add up to points, but following the 82-74 loss in Game 1, Castro-Marques put it all on the line to lead all scorers with 30 points. McCoughtry also got her groove back and scored 27 in the 94-77 victory that tied the series at a game apiece.
Referring to Castro-Marques, Meadors said: “She was the X-factor that kept us going. She hit shot, after shot, after shot.”
Castro-Marques scored 13 points in the first half and 17 in the second.
And to handle unfinished business, the two simply changed roles in Game 3. McCoughtry led the way with 26 points while Castro-Marques added 23 on the Dream’s way to an 83-67 win and advancement into their second consecutive WNBA Finals series.
Lindsey Harding scored 16 points and Sancho Lyttle added 10 points, 11 rebounds and five steals for the Dream.
The Dream have plenty of backup in the starting lineup and on the bench. This Atlanta squad is built on balance and unwavering role players. In Game 2, three other Dream players finished in double figures with 10 points each – Lyttle, Harding and Armintie Price.
“We’re built on balance and I think we had great balance with our starting five.” Meadors added.
Minnesota, Moore Up Next In Finals
Now that the Atlanta Dream have disposed of Indiana, the team – along with the ‘Dynamic Duo’ – will have to face ‘Superwoman’ Maya Moore and the Minnesota Lynx in the 2011 WNBA Finals.
Moore, a native Georgian, was this year’s Rookie of the Year and the only first-year player to start in the All-Star game since 2002.
Moore, along with Taj McWilliams-Franklin, scored 21 points to lead the Minnesota Lynx to a 103-86 victory to sweep the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals, and give the Lynx their first ever championship appearance.
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NOTE: Indiana’s leading scorer saw limited action in Game 3 after going down late in Game 2 with a foot injury. She was later diagnosed with plantar fasciitis, a strain of the ligament that supports the arch.
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