COLLEGE PARK, Ga. — Rhyne Howard scored 18 points, Allisha Gray added 15 and Atlanta beat the Connecticut Sun 87-62 on Monday night, giving the Dream’s Karl Smesko a WNBA-record 29 wins for the most by a first-year coach.

Atlanta (29-14), which won its fifth straight game, moved past Last Vegas (28-14) for sole possession of second place. The Dream close the regular season on Wednesday at Connecticut.

Atlanta led 45-40 late in the first half before Saniya Rivers banked in a long three-pointer for Connecticut just before the halftime buzzer. The Dream’s lead was just 52-49 with 5:56 left in the third quarter before closing on a 16-3 run for a 16-point advantage.

The Sun scored nine points in the third and 10 in the fourth.

Naz Hillmon had 14 points, five rebounds, four assists and four

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