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Howard scored 16 in the third quarter, while
first-time All-Star Parker had eight points in the fourth for
the Dream (10-8), who overcame 28 points from Sky star Kahleah
Copper to win its fifth straight.
In Friday's 82-68 win at Chicago, Atlanta led by one after three
quarters then outscored the Sky 23-10 in the fourth. The Dream
again held a one-point edge entering the fourth Sunday and
finished with a 20-10 advantage.
Parker scored six of the period's first 14 points, and her
rebound and bucket gave Atlanta a 78-71 lead with 3:31 remaining
to play. Chicago (8-11), though, got within three with 2:33, but
Allisha Gray (11 points) knocked down a 3-pointer, then Danielle
Robinson (11 points) and Howard followed with baskets to keep
control.
Atlanta led 42-33 at halftime, and Howard scored seven of its
first nine second-half points to push that advantage to 51-39.
However, the Sky used a 20-7 spurt, featuring 10 points from
Copper -- who scored 16 in the third -- during the stretch, to
take a 59-57 lead with just under three minutes left in the
third. But a long Howard 3 with 2.4 seconds remaining gave
Atlanta a 68-67 lead entering the fourth.
Atlanta used a pair of 7-0 runs in the second quarter to build a
cushion that helped the team take a seemingly comfortable lead
at the break.
Chicago missed five of its first six shots, and despite two
quick fouls on Copper, who scored her team's first six points,
led on three occasions during the first 10 minutes of the
contest. However, Atlanta, which shot 46.7 percent for the game,
went 9-for-18 from the field to lead by three after one period.
The Sky's Alanna Smith, who had seven points and hit a go-ahead
basket with 2:47 remaining in the third, exited late in that
period after drawing a hard foul.
--Field Level Media
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