Atlanta Dream Edge Los Angeles Sparks 88-82 Behind Gray’s Milestone Night

The Atlanta Dream earned their third consecutive victory Tuesday night, defeating the Los Angeles Sparks 88-82 at Crypto.com Arena. The win pushes the Dream to 2-0 with the starting lineup of Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray, Maya Caldwell, Nia Coffey, and Brionna Jones, and marks their fourth win in the last five games.

It was a historic night for Allisha Gray, who scored 25 points and surpassed 3,500 career points, becoming the 36th fastest and 34th youngest player in WNBA history to hit the milestone. She now shares company with legends like Penny Taylor and becomes just the 69th player in league history to reach the mark.

Atlanta improved its all-time record against Los Angeles to 24-20 overall and 11-12 on the road with the win. The Dream’s team-oriented approach was on full display, as five players scored in double figures and the team notched a season-high 26 assists.

Gray tied for the fifth-most points scored through the first six games of a season by any Dream player (122), while Nia Coffey eclipsed 150 career made three-pointers with her first long-range shot of the night.

Rhyne Howard stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, and three steals, providing all-around excellence to fuel Atlanta’s momentum on both ends of the floor. Off the bench, Naz Hillmon (11 points) and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough (10 points) delivered timely scoring that proved instrumental down the stretch.

Gray opened the scoring with a smooth finish at the rim, and Hillmon recorded two blocks in the first five minutes, setting the tone defensively. Caldwell closed the first quarter with a go-ahead basket as Atlanta took a one-point lead.

Howard sparked a second-quarter run with back-to-back threes, and Coffey contributed on both ends with seven points, two steals, and a block. Atlanta closed the half up by nine, holding Los Angeles to just 31 points and dominating the fast break 11–0.

In the third quarter, Gray and Jones combined for 16 of the Dream’s 26 points, and Atlanta dished out 10 assists while shooting 100% from beyond the arc. The lead grew to 13 points heading into the fourth.

The Sparks made a late push in the final period, but Atlanta stayed composed. Walker-Kimbrough delivered key baskets, Gray and Howard hit timely threes, and Howard set up Hillmon for a clutch shot that helped seal the win despite a 29–22 fourth-quarter run from L.A.

The Dream (4-2) will continue their road trip and take on the Seattle Storm on Friday, May 30.