Atlanta Dream vs. Washington Mystics: Match Preview

Atlanta — The Atlanta Dream will travel to face the Washington Mystics as they look to get over .500 for the season. The Mystics lead the overall series 27-31, but the Dream have won the last three games between the two teams.

This match will mark the first meeting between the two teams this season.

In the last game, Atlanta beat Washington 90-75. The Dream lost their last game against the Minnesota Lynx 79-92 to bring their overall record to 2-2 and 1-1 at home to start the season.

The Dream will be led by former number one pick Rhyne Howard. Howard became the youngest WNBA player since Swin Cash in 2003 to record at least 20 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals in the game against the Lynx. She reached the milestone at age 24, while Cash reached it at 23 years and 275 days. Cheyenne Parker-Tyus finished just shy of a double-double with 10 points and 8 rebounds for the night.

Atlanta will also look to continue its strong bench play by outscoring Minnesota 25-9 there. The Dream will need Tina Charles to continue to dominate inside, as she is averaging 13.3 points and 8.0 rebounds per game this season. Atlanta dominated Minnesota in the paint in their last game 30-24. Howard and Charles seem to be one of the best duos in the league, and they make it very difficult for opponents on a consistent basis.

The Mystics are currently the only winless team in the WNBA, going 0-6 through the first 6 games. Their most recent loss came against a tough Seattle Storm team, beaten 101-69.

The Mystics are led by former Texas guard Ariel Atkins, who is averaging 12.3 points and 3.5 assists per game. The 6-foot-5 Shakira Austin has been a force for the Mystics, currently averaging 11.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

The match will take place at the Entertainment and Sports Arena, with tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m. EDT. Defense will be very important in the game as the Dreams are 1-0 when holding their opponents to under 80 points and when their opponents are shooting under 40%.