The Atlanta Dream Missed 9 Straight Threes, Then Isabelle Harrison Got Ejected, And Toronto Tempo Had No Answer

Holy smokes, what a game! If you weren't tuned into the Commissioner's Cup battle between the Atlanta Dream and the Toronto Tempo on Sunday, you missed a wild one. The Dream snagged a massive 102-77 victory, but trust me, that score doesn't even tell half the story. Atlanta went from looking totally lost, missing their first *nine* three-point attempts, to absolutely dominating. It was a complete turnaround, and the Tempo just couldn't hang.

From Zero to Hero: The Dream's Epic Comeback

Man, the first quarter for the Dream was rough. Rough, rough, rough. They couldn't hit anything from deep, bricking their first nine shots from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the Tempo came out hot, hitting six of their first 10 shots, including a corner three from Isabelle Harrison. Toronto jumped out to a 14-6 lead with four minutes left in the first, and Brittney Sykes even pushed their advantage to double digits at 16-6 with a jumper. It felt like a runaway. Rhyne Howard finally broke the Dream's three-point drought with just 1:29 left, but Toronto still led 25-13 after one. But then, the Dream woke up! They opened the second quarter with a furious 5-0 run, capped by an Allisha Gray three-pointer that cut the lead to 25-18. They kept pouring it on. Isobel Borlase drained a long-range shot to get within four, then tied it up at 30-all on a layup. Naz Hillmon drew a foul on a made layup and hit the free throw, giving Atlanta their first lead of the game at 35-33. Howard even scored inside and drew a foul with three seconds left, hitting the free throw. The Dream completely flipped the script in the second, outscoring Toronto 34-14 and taking a 47-39 lead into halftime. Unbelievable!

The Second Half Slam and a Flagrant Exit

The second half started with Atlanta still riding that wave. They scored five straight points, with Gray burying another three to stretch the lead to 52-39 at the 8:43 mark in the third. The Tempo tried to claw back, with Julie Allemand hitting a three to get within eight points at 62-54. But Howard had an answer, knocking down another three-ball, and the Dream carried a strong 70-59 lead into the fourth quarter. Then came the moment that really sealed Toronto's fate: Isabelle Harrison got ejected! With 6:05 left in the third, she wrapped up Angel Reese hard near the basket, getting hit with a Flagrant 2 foul. That was it for her, and the Tempo just crumbled after that. The Dream pulled away big time in the final quarter, absolutely stifling Toronto and outscoring them 32-18. Gray was lights out, leading all scorers with 26 points, including five threes and seven assists. Reese grabbed her *ninth* double-double of the season, putting up 15 points and 17 boards. Howard was a beast too, with 24 points, four treys, six rebounds, and three blocks. Borlase was huge off the bench with 17 points. Maria Conde added 12 points and Brittney Sykes had 11 for Toronto, but it wasn't enough. What a statement game for the Atlanta Dream! They moved to 9-4 on the season and 4-2 in the Commissioner's Cup, winning three of their last four games. They're playing some seriously tough basketball right now. Keep an eye on this squad, because they're absolutely rolling and showing everyone they can overcome anything.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.