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Dream Display Lofty Ceiling With Win Over Lynx

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jannelle Moore | Last updated Jul 28, 2025 7:06 PM ET

Walk into your trap. Take over your trap.

The Atlanta Dream did the improbable Sunday night as they handed the Minnesota Lynx their first home loss of the season in a stunning 90-86 upset. The first-place Lynx (22-5) are now 14-1 at Target Center.

It wasn’t so much what the Dream (15-10) was able to do on Sunday; it was all about howthey did it. Don’t let that final score mislead you. Atlanta dominated for most of the game. They led by 14 at the half, which was Minnesota’s largest halftime deficit of the year.

Plagued by blown leads and poor execution down the stretch, the Dream were able to absorb the Lynx’s haymakers of 17-6 and 11-4 runs by going on mini spurts of their own to counteract the Lynx’s pushes. Here are more observations from Sunday night:

Defense To Offense, Griner’s Dominance

Atlanta was able to spread the floor against a usually miserly Minnesota defense by matching that same energy on that side of the floor. The Dream forced the Lynx into 10 first-half turnovers, leading to 11 points for the visitors. Brittney Griner was an absolute wall in the post, forcing Minnesota into inefficient mid-range shots. Offensively, Griner got whatever she wanted. After the game, Lynx star Napheesa Collier described how difficult it is to defend Griner.

“She’s 6’9, and really agile. BG is really hard to contain,” Collier said. “So I think to make it hard for her, we need to pressure the ball. She’s going to score, but just make it as hard as possible.”

Using her size to attack the basket and put pressure on the defense, Griner scored 17 points in the first half. She ended the game with 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field with four rebounds and three assists. The Lynx were able to limit Griner in the second half, but the Dream found other ways to get this win.

Target Practice at Target Center

The Dream shot over 60% from the field in the first half. The Lynx shot over 50% for the game, and it didn’t matter. Atlanta took advantage of the Lynx’s blown rotations and lack of help-side defense. The Dream’s inside-outside game with Griner was difficult to defend. Doubling the 11-time All-Star led to open shots on the perimeter, where the Dream feasted all game long.

In this clip, Bridget Carleton leaves Satori Walker-Kimbrough to double Griner. Walker-Kimbrough, at this point, is wide open for three and splashes it. Carleton blew the rotation trying to help Alanna Smith contain Griner. Sometimes, the best defense in the long run is to concede. Griner probably would have scored in the post here regardless, but the Lynx would’ve been more than happy to live with that rather than giving up the Walker-Kimborough three.

The Dream shot 44.4% from three, and many of those shots were open because of the Lynx’s porous defense in the first half.

‘Pheenomenal

There’s a reason why some call Napheesa Collier ‘MVPhee.’ A force on both ends of the floor, Collier led all scorers with 32 points on an insanely-efficient 14-for-18 shooting performance from the field. She also totaled eight rebounds, seven assists, four steals, and two blocks in 37 minutes.

Collier stands alone as the only player in the league with multiple games of 30 points, five rebounds, five assists, two steals, and two blocks in a single season, according to StatMuse. Before Sunday night, Collier also had two games in the season with that statline. She had a 32/8/6/2/2 game in a June 14 win over the Los Angeles Sparks, and she also had a 33/11/3/3/3 performance against the Connecticut Sun on May 23.

With Sunday’s performance, Collier tied Maya Moore for the most games in Lynx franchise history with at least 30 points, five rebounds and five assists. There’s plenty of games left to play, and the opportunity to set the franchise record is within Collier’s grasp.

Miller Time

The Lynx went on two torrid runs in the second half to close the game and get within striking distance. Their defense turned the game on its head, as they only gave up 14 points in the third quarter. Lynx forward Diamond Miller was the catalyst for that third-quarter blitz, picking up various Dream players in a full-court press. She was also disruptive in the half-court, helping to force four shot clock violations.

When it was time to put the clamps on the Dream, Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve knew just who to call.

“We needed some aggression, and Diamond gave us that,” Reeve said after the game. “She was in there for a crucial stretch. We cut it to three, and then our offense went south and our decision-making. In those moments, it’s now about your big three.”

Ultimately, the Dream prevailed and proved they can compete with anyone in the WNBA when they play their best basketball. Bookmark this matchup as a possible playoff preview.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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