Atlanta Dream vs. Minnesota Lynx Pick & Prediction MAY 23rd 2023

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Offensive woes led to season-opening losses for the Atlanta Dream and Minnesota Lynx. One of those teams will collect its first victory when they meet in Minneapolis on Tuesday night.

The Dream shot 35.4 percent from the field and committed 19 turnovers in an 85-78 loss to Dallas on Saturday.

Atlanta trailed 47-30 at halftime.

"We had great shots in the first half," Dream coach Tanisha Wright said. "I was OK with our shot selection. ... If we had knocked down half of the looks we had in the first half, it's a different ballgame."

The Dream gradually reduced the deficit and got within three points with just over a minute remaining but couldn't finish off the comeback.

"We just spotted them too many points. Trying to make your way back into the game is really tough," Wright said. "I thought we did some things well. Some things we still need to clean up. We have got to clean up our turnovers. That has to change for us."

Rhyne Howard led the Dream with 20 points and 10 rebounds but shot 8-for-24 from the field. Cheyenne Parker contributed 18 points and 11 rebounds but committed six turnovers.

Reserve guard Danielle Robinson injured her left knee in the opener.

The Lynx fell to the Chicago Sky 77-66 on Friday due to a nightmarish second quarter. The Lynx were outscored 22-3 during those 10 minutes and trailed 44-27 at the break.

"That was tough. That was obviously tough to overcome," Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. "Won every other quarter. But very clearly we are a work in progress."

For the game, Minnesota shot 33.3 percent and committed 21 turnovers.

"Our pick and roll offense just was not good," Reeve said.

Napheesa Collier and Kayla McBride combined for 29 points but shot just 9-for-26 from the field.

"We didn't have that much fluid movement on offense and we can't be like that," McBride said.

--Field Level Media

PREDICTION

Atlanta Dream

80

82

Minnesota Lynx

Allisha Gray scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and the Atlanta Dream erased a 19-point, second-half deficit to defeat the Minnesota Lynx 83-77 on Tuesday night in Minneapolis.

Naz Hillmon supplied 13 points off the bench for the Dream (1-1), and Cheyenne Parker added 12.

Napheesa Collier led Minnesota (0-2) with 20 points. Reserves Aerial Powers and Tiffany Mitchell had 10 points apiece.

Atlanta scored the first five points of the final period, including a Rhyne Howard three-point play, to cut Minnesota's lead to three points.

When Gray nailed a 3-pointer with 2:57 left, Atlanta was within 77-75. A pair of Monique Billings free throws tied it up 23 seconds later.

Aari McDonald's 3-pointer with 42 seconds left put the Dream on top. Gray clinched the Dream's win by sinking two free throws with 21 seconds left.

The Lynx got offensive contributions from eight players in the first quarter while racing to a 30-19 lead.

Powers scored the first four points of the second quarter to stretch Minnesota's advantage to 15 points. Parker made a layup with 3:16 remaining in the quarter to cut the Lynx's advantage to eight points. AD Durr hit a couple of free throws in the final minute to pull Atlanta within 47-40 entering halftime.

The opening minutes of the second half turned into a Collier showcase. She scored the first 10 points of the third quarter on a short bank shot, a pair of 3-pointers and two free throws. That extended Minnesota's lead to 17 points.

A three-point play by Hillman nearly four minutes in the quarter ended Atlanta's drought. Diamond Miller made a layup midway through the quarter to give the Lynx a 62-43 lead.

From there, the Dream caught fire, going on a 16-2 run to slice Minnesota's lead to five. Hillmon had six points and Durr supplied the last five during that span.

Kayla McBride knocked down a 3-pointer, allowing the Lynx to carry a 67-59 lead into the fourth quarter.

--Field Level Media