Angel Reese had 18 points and a season-high 17 rebounds as the Atlanta Dream routed the Washington Mystics 109-77 in a game in which coach Sydney Johnson was ejected.
Angel Reese pulled down a season-high 17 rebounds to go with 18 points, and the Atlanta Dream routed the Washington Mystics 109-77 on Saturday night, a game that turned chaotic when Mystics coach Sydney Johnson was ejected and escorted off the floor by police.
Johnson was tossed with 3:52 left in the third quarter, picking up two quick technical fouls after Washington's Alicia Florez Getino was whistled for a foul on Reese during a drive. Johnson argued heatedly with the officials, and several assistant coaches and forward Kiki Iriafen moved in to restrain him. He eventually settled down and was walked toward the tunnel by three police officers, with an assistant alongside him. Assistant coach Emre Vatansever ran the team the rest of the way.
"I lost my cool," Johnson, in his second season with the Mystics, said afterward. "There's nothing more than that. That's it. Officials did what was appropriate, and that's all I can say."
The game was well decided by then. Rhyne Howard's 3-pointer put Atlanta ahead for good with 3:44 left in the first quarter, and the Dream led by double figures for the final 26-plus minutes. Atlanta led 28-20 after the first quarter and 46-34 at the half, then broke it open with a 32-point third quarter and went up by as many as 35.
Reese recorded her fourth straight double-double and seventh of the season, and added four of Atlanta's season-high-tying 16 steals. Howard guided the Dream with 19 points and six steals in their highest-scoring game of the year. Allisha Gray scored 15, making 12 of 15 free throws, and Jordin Canada and Madina Okot added 11 apiece.
Atlanta (7-3) set season highs with 32 free throws on 41 attempts. The Dream made 13 3-pointers, outrebounded Washington 42-26 and outscored the Mystics 21-5 on the break. Rookie Isobel Borlase and Sika Koné each scored nine off the bench.
Iriafen led Washington (4-5) with 24 points, and Sonia Citron added 18 points and six assists in her return from a one-game absence with a foot injury. Shakira Austin blocked three shots and Angela Dugalic grabbed nine rebounds. The Mystics shot 44.8% from the field. They committed 17 turnovers, and Atlanta scored 26 points off them.
Atlanta has won four straight in the series, though Washington still leads it 34-33. The Dream played without Brionna Jones, who has a right knee injury. The game drew a sellout of 3,609 at Gateway Center Arena.
Washington hosts Indiana on Monday. Atlanta plays at Chicago on Tuesday.
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