Elena Delle Donne scores 18, Mystics beat Dream 96-75
WASHINGTON (AP) - Ariel Atkins scored 21 points, Elena Delle Donne added 18 in her season debut and the Washington Mystics coasted to a 96-75 victory over the Atlanta Dream on Saturday night.
The Mystics christened their new Entertainment and Sports Arena by shooting 57 percent, led by Delle Donne, who was 5 for 5 for 10 points in the first quarter to help built a 26-16 lead.
It was 52-35 at the half as Delle Donne, who missed the season opener with a sore left knee, was 7 for 7 and Washington shot 61 percent.
Atkins finished 8 of 11 from the field with four 3-pointers. Emma Messeman added 14 points for Washington (1-1) and Kristi Toliver and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough had 10 apiece. Toliver sat out most of the second half of the season opener with a knee injury.
The Dream (1-2), playing on back-to-back nights, got 11 points from Tiffany Hayes and Alex Bentley.
The Mystics, who beat the Dream in the semifinals last year, are the primary tenant in the 4,200-seat arena in southeast D.C.