Atlanta Dream Hit Century Mark, Lock In Home Court for Playoffs

The Atlanta Dream lit up the scoreboard in style, dropping a season-high 104 points in a statement win over the Los Angeles Sparks at Gateway Center Arena. It wasn’t just a win—it was a sweep. Atlanta finished off LA 3-0 in the regular season series and moved to 2-0 with the starting lineup of Jordin Canada, Te-Hina Paopao, Rhyne Howard, Naz Hillmon, and Brionna Jones. The Dream now stand 26-20 all-time against the Sparks and an even stronger 15-8 on their home floor.

This one was special for a few reasons. With their 28th victory, Atlanta officially clinched a top-four seed in the 2025 WNBA Playoffs, guaranteeing home court in the first round. Head Coach Karl Smesko also tied Michael Cooper’s 2000 mark for the most wins by a first-year WNBA coach with 28. And if that wasn’t enough, the Dream tied the WNBA single-game record with 19 made threes.

Of course, the night belonged to Rhyne Howard, who delivered a masterpiece. Howard finished with 37 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists, setting career and franchise marks all over the place. She tied her career-high with 17 points in a quarter, set a new career-high with 29 in a half, and became the first player in WNBA history with multiple games of nine made threes. It was her third 30+ point outing of the season and her fifth straight game leading the team in scoring.

Maya Caldwell came off the bench and made her presence felt, matching her career-high with 19 points while also adding 7 rebounds and 3 assists. She knocked down five threes of her own, giving Atlanta a massive boost. Brionna Jones did her thing inside, finishing with 16 points and 13 rebounds for her 12th double-double of the season, while Hillmon chipped in 8 points and grabbed a team-high 9 boards. Canada kept the offense humming with 8 assists, leading the team in dimes for the 16th time this year, and even drilled a three to help Atlanta crack the 100-point mark. Rookie Sika Koné also gave fans something to cheer about, scoring her first points in a Dream uniform.

Atlanta’s offense was clicking on all cylinders from the opening tip. The Dream built momentum behind hot perimeter shooting, led by Howard’s flamethrower from deep. By the third quarter, the floodgates were open, and the Sparks couldn’t keep up with the barrage. The crowd was rocking, and Atlanta looked every bit like a contender ready to make serious postseason noise.

With the playoffs now locked in, the Dream will close out the regular season with a two-game set against the Connecticut Sun—first at home on Monday, September 8, then on the road for the finale on Wednesday.

Atlanta has officially put the league on notice: this team isn’t just dreaming—they’re making history.