The Atlanta Dream go into Aug. 24 as 9.5-point road favorites against the Los Angeles Sparks, a line that reflects what happened just four days earlier. On Aug. 20, Atlanta scored 124 points and beat Los Angeles by 36, an outcome that showed the gap between a team chasing a top-two seed and one already out of playoff contention.
Atlanta’s latest edge over Los Angeles
The Aug. 20 meeting was the second time this season Atlanta cracked triple digits against Los Angeles. It also gave the Dream another clear reminder of how effective they can be when their offense is rolling. Scoring 124 points in a WNBA game is a big number on its own, and doing it in a 36-point win makes the message even clearer.
That matters because the Dream are still pushing for a top-two WNBA seed. Every game has added weight for Atlanta at this stage of the season, and the road matchup with the Sparks gives them another chance to keep that position race moving in the right direction.
Rhyne Howard has been central to the surge
Rhyne Howard was a major part of the Aug. 20 win, scoring 26 points and making five 3-pointers. That performance fit with the broader stretch she has been on recently. Howard has scored 19 or more points in eight of her last nine games, and she has averaged 18.2 points per game during a nine-game stretch.
Her scoring has given Atlanta another reliable source of production behind Allisha Gray, and the Dream have needed that consistency. Howard’s recent run has helped stabilize the offense, and her ability to create points from the perimeter was on full display in the most recent meeting with Los Angeles.
What it means for the Sparks
The Sparks enter the game at 13-24 and already eliminated from playoff contention. That does not remove the importance of the matchup for Atlanta, but it does change the context. Los Angeles can still play spoiler, yet the game is far more meaningful for the Dream’s seeding pursuit than it is for the Sparks’ postseason hopes.
The recent results also suggest Atlanta matches up well here. The Dream have now put together a dominant win over Los Angeles and enter the rematch with confidence, while the Sparks are trying to finish a difficult season on a stronger note. If Atlanta brings the same offensive level it showed on Aug. 20, the favorite’s role should make sense again.
