The Atlanta Dream have been on a roll since coming back from the Olympic break, and they've been winning games in different types of ways. In their game against the Phoenix Mercury, it was the defense that led them to a 72-63 victory, and it started with just holding them to six points in the first quarter.

“I think it’s just showing our growth and just our focus. Every time we go into the locker room before a game, [Tanisha Wright] has three things. It’s accountability, respect, and toughness, and toughness for us today was consistency,” Tina Charles said after the game. “Really good teams are very consistent in who they are. The identity that we're growing in and showing out there in the league. We were just consistent, defensively, offensively, sharing the ball, and celebrating one another. I think we took a lot of things personal.”

Things were personal for some of the players before the game, and one of them was Allisha Gray. Kahleah Copper has been someone who has terrorized the league this year with her scoring, but Gray wanted to take the challenge to slow her down.

“I remember the last game that we won I was like ‘We have Phoenix coming up’ and I mentioned [Kahleah Copper]. As soon as I said it, Allisha was like ‘I got her.’ It’s just great to see all of that come together,” Charles said.

Throughout the game, the Dream showed the three things that Wright tells them, and it helped them get the win against a good Mercury team.

The Dream turn up the defense in win vs. Mercury

Atlanta Dream player Allisha Gray participates in the 3-point contest during the WNBA All-Star Skills Night at the Footprint Center.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Related Atlanta Dream NewsArticle continues below
Atlanta Dream guard Te-Hina Paopao (2) shoots the ball as Washington Mystics forward Sika Kone (3) defends in the first half at CareFirst Arena.
Watch Dream’s Te-Hina Paopao score her 1st WNBA basket
United States centre Brittney Griner (15) and guard Chelsea Gray (8) celebrate after defeating France in the women's gold medal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena.
3-time Olympian Dream’s Brittney Griner has eyes set on 2028 Games
Atlanta Dream center Brittney Griner (42) against the Indiana Fever at Gateway Center Arena @ College Park.
Brittney Griner breaks silence on career resurgence with Dream

Though the Dream just allowed six points in the first quarter, the second and third quarters were a complete 180 of how they started. Brittney Griner and Kahleah Copper started to find a rhythm, and they eventually took a two-point lead, but that didn't phase the Dream.

The run started with Tina Charles hitting a three, which moved her up to No. 2 on the WNBA all-time scoring list, passing Tina Thompson. That prompted an 11-0 run, with Maya Caldwell scoring six straight points and the defense stepping up once again, holding three of the Mercury's starters to three points each. Allisha Gray went to the free-throw line several times, and Rhyne Howard iced the game with a three-pointer.

“I think everyone’s bought in. We know what we need to execute. We worked really hard during the Olympic break, and it’s a great turnaround,” Gray said after the game. “And it’s nice to have everybody back healthy. That makes it even more enjoyable as well.”

“Gutsy win for us, we didn’t shoot the ball well, but I thought defensively we did some good things to help us get the win. Really proud of their defensive effort tonight,” Wright said.

The Dream will be back on Aug. 23 to face the Mercury once again, and it should be another game that comes down to what happens in the fourth quarter.