Ariel Atkins scored 18 points, Natasha Cloud added 17 and the Washington Mystics erased a double-digit deficit in the second-half to beat the Atlanta Dream 78-73 on Friday night.
Howard hit four 3-pointers and led Atlanta (4-2) with 21 points. The No. 1 selection in last month’s draft, Howard is averaging 20.5 points while shooting 46.7 per cent from behind the arc. Her 21 made 3s through six career games are second in WNBA history. Ruthie Bolton had 23 for the Sacramento Monarchs in 1997.
Cheyenne Parker scored 13 points, Nia Coffey had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Erica Wheeler added 11 points for the Dream.
Hawkins added 11 points for Washington (5-1) and rookie Shakira Austin had 10 points, seven rebounds and three steals.
Atlanta scored 10 consecutive points to take a 56-46 lead when Wheeler hit a 3-pointer midway through the third quarter. The Mystics responded with an 11-0 run soon after.
HOW?!<br><br>Oh wait it’s <a href=”https://twitter.com/arielatkinssvn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@arielatkinssvn</a>, nvm.<a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mystics25?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#Mystics25</a> // <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/TogetherDC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#TogetherDC</a> <a href=”https://t.co/IM7UlJTarS”>pic.twitter.com/IM7UlJTarS</a>
—@WashMystics
Jones powers Sun over Fever
Jonquel Jones scored 19 points and the Connecticut Sun beat the Indiana Fever 94-85 on Friday night for their third straight victory.
.<a href=”https://twitter.com/athomas_25?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@athomas_25</a> leads the <a href=”https://twitter.com/ConnecticutSun?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@ConnecticutSun</a> to their first <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/CommissionersCup?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#CommissionersCup</a> win with 17 PTS, 7 REB, 3 AST, and 3 STL! <a href=”https://t.co/LMLjMWt9Wi”>pic.twitter.com/LMLjMWt9Wi</a>
—@WNBA
DeWanna Bonner had 18 points and Alyssa Thomas added 17 for Connecticut (3-1), which put six players in double figures. DiJonai Carrington and Brionna Jones scored 11 apiece, while Natisha Heideman finished with 10.
The Sun have won by an average margin of more than 17 points since a season-opening loss to the New York Liberty.
There were four ties and 10 lead changes before Heideman converted a three-point play and followed 37 seconds later with a 3-pointer to make 48-43. The Sun led the rest of the way.
NaLyssa Smith, the No. 2 overall selection in last month’s draft, did not play for the Fever. She was listed as a game-time decision but missed her second consecutive game due to a right ankle injury.
Indiana, which went into the game 11th in the 12-team WNBA at 39.9 per cent, shot a season-high 54 per cent (34 of 63) and limited the Sun shot just 43.7 per cent (31 of 71). Connecticut hit 11 of 19 from 3-point range, outscored the Fever 21-11 from the free throw line and grabbed 11 offensive rebounds.
Reference-www.cbc.ca