Surging Dream, sinking Storm head to Vancouver in WNBA first
Meeting for the second time in three days, this time in the WNBA's first regular-season game outside the United States, the red-hot Atlanta Dream will try to make matters worse for the reeling Seattle Storm on Friday in Vancouver.
The neutral site game in Canada will mark the fifth time the league has played internationally, following preseason exhibitions in Mexico (2004), England (2011), Toronto (2023) and Edmonton (2024). Friday will also be a precursor to the first WNBA team based outside the States, as the Toronto Tempo will begin play next season.
Atlanta (21-11) remains in the Pacific Northwest following its 85-75 victory at Seattle on Wednesday. The Dream extended their season-long winning streak to six games and overtook the New York Liberty by half a game atop the Eastern Conference standings.
Rhyne Howard, in her second game back from a knee injury after a monthlong absence, led the Dream with 25 points, including three 3-pointers in the final 30 seconds of the third quarter to help Atlanta pull away.
'It's fun to have her back,' Dream head coach Karl Smesko said of Howard. 'To break out like she did, especially at the end of the third quarter, that's exactly what she's capable of doing and it was huge for us.'
Allisha Gray leads Atlanta with 19 points per game, followed by Howard's 16.3 ppg.
The Dream will again be without starting point guard Jordin Canada (right hamstring), who was hurt Sunday against the Phoenix Mercury.
Seattle (16-17) enters play 0-6 in August, the team's longest losing skid since dropping 10 in a row in 2023. Each of the Storm's five previous defeats were decided by four points or fewer before Wednesday's 10-point setback.
'These moments, they deflate us and we can't get them back,' Seattle head coach Noelle Quinn said. 'For me as a coach, it's about empowering and providing confidence and having a next-play mentality, but individual players have to find that within themselves and pour that into their teammates. ... Time is running out and my team knows it.'
In the midst of a dreadful stretch, veteran Nneka Ogwumike has scored in double figures in 16 straight games, including a 29-point output on Wednesday. Ogwumike is averaging 18.2 points and 7.3 rebounds per game for the Storm, who are in danger of missing out on the postseason for just the seventh time in 26 seasons.
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Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors She was still in middle school when she went to see the now-defunct Houston Comets. 'It was dope. It was amazing,' said the six-foot-nine centre. 'I was just like, 'OK, here's a model, here's something that I can do. I can aspire to be one of them.'' Become one of them she did. Griner's now in her 11th WNBA season and has become one of the league's most recognizable names. She blazed another trail with her Atlanta Dream teammates on Friday when they faced the Seattle Storm in Vancouver, marking the first time the league has held a regular-season game outside of the United States. 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The Dream charged back and took a 71-69 lead with less than five minutes to go in the fourth and the two sides traded chances through the final minutes. Big cheers emanated from the crowd when Storm forward Gabby Williams swiped the ball away from Howard and got it to Brittney Sykes, who sunk an uncontested shot to put Seattle up 79-76 with 55.6 seconds left on the clock. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Ezi Magbegor then sunk a free throw with 8.7 seconds to go to seal Seattle's 80-78 win. The atmosphere was 'amazing,' said Storm guard Skylar Diggins. 'We talked about it in the locker room, it feeling like a playoff game, almost,' she said. 'But we definitely felt them rally behind us. This was a great opportunity for us to, you know, be here and continue to show the WNBA international reach, and they love it out here. They showed us a lot of love.' Gabby Williams #5 of the Seattle Storm tries to guard Allisha Gray #15 of the Atlanta Dream during the first half of WNBA action at Rogers Arena. Photo by Rich Lam / Getty Images The Vancouver game comes during a time of explosive growth for women's sports. Canada's first women's professional soccer league, the Northern Super League, launched in April and this fall will see the Professional Women's Hockey League expand to eight teams with new franchises in Vancouver and Seattle. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The WNBA is growing, too, with the addition of the Toronto Tempo next season. Having a Canadian team will help grow Canadian talent, said Storm head coach Noelle Quinn. 'The exposure that a team like Toronto can give to the youth, and what that can do for inspiring that segment of young individuals who want to play, and then keeping them local, and developing the talent there. … I think to me, it's more the exposure than anything that can really, I guess, expedite that process, but also make them a lot better,' she said. Tempo president Teresa Resch and general manager Monica Wright Rogers were at the game in Vancouver on Friday and had a special announcement for the crowd: the new team will play in Vancouver twice during their inaugural season. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Quinn hopes kids who come out to WNBA games in Vancouver leave continuing to 'hope and dream big.' 'Obviously, professional basketball is coming to Canada. There are a lot of opportunities, more opportunities, for young girls to be able to not only see but participate, walk away with, a vibe and a good feel that the W is in a good place,' she said. 'And from the talent to sponsorship to the viewership and all those things, it is a good time to be a fan and hopefully continue to inspire the dreams of the youth.' Toronto is one of five cities getting a WNBA team over the next five years. The Portland Fire will also start play in 2026, followed by Cleveland in 2028, Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia in 2030. Nine other cities bidded for expansion franchises. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. It's a big change from the WNBA Nneka Ogwumike entered back in 2012. 'The conversations around the health of the league were not incredibly inspiring when I was drafted. It was kind of impressed upon us that we should make our money elsewhere and just focus on your individual accolades,' said the Storm forward. 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