Brittney Griner and the Atlanta Dream continued to assert themselves as a legitimate championship contender with 79-63 win over the Golden State Valkyries on Su

Rhyne Howard had 14 points, six assists and five rebounds, Brionna Jones added 13 points and nine rebounds, and the Atlanta Dream ran away from the Golden State Valkyries in the third quarter for 79-63 win.

Facing the physical and skilled Atlanta Dream, the Valkyries suffered their worst home loss since their season opener in a 79-63 defeat .

This article was originally published on www.si.com/wnba/valkyries as Atlanta Dream Coach Makes Brittney Griner Statement After Valkyries Game.

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For four quarters, the Dream outmuscled and outworked the Valkyries in what became a 79-63 loss for the expansion team. Golden State dropped to 18-16 with the defeat and had their four-game winning streak snapped. Atlanta scored 38 points in the paint and were out-rebounded 38-27.

The Golden State Valkyries endured a physical game against the Atlanta Dream on Sunday night in Ballhalla. The Valkyries came in to Sunday's game riding a four

The Atlanta Dream slogged through a cold first half, managing only 25 points against Golden State’s gritty defense. But the second half was a different story. The Dream caught fire from beyond the arc, moved the ball with purpose and outscored the Valkyries the rest of the way to pull away for a 79-63 win Sunday.

The Atlanta Dream will make their first-ever visit to San Francisco to take on the Golden State Valkyries on Sunday night in a contest that will decide the playoff contenders' season series.

Nine-time WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner is in her first season with the Atlanta Dream. Spending 11 seasons with the Phoenix Mercury, where she won a WNBA championship in 2014 and took home two Defensive Player of the Year trophies, Griner has begun a new chapter in Atlanta.