 63-58 entering the final period. Forward Awak Kuier sparked the rally, scoring 11 of her 15 points in the third quarter, including a pair of 3-pointers. Guard Paige Bueckers added seven assists, and forward Jessica Shepard grabbed 10 rebounds to go with eight points. But the Dream answered with a decisive fourth-quarter surge. The most critical stretch came in the final minutes of the game. After Dallas cut the lead to five early in the fourth, Atlanta went on a 12-2 run that effectively sealed the outcome. Howard started the burst with a pullup jumper, then assisted on a layup by Allisha Gray. Angel Reese scored on a driving layup, and Naz Hillmon added a putback. Howard drilled a 3-pointer from the left wing with 3:41 remaining to push the lead to 77-64. Jordin Canada followed with a driving layup, and Gray converted two more layups off passes from Howard, the last with 1:49 left making it 84-66. Howard capped the night with a driving layup at the 1:22 mark. Atlanta’s defense also tightened in the fourth, holding Dallas to 11 points on 4-of-15 shooting. The Wings missed all six of their 3-point attempts in the quarter and committed three turnovers. The Dream, meanwhile, shot 9 of 15 from the field and 5 of 5 from the free throw line in the period. Howard finished 5 of 12 from the floor and 6 of 7 at the stripe, also grabbing four rebounds and two blocks. Reese contributed 13 points and six rebounds, hitting 6 of 10 shots. Gray added 10 points and three rebounds. Canada had seven points, four rebounds and four assists. Te-Hina Paopao chipped in nine points off the bench, including three 3-pointers. For Dallas, Kuier shot 6 of 8 from the field and 2 of 2 from beyond the arc in just 11 minutes. Shepard had eight points and 10 rebounds, with three offensive boards. Guard Aziaha James posted six points, four rebounds, five assists and a block. Odyssey Sims scored eight points with four assists. Bueckers finished with seven points, one rebound and seven assists but shot 3 of 11 from the field. The big difference came at the free throw line, where Atlanta made 12 of 13 attempts while Dallas hit just 3 of 8. The Dream also held a 98.2 offensive rating to Dallas’s 86.8, despite shooting a lower percentage from the floor overall, 47 percent to 39 percent. Atlanta committed 14 turnovers but forced 11 and collected six steals. The Wings had beaten Chicago 99-89 on Wednesday before falling in Atlanta. The Dream returned home after a one-point loss to Las Vegas on Sunday, May 17. In their previous meeting this season, Atlanta won 77-72 at Dallas on May 12. Dallas next plays at New York on Sunday, May 24, while Atlanta hosts Phoenix on Sunday. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Atlanta Dream 95, Dallas Wings 87. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Atlanta with a 92.40 percent probability to win. Atlanta had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -4.5. The total score of 69 went over the over/under line of 172.5.

ATLANTA (Interstat) — The Atlanta Dream look to build on an early-season surge when they host the Dallas Wings on Friday night at State Farm Arena. Atlanta (2-1) enters the matchup after a narrow 85-84 loss to the Las Vegas Aces on May 17, a game in which Allisha Gray nearly carried the Dream to victory. The guard posted 25 points, nine rebounds, one assist and one block in 37 minutes. Gray has been Atlanta’s most consistent scorer, averaging 25 points over her last three outings, including a 26-point performance in the Dream’s 77-72 win at Dallas on May 12. That May 12 result — Atlanta’s only previous meeting with Dallas this season — gives the Dream a slight edge in the head-to-head. The Wings (2-2) have since rebounded with a 92-69 blowout of Washington on May 18, powered by a triple-double threat from forward Jessica Shepard. Shepard recorded 12 points, 16 rebounds and six assists in 27 minutes against the Mystics, continuing a productive stretch. Over her last four games, Shepard has averaged 11 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists, though she struggled with efficiency in a 7-point outing against Minnesota on May 14. Dallas’s overall record remains even after splitting four games. The Wings opened the season with a 107-104 overtime win at Indiana, then fell to Atlanta at home, dropped a 90-86 decision to Minnesota, and handled Washington. Atlanta, meanwhile, started 2-0 with wins over Dallas and Minnesota before the one-point setback to Las Vegas. Friday’s game is the second of a four-game road trip for the Wings, who visit New York on Sunday. The Dream begin a stretch of three home games in five days after this contest. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 95-87 victory for Atlanta, a margin that would reflect the Dream’s home-court advantage and the scoring prowess of Gray, who has averaged 25 points while shooting 48% from the field this season. Shepard will be key for Dallas on the glass and as a playmaker, but the Wings will need improved perimeter shooting to keep pace. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. EDT.