ATLANTA DREAM NOTES AND STORYLINES

Dream Sell Out Home Opening Week
The Dream announced a full sell-out of both their home opener against the Los Angeles Sparks Wednesday night and their matchup against the Las Vegas Aces Friday evening with 3,138 fans in attendance both nights – setting the Gateway Center Arena attendance record.

Record-Setting W in Dallas
First-year head coach Tanisha Wright earned her first win with the Dream on Saturday, May 7, defeating the Dallas Wings 66-59. Atlanta held Dallas to just 24.3% shooting from the field, marking the lowest opponent shooting percentage in franchise history. It was the the lowest shooting percentage the Wings have ever seen and is tied for the franchise low (the Tulsa Shock shot 24.3% against Washington in 2013).

Rookie guard Rhyne Howard became the first player in WNBA history to record four made three-pointers and four blocks in their debut, as she went on to lead the Dream in nearly every statistical category. She took 12 threes on Saturday, the most by a Dream player since Renee Montgomery took 13 in 2019.

The last time Atlanta held a team to 59 or fewer points was a 62-56 win over New York in 2020. The last time Atlanta has done it in a true road game was a 67-53 win at Indiana in Game 2 of the 2013 Conference Finals to clinch the series. Atlanta scored 60.6% of their points on threes and free throws in the season opener, the most of any team in the league this season. Last year they scored just 37.7%, the third-fewest.

SERIES RECORD
Overall………………………………………. ATL leads, 28-24
at Atlanta………………………………………ATL leads, 17-7
at Indiana …………………………………… IND leads, 17-11
Current Streak………………………………………… ATL, W2
at Atlanta……………………………………………….. ATL, W1
at Indiana ……………………………………………… ATL, W2
Largest Atlanta Win………………………………..21 (7/7/17)
Largest Indiana Win …………………………….32 (6/16/18)

RECENT MEETINGS WITH INDIANA
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Top-pick Rhyne Howard had a career-high 33 points — the most in any WNBA game this season — to help the Atlanta Dream beat the Indiana Fever 85-79 on Sunday. In a matchup that featured the two top picks in last month’s draft, Howard made 9-of-18 from the field and 12-of-17 from the free-throw line with three steals. Indiana’s NaLyssa Smith — the No. 2 overall selection — scored a season-high 18 points before leaving the game with about 6 1/2 minutes left due to a right ankle injury. Cheyenne Parker scored eight of her season-high 11 points in the fourth quarter for Atlanta (3-1), including a layup and then an offensive rebound and putback that gave the Dream an 81-76 lead with 55.3 seconds left after Kelsey Mitchell hit a 3 that pulled Indiana (2-3) — which led for just 12 seconds in the second half — within a point about a minute earlier. Howard and Nia Coffey each made two free throws from there to seal it.

INDIANA FEVER STORYLINES

INJURY REPORTQUESTIONABLE – NaLYSSA SMITH (RIGHT ANKLE)

PROBABLE STARTERS

0Kelsey Mitchell G – Extended her league-leading streak of consecutive games with at least 10 points to 28 straight dating back to 2021…Has appeared in all 127 games played in her career, good for the second longest active streak in the WNBA behind Chelsea Gray (165)…Trails Tamika Catchings (138) for the longest streak of consecutive games played in franchise history…Currently at 1,969 career points…Has made 697 career field goals, good for fifth most in franchise history behind Candice Dupree in fourth with 702.

1NaLyssa Smith F – No. 2 overall pick in 2022 WNBA Draft…Finished with two double-doubles in first four games of WNBA career…Scored a career-high 18 points vs. ATL on May 15…Pulled down a career-high 17rebounds at NYL on May 13…From 2018-22, compiled 2,048 points and 1,098 rebounds, making her the seventh player in Baylor history to reach at least 2k points and 1k rebounds in their career…2x All-Big12 Player of the Year…2x Katrina McClain Award as the nation’s top-power forward becoming the second person in the award’s history to repeat, joining Ruthy Hebard.

3Danielle Robinson G – Made her 2022 debut on May 13 at NYL after missing the first three games of the season due to overseas commitments…In her first season with Indiana in 2021, averaged 9.9 points, 3.7 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 27.4 minutes per contest in 24 games…Started every game played in 2021, but missed the last eight games of the season after suffering a right ankle injury against the Las Vegas Aces on August 28…Led the team in charges taken in 2021 with 23…1,262 career assists good for 17th most all-time, behind Briann January with 1,264…2,768 career points, good for 81st all-time trailing Dominique Canty with 2,779.

4Queen Egbo F/C – No. 10 overall pick in 2022 WNBA Draft…Also grabbed a career-high14 rebounds on May 13 at NYL…Third time in franchise history college teammates were taken in the same draft, joining ZuzuKlimesova and Jillian Danker (Vanderbilt) in 2002, Kelsey Mitchell and Stephanie Mavunga (Ohio State) in 2018…In her senior season, averaged 11.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and a 49.8 field goal percentage in 23.6 minutes per contest in 35 games.

35Victoria Vivians G – Earned her first starting nod of the season on May 13 at NYL and finished with her fourth 20-point scoring effort in her career, which were all previously recorded in her rookie season in 2018…Made her100th 3-point field goal of her career on May 6 at WAS…Started 35of 75 career games played…Returned to play a key role in 2021averaging 6.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.1 steals and 21.3minutes per contest in 31 game…During the 2021 season, Vivians eclipsed the 500-point mark in her career…Missed the entire 2019season due to an ACL injury.