The Atlanta Dream captured a much needed 70-53 win over the visiting Seattle Storm Sunday at Philips Arena. With Sancho Lyttle and Angel McCoughtry back in the starting lineup, the Dream turned in one of their best defensive performances of the season limiting the Storm to 38 percent shooting and forcing 29 turnovers.
Angel McCoughtry scored a game-high 17 points on 7 of 20 shooting. Erika de Souza contributed 13 points and seven rebounds while Coco Miller chipped in 10 points off the bench. Sancho Lyttle's made her return to the starting lineup and finished with six points, seven rebounds, and two steals.
After the game, coach Meadors singled out Lyttle as being an excellent help defender and that was apparent throughout the game as the Dream seemed to swarm to the ball and would not allow anything easy for Seattle. Swin Cash scored a team high 16 points for the Storm. Katie Smith added 11 points and Camille Little tossed in nine. All-Star point guard Sue Bird finished with a rough night of two points, three assists, and six turnovers.
If there was a negative for the Dream it comes in the form of yet another injury. Armintie Price left the game with under a minute to go in the half with an apparent ankle injury. She later returned to the Dream bench on crutches and had X-rays at halftime. Price has been a spark plug of sorts for the Dream since being inserted into the starting lineup. Price finished with eight points, four assists, and a team high three steals in just 15 minutes of action. Her status would appear to be in doubt for the Dream's next game on Tuesday in Washington.
This win was a textbook win for Atlanta as they dominated nearly every facet of the game. The Dream grabbed a 32-26 rebounding advantage over the Storm and limited them to just two offensive rebounds on the night. That led to a 20-2 advantage in second chance points and a huge 40-22 advantage in points in the paint.
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