Dream: Still Beasts of the East?

[lethalweapon3]

After all the turmoil of the last two weeks, with Angel McCoughtry back and focused (if not yet starting) the Dream have now beaten the top two contenders in the East at Philips over the last few days. Tonight, they took Indiana's best punches on both ends of the floor before prevailing on some stifling defense of their own, plus big shots from Angel and Lindsay Harding, and major hustle from rookie Tiffany Hayes. Freddy Williams did a solid job making adjustments and not wilting when Katie Douglas and Tamika Catchings made their runs.I've still got Indiana making amends from last year and coming out of the East. But as with the past two seasons, what they have going is so crazy it just might work again. And you can't count out Angel using the press clippings of the last couple weeks as motivation.~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

When is a 4-point loss in double overtime to the league's top team and defending champion in their house a bad thing? When you had them down by 25 points in the first half, that's when!Fortunately, the Dream were able to feast on the lowly Washington Mystics a couple days ago, and tonight against Seattle at Philips Arena (7 PM, FoxSports South), they'll get a chance to cement their place as a Tough Out in the WNBA playoffs for the third straight year. Any win in the final four games, or a loss by New York in their next three, should wrap up a road playoff spot.Angel McCoughtry continues to come off the bench, and it's worked quite well to get the game started. They have their second straight WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week (Lindsay Harding, following last week's Sancho Lyttle). With Armintie Price starting, they are putting the defensive screws to opponents from the jump before trying to kill them softly with Angel, hustling rookie Tiffany Hayes, and the oft-imposing Erika DeSouza.Casual fans are already familiar with Sue Bird and former MVP Lauren Jackson. One of the players Marynell Meadors dispatched via trade a few years ago, Camille Little, dropped a career-high 28 points and 9 boards in her last game as both she and the Storm are hitting their late-season stride. They'll be a Tough Out in the West as well, even if they draw Minnesota, with the way they've played as of late.Go Dream!~lw3

Edited September 11, 2012 by lethalweapon3

[Gray Mule]

Another night, another victory!Seems that every one of the Atlanta players wanted to lead the teamin steals in this game. My gosh, if the men from Atlanta could dothis, that would really be something.I've said before, the WNBA game is quicker than their big brothers.There's no standing around, ISO, to be seen. The pace is faster. I know somemen athletes worked out with the Dream. They were ask what they learned.Suprise! These players are a lot bigger and faster than I thought they were.Yet, when I mention this, I get a horse laugh. (Get the pun? Gray Mule getsa horse laugh) This is not your grandmothers basketball they are playing.There is none as blind as those that refuse to see. I don't like the WNBA andyou can't make me. I hate it. I refuse to watch. After all, they're girls and youknow how much 10 year old boys hate girls.Oh well. It's your loss.GO DREAM!!!

[lethalweapon3]

Correction on the playoff clinching I mentioned above. It's Chicago, not New York, who is the deciding factor.The Sky could have helped seal the deal for Atlanta last night by doing what everyone else in the league does and lose last night to WNBA champ Minnesota... but they didn't cooperate! Epiphanny Prince appears to be finally healthy and is not going down easy. The Sky is vying for its first ever playoff appearance.Both Atlanta and Chicago will hit the road for their next three games, so the postseason should be a formality if all that's needed is a Sky loss or a Dream win. Taking out the Mystics again on Saturday ought to wrap it up for Atlanta, but if they don't and the Sky somehow continues surprising teams on the road, the September 20 game in Chicago should be a doozy.~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

The Dream clinched their playoff spot last night with Chicago's loss in L.A. They'll draw either Indy or Connecticut in Round 1, and the Game 2 home game at the Highlight Factory will be either on September 29th (Saturday) or 30th (Sunday).Atlanta's 2-3 against the Fever and 1-2 against the Sun, with all the wins coming at home, including back-to-back victories over each this month after Angelgate died down. Connecticut would be the preferable first round draw, especially if super center Tina Charles (resting hip, groin) and forward Ashja Jones (Achilles) come back rusty. Indiana will want revenge after getting bounced in the Conference Finals last year, this time armed with a healthier reigning MVP in Tamika Catchings (played with a torn plantar fascia in the final Game 3). Indy is also a deadeye squad for threes (leading the league in accuracy), an area where the Dream still ranks last, and their guards play tougher defensively than Connecticut's. They won't want to get in a free throw shooting contest with either of them, as they're the only WNBA teams nailing 80% of their freebies.Expect to see a lot of starters (and Angel McCoughtry, lol) rested over their last three games, starting tonight at Washington (not aired locally as best as I can tell).Go Dream!~lw3