COLLEGE PARK, Georgia (AP) — Rhyne Howard scored 24 points, Allisha Gray added 21 on 6-of-10 shooting, 3-of-4 from 3-point range, and the Atlanta Dream beat the Indiana Fever 82-73 on Sunday.
Aliyah Boston of St. Thomas had 25 points, 10 rebounds and four steals for the Fever, Mitchell scored 20 and Erika Wheeler scored 15 points.
Cheyenne Parker added 16 points for Atlanta (15-13).
Gray made a driving layup and Nia Coffey followed with a 3-pointer early in the first quarter to spark an 11-1 run and give the Dream the lead for good.
Grace Berger made a floater to close the scoring in the third quarter and assisted on a layup by Kelsey Mitchell to open the fourth before Mitchell made back-to-back 3-pointers to cap a 14-5 spurt that trimmed the Fever’s deficit to five points and Mitchell’s layup with about 5 minutes left made it 70-67. Gray answered with a jumper, Howard added two baskets and Indiana got no closer.
Indiana (7-21) has lost 14 of its last 16 games
NaLyssa Smith (foot), who has been out since July 9, did not play for the Fever.
Aliyah Boston and Victaria Saxton met up with Coach Dawn Staley and former South Carolina University Gamecocks teammates after the game.
Parker hit a 3-pointer that opened the scoring in the second half and gave Atlanta a 46-34 lead. Wheeler hit two free throws that trimmed Indiana’s deficit to 55-46 late in the third quarter but Gray followed with a pull-up jumper then hit a 3-pointer to stretch the lead to 14 points.