Dream vs. Mystics: Rhyne Howard and a Franchise Playoff-Record 16 Steals Lift Atlanta in First Round Game 1

For one half, the Washington Mystics looked like the team in control of this series. They crashed the glass, built an 11-point lead and went to the locker room up five. Then the Atlanta Dream started taking the ball away, and they did not stop until they had set a franchise playoff record.

By the end of Sunday night, it was a 92-77 Atlanta win in Game 1 of the best-of-three first-round series, powered by Rhyne Howard's 26 points and five steals and 22 more from Allisha Gray. The Dream's 16 steals set a franchise playoff record and came within two of the WNBA mark of 18, which belongs to Indiana from 2009, according to the AP. Angel Reese, playing in her first career playoff game, chipped in 13 points and 12 rebounds.

Washington Owned the First Half

Howard got things started with a 3-pointer 22 seconds into the game. Washington's response was an 8-0 burst featuring four Kiki Iriafen points and a Georgia Amoore 3, and the fifth-seeded Mystics led 26-21 after one quarter.

The second quarter stayed on Washington's terms. The Mystics were relentless on the offensive glass, and by the time Iriafen was done she had nine offensive rebounds on her own. Washington pushed its lead as high as 11 and was up 41-34 late in the half. Jordin Canada's layup trimmed it to 41-36 at the break.

DeWanna Bonner admitted the Dream were rattled early. "I think we were just playing with a lot of nerves," she said. She credited Atlanta coach Karl Smesko with settling the team down in the second half.

The Third Quarter Flipped Everything

Whatever was said at halftime worked. Canada's layup at the end of the half was the start of a 9-0 run, and Gray finished it off from deep. That 3 put Atlanta in front 43-41 for the first time since the opening minute.

Then Bonner took over. Per the AP, she was responsible for 11 of her 13 points during an 18-5 stretch, and when it was over Atlanta led 61-48 with 2:29 to go in the quarter. The Dream won the third 29-12, carried a 65-53 lead into the fourth, and Washington never got within six again.

The Mystics did make one last push. Down 81-65 with 5:21 left, they rattled off nine straight, capped by two Iriafen baskets and a pair of Sonia Citron free throws, to get within 81-74 at the 3:26 mark. Gray ended that conversation with a driving layup and a free throw at 2:41, Bonner added two more freebies, and the Dream closed it out at the line.

Howard Did a Little Bit of Everything

Howard went 7 of 18 from the field, but she made all 10 of her free throws and was a menace on defense with five steals. She finished a game-high plus-19 in 39 minutes.

Gray was steadier, going 8 of 16 for 22 points with five made free throws. Canada ran the show with 10 points and 10 assists. Reese struggled with her shot, going 4 of 15, but she still grabbed 12 rebounds in her playoff debut and was a plus-11. Bonner's 13 points off the bench came on 4-of-8 shooting with four made free throws.

Smesko liked what he saw, but he was not ready to take a victory lap. "This is just round one," he said. "We feel good about how we set the tone for the first game, but there is a lot more work to be done and I think everyone in our locker room is aware of that."

Washington's Turnover Problem

Citron was terrific for the Mystics, scoring 25 points on 8-of-15 shooting. Iriafen had 15 points and 14 rebounds, and Shakira Austin added 12 points and 16 rebounds. Washington outrebounded Atlanta 50-31 and grabbed 15 offensive rebounds to the Dream's five.

None of it mattered as much as the turnovers. The Mystics gave it away 22 times, and Atlanta turned those into 27 points. Atlanta committed only seven turnovers and gave up just four points off them.

Citron put her finger on it. "In the first half we did a good job of just making everything hard for them and then in that third quarter we just let some of our discipline slip," she said.

The Turning Point

The third quarter, start to finish. Atlanta won it 29-12, turned a five-point halftime deficit into a 12-point lead and never let Washington back within six. The steals fueled everything, and Bonner's scoring burst made sure the Mystics never recovered.

Stats That Matter

• 16: Atlanta's steals, a franchise playoff record per the AP. Washington had two.
• 27-4: Points off turnovers, Atlanta's edge.
• 25 of 26: The Dream at the free throw line, a ridiculous 96%.
• 50-31: Washington's rebounding margin, which somehow was not enough.
• 29-12: Atlanta's third-quarter margin.

What It Means

The fourth-seeded Dream lead the series 1-0, and Game 2 is Wednesday in Washington. One more win sends Atlanta to the semifinals, which would mean a lot for a franchise that, per the AP, had lost in the first round in each of the last three seasons.

The Dream are on a heater. Counting the playoffs, they have won six straight, including their final five regular-season games. Washington's four-game winning streak to close the regular season is over.

One thing to keep in mind: Washington won the regular-season series against Atlanta 2-1. The Mystics have shown they can beat this team. They just need to hold onto the ball.

Closing Take

Iriafen sounded like someone who learned a lot in 40 minutes. "Playoffs are the biggest stage," she said. "This is the stage we want to be on." She also said the team now knows what the playoffs look like and will be better prepared on Wednesday.

That is the right attitude, but it comes with a catch. Getting ready for Atlanta means getting ready for a defense with the fastest hands in the building. The ball kept vanishing like a magician's coin trick on Sunday, and Washington has three days to figure out where it keeps going.

Stats from the official box score via ESPN. Postgame quotes as reported by the Associated Press.