INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Top-pick Rhyne Howard had a career-high 33 points — the most in any WNBA game this season — to help the Atlanta Dream beat the Indiana Fever 85-79 on Sunday.
In a matchup that featured the two top picks in last month’s draft, Howard made 9-of-18 from the field and 12-of-17 from the free-throw line with three steals.
Indiana’s NaLyssa Smith — the No. 2 overall selection — scored a season-high 18 points before leaving the game with about 6 1/2 minutes left due to a right ankle injury.
Cheyenne Parker scored eight of her season-high 11 points in the fourth quarter for Atlanta (3-1), including a layup and then an offensive rebound and putback that gave the Dream an 81-76 lead with 55.3 seconds left after Kelsey Mitchell hit a 3 that pulled Indiana (2-3) — which led for just 12 seconds in the second half — within a point about a minute earlier.
Howard and Nia Coffey each made two free throws from there to seal it.
WINGS 81, LIBERTY 71
NEW YORK (AP) — Arike Ogunbowale scored 18 of her 21 points in the second half and the Wings beat the Liberty.
Dallas (2-1) had a two-point lead at halftime before Ogunbowale got going. She had 12 points in the third quarter, including a 3-pointer that made it 62-52 with 1:55 left in the period.
New York (1-3) got within five in the fourth quarter but could get no closer thanks to Ogunbowale and Isabelle Harrison, who finished with 18 points.
Sabrina Ionescu had 17 points, seven rebounds and six assists to lead the Liberty. Natasha Howard scored 14 points after missing 14 of her 15 shot attempts in her last game.
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