Final
Sky-Dream Preview
Jul 2, 2010 - 4:46 PM By ANDY LEFKOWITZ STATS EditorChicago (7-9) at Atlanta (13-4), 7:00 p.m. EDT
All that stands between the Atlanta Dream and a perfect record at home this season is a loss to the Chicago Sky.
Looking to remain unbeaten on a season-high six-game homestand, the Dream will try to gain some revenge against the Sky on Saturday night.
The Dream are 7-1 at Philips Arena this season with the only blemish being an 80-70 loss to Chicago on June 4. Since then, the Eastern Conference leaders have taken five in a row in Atlanta, and they improved to 4-0 on their current homestand with a 76-58 rout of Minnesota on Thursday.
Iziane Castro Marques scored 22 points, Sancho Lyttle added 14 and 10 rebounds, and the Dream held the Lynx to 29.9-percent shooting en route to their largest margin of victory at home this year.
"It was about the first time in four games that our starters got serious on defense right from the start," coach Marynell Meadors said.
Castro Marques is second on Atlanta in scoring with 17.1 points per game, trailing Angel McCoughtry (19.8). Castro Marques, though, has outshined the 2009 Rookie of the Year when facing Chicago.
In two games, the Brazilian guard-forward has scored 49 points, including 31 in a 93-86 win in Chicago on June 15. McCoughtry has combined for 21 points.
Atlanta (13-4) will wrap up its homestand Wednesday versus Connecticut before playing six of seven on the road.
Though the Sky (7-9) are last in the East, they've been playing very well recently. Chicago posted its third win in four games with a 92-80 victory over Connecticut on Thursday.
Sylvia Fowles led Chicago with 26 points and 11 rebounds, and Dominique Canty had seven points to become the ninth player in WNBA history with 2,500 points, 900 rebounds and 900 assists.
Coach Steven Key wants to see Chicago continue its surge in a bid for consistency.
"I would like to hope that (the big win) is not an isolated event," he said. "That's what we've been talking about when we lost those three games in a row after winning four in a row. That is what we're looking for ... That's the way we have to play every night."
Having Fowles may help achieve that goal. The 6-foot-6 center is sixth in the league with 18.2 points and seventh with 8.6 rebounds per game.
She has totaled 43 points and 15 boards versus Atlanta in 2010.
- WNBA
CHICAGO 88
ATLANTA 82 FINAL
Jul 3 9:20 PM - WNBA
CHICAGO 22
ATLANTA 16 END, 1ST QTR
Jul 3 7:28 PM
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