Final
Holdsclaw leads Dream past Silver Stars
Aug 7, 2009 - 3:10 AM SAN ANTONIO(AP) -- Chamique Holdsclaw scored 10 of her 21 points in the fourth quarter to help the Atlanta Dream win their franchise-best fourth consecutive game, 92-84 over the San Antonio Silver Stars on Thursday night.Iziane Castro Marques added 17 points for the Dream (11-10), Sancho Lyttle had 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Angel McCoughtry and Michelle Snow each scored 11 points.
Atlanta, above .500 or the first time since it was 3-2 on June 19, drew a full game ahead of idle Chicago for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
"We're definitely establishing our identity," Holdsclaw said. "We kicked it in (during the 31-point fourth quarter). We've got a flow going right now. We're just trying to stick to it."
Becky Hammon led the Silver Stars (9-11) with 26 points, and Sophia Young had 23 points and nine rebounds.
"Every time we tried to get a hold of the game, (Atlanta) got something done, especially in the basket area," Silver Stars coach Dan Hughes said.
There were 12 lead changes and seven ties heading into the fourth quarter. And even though Atlanta pulled out to a 74-70 lead on Lyttle's 10-foot bank shot with 5:38 remaining in the game, the Silver Stars quickly trimmed it back to a one-point game on Hammon's 3-pointer.
"You can't lose Hammon," Dream coach Marynell Meadors said. "I don't care if she goes up into the fifth row, you've got to go up there and sit with her, I mean, she's so good."
But Holdsclaw knocked down a fadeaway and, after Atlanta forced the Silver Stars into a 24-second violation, Erika DeSouza hit a shot inside with 4:01 left for a 78-73 lead.
Hammon scored on a 3-point play to make it 84-81 with 43 seconds left, but Shalee Lehning scored off an inbounds lob from Holdsclaw, who added a pair of free throws to make it 88-81 with 22 seconds to go.
"I just saw (Ann) Wauters in the middle playing up the lane (on the inbounds pass to Lehning), and she's just standing there and Hammon's staring at the ball, so I just threw it over and luckily (Lehning) caught it and made a great play," Holdsclaw said.
- WNBA
ATLANTA 92
SAN ANTONIO 84 FINAL
Aug 6 10:16 PM - WNBA
ATLANTA 16
SAN ANTONIO 9 END, 1ST QTR
Aug 6 8:29 PM
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