Dream nearly – Atlanta Dream fought back from as much as 19 points down to take a one-point lead with 36 seconds left, but Chelsea Gray’s late surge carried the Las Vegas Aces to an 85-84 win. Te-Hina Paopao said the silver lining is learning to handle big moments—despite Rh
ATLANTA – The Atlanta Dream had already shown they could climb out of trouble this season. In their opener against the Minnesota Lynx, they erased a deficit and still won.
On Sunday, they faced Las Vegas and nearly pulled off the same kind of escape.. Atlanta trailed by as many as 19 points. and after a late swing left them holding a one-point advantage with 36 seconds remaining. it was gone quickly.. Chelsea Gray delivered back-to-back plays that flipped the outcome, and the Aces held on for an 85-84 victory.
The Dream weren’t just surviving the night’s biggest swings.. Te-Hina Paopao stepped up with an impact stretch. while other key contributions in the final push came from Allisha Gray. Madina Okot and Jordin Canada as Atlanta chipped away at the damage.. Canada’s score gave the Dream a one-point lead with 36 seconds left—an emotional moment that followed a fourth quarter in which Atlanta turned up the intensity after spending most of the game trailing.
Paopao’s assessment after the game captured the mix of frustration and pride that lingered in the building.. “We’re tired of being in those moments,” she said.. “We’re tired of coming back from 20-point deficits.. At the same time, I’m super proud.. We’re not proud that we’re experiencing this early in the season. but at the same time. it’s gonna help us along the line. and we know what to do in these big moments.”
The stakes behind that quote were clear in how the night unfolded for a team missing Rhyne Howard.. Howard was ruled out a day before the game after being in concussion protocol. forcing others to carry more of the load.. Even with resiliency on display. Paopao acknowledged the goal isn’t to keep surviving huge holes. especially so early in the schedule.
Karl Smesko also leaned into that sense of competitiveness. even as he pointed out the heartbreak of not finishing the job for Dream fans.. “We all wanna see that all the time,” he said.. “The energy and the competitiveness were great.. The more we can see that, the better.. We’re a little disappointed we didn’t send Dream fans home happy. but there’ll be more opportunities. and this is a long season.. We’re gonna keep getting better, and I think we have the makings of a great team.”
Despite the loss, the Dream showed they could keep pace with one of the league’s stronger teams.. Paopao emphasized the value of the experience coming while the roster wasn’t at full strength.. “I’m really proud of our fight. and this is going to help us along the season because we experienced it early in the season when we’re not at full strength. ” she said.. “I’m just super proud of this team. and we just gotta get better day in and day out and get the next win.”
Smesko echoed the learning focus, underscoring that playing the Aces comes with consequences for mistakes.. “Win or lose. we’re gonna approach it as a learning experience and see how much better we can get from it. ” he said.. “When you play the Aces. they make you pay for your mistakes. so you get a lot of opportunities to learn from this game. and I think our players have a great attitude about it. so I expect us to get better because of this.”
The pattern of the evening became hard to miss: Atlanta found a way back after being down big—first in the opener against the Minnesota Lynx. and again against the Las Vegas Aces—then leaned on fourth-quarter intensity and late-game plays. only for Chelsea Gray to turn the finish in the Aces’ favor after Atlanta took a one-point lead with 36 seconds left.
For Atlanta, the result ends with another close loss at 85-84, but the message from the Dream’s leadership stays consistent: the comeback showed fight, and the early-season adversity—compounded by Rhyne Howard’s absence—will be treated as preparation for whatever late-game moments come next.
Atlanta Dream Las Vegas Aces Te-Hina Paopao Chelsea Gray Rhyne Howard Jordin Canada WNBA