Lyttle's collosal performance ends Dream's 6-game skid
The last time the Dream played the Storm, Atlanta was playing without two key players, Sancho Lyttle and Tiffany Hayes, who were out with hamstring injuries. Tonight, both players were back and even though Lyttle still winced throughout the game with her injury still lurking, she was able to fight through and lead her team.
Atlanta, GA-- The Atlanta Dream were to able to break their six-game losing streak tonight against the Seattle Storm, 77-64. As the Storm held on closely in points the entire game, Sancho Lyttle went berserk offensively, racking up 22.
"Sancho came out and set the tone for us," said the Atlanta Dream's Coach Michael Cooper. "She really hasn't been asserting herself, but we were that of her asking, and she did it.
When she plays well our big 3 play well. That gives a better chance to win, because then the other people can just add on to what they have already established".
Both teams struggled in the first half to find a rhythm offensively; however, Atlanta's man-to-man defense created multiple turnovers on Seattle's end. The Storm could not seem to take care of the ball having nine turnovers in the first half.
Angel McCoughtry took advantage of these mistakes to wake up the Storm with a fast break layup with Breanna Stewart on her tail.
Little by little, Lyttle led in scoring, by putting up 10 points throughout the first half, which helped her team advance their score. Thanks to teammates like Tiffany Hayes, she gave the perfect assist for Lyttle to attack the basket. Her efforts in the first half kept the Dream's lead.
"We stuck to the plan tonight," said Lyttle. "Previously I think since we were losing a couple we stopped believing in ourselves and tonight we just got back to where we were at the beginning of the season. We came up with a win."
Pulling up for a long two-point shot, Sue Bird was able to tie up the score 28-28 going into the half time.
Lyttle did not waste any time trying to jump start her team's offensive energy coming into the third quarter; however, Jewell Loyd responded with a three to give the Storm their first lead of the game, 31-30.
Atlanta and Seattle began to go back-and-forth with points, as Crystal Langhorne was left open on the elbow, but Elizabeth Williams responded by going to work on her in the paint at the other end of the court. Loyd decided to chip in herself with a big three.
Although Seattle racked up players with fouls, they managed to stick close to the Dream, as they chipped away points. Bird was able to knock down a three to tie up the game again, 43-43.
Ripping down the court, Hayes fought her way through the Storm to get off a fast break layup to force them to call a time out.
Throughout the fourth quarter, Seattle remained close in points with the Dream, but they could not close out the game.
"We did not do a very good job of protecting the paint. We did not rebound well. They got aggressive and we did not resist that," said Seattle Storm's Head Coach Jenny Boucek.
With the clock dwindling down in the last minute, Lyttle continued to go on a scoring rampage, followed by stealing the ball to get the crowd in astonishment. She closed out the game finishing with a double-double, 22 points, 11 rebounds.