On August 15, the your Atlanta Dream hosted the Tulsa Shock, in what would be their final home game of the regular season. This particular Friday was “Caribbean Night”. The Dream’s all-star lineup featured 2 caribbean players in Sancho Lyttle (St. Vincent & the Grenadines) and Aneika Henry (Jamaica), so it was only right that they closed out the 1st Quarter leading in points (8 for Lyttle, 4 for Henry). Henry closed out the period with 11 total rebounds.
The Shock were fairly quiet in the 1st Quarter registering 19 points. Odyssey Sims had 8 points and a turnover while star-player Skylar Diggins registered a steal but no points. After making a fine example of their Western Conference rivals last game, (against the Phoenix Mercury) the crowd was hoping to close out their final home game against the Shock with a big win.
The Dream continued to dominate and led by as many as 22 points. Lyttle had 14 points and Erika De Souza had 10 with 4 rebounds. To close the 2nd Quarter, the entire Dream roster had registered points. Fan-favorite Shoni Schimmel had 6 points and 4 assists while Angel McCoughtry had 5 points and 4 rebounds.
Odyssey Sims continued to lead the Shock in scoring while Courtney Paris and Jordan Hooper led in rebounds. Diggins failed to register any points in the 1st Half going 0-6 in shooting and 0-2 on 3-pt attempts.
The 3rd Quarter saw more dominance for the Dream. The crowd was electric as they continuously cheered for their ladies’ crossovers, no-look passes, and reactions to crowd favorites De Souza, Schimmel, and McCoughtry. As a matter of fact, tonight may have been a record night for Schimmel for no-look passes; that’s how lopsided the game was at this point.
McCoughtry scored 7 points that Quarter, followed by Henry, De Souza, Hayes, and Dumerc registering 4 points a piece. Skylar Diggins finally found her form, going 4 for 6 in field goals and 3 for 4 from the line (totaling 11 points).
The Dream finished the game with 5 players in double figures: Sancho Lyttle (17), Aneika Henry (10), Erika De Souza (21), Angel McCoughtry (12), and Shoni Schimmel (13). Erika De Souza had a double-double posting 21 points and 12 rebounds, as well as Aneika Henry with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Skylar Diggins started slow but ended strong, totaling 24 points, 4 assists, and went 8 for 10 from the line (shooting 80% in free-throws). Odyssey Sims finished with 23 points and 5 rebounds while Courtney Paris had 2 points, 5 steals, and 12 rebounds.
The Final Score was Dream 92, Shock 76. The Dream dominated the game from start to finish and showed that they’re confident and ready for the playoffs. It was a very physical game with bodies flying across the floor, on the floor, into cameramen, and saw plenty of collisions. It looked more like a playoff game than a regular-season home match. After the game the ladies changed and came back out to greet their copious fans and signed autographs for the next hour. People were lined up in droves to meet their favorite athletes and there were plenty of children (far too many to count). It was the perfect ending to an amazing regular season at Philips Arena. Their last game is Sunday against the Connecticut Sun and then the fun begins in the playoffs. Tickets are on-sale now.
-Jon J.
Photo: Hakim Wright