Recap: The Aces cruise to an easy win over the Dream, 92-69

After dropping two straight games, the Las Vegas Aces went into Atlanta and easily beat the Dream, 92-69. Liz Cambage, Brittany Sykes and Dearica Hamby were the leading scorers at 15 points apiece.

For Cambage, it was her highest scoring total of the three games she has played with the Aces.

Sykes was the only consistent offense for the Dream, playing 25 minutes off the bench.

Hamby is likely a player who could start for any of the other teams in the league and she is an absolute luxury for Las Vegas. Along with scoring 15 points, Hamby added eight rebounds and three steals. Hamby has finished in double-digit scoring in every game this season.

The Aces jumped out quickly to a 19-2 lead. The Dream made an attempt to close the gap in the second quarter but Las Vegas closed out the final four minutes on a 13-0 run to take a 49-24 lead into the half. The Dream could never get enough offense going to make a serious comeback attempt.

The Aces showcased why they are considered favorites to win a championship. First, there is Liz Cambage:

Second, there is A’ja Wilson, going up against pretty tough defense. Wilson finished 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting.

While the Aces were effective on offense, shooting 51 percent for the game and finding offense all over the court with six players in double figures, they committed 21 turnovers. That is something that will cost them against the better offensive teams in the league.

For Atlanta, the Dream has failed to shoot above 42 percent in their four games this season. Twice, they failed to get above 35 percent. The Dream were always going to have to rely on their defense to win games, but their offensive output will have to improve going forward. It is hard to win games with so many empty possessions.

The Dream’s defense has suffered as a result of their poor offense, allowing 85 points per contest and a defensive shooting percentage of 46 percent. The Dream got off to a slow start last year, as they were at a 7-8 record going into July. It may take some player movement to repeat the success of last year’s second-best record.

The Dream have dropped their last three games and will need to figure it out on offense. They play the Connecticut Sun on Sunday at home. The Aces will stay on the road to play the New York Liberty on Sunday.