2014 Atlanta Dream and WNBA Previews

[lethalweapon3]

Dream Preview

Rise and shine! Summertime, and the WNBA season, are right around the corner! The defending Eastern Conference champion Atlanta Dream spent the offseason doing some major re-tooling. But in a weaker Eastern Conference, the forecasts for an impressive regular season record (20-plus wins, anyone?), a division title, a return to the WNBA Finals, and a competitive effort if they get there, are all looking pretty darn good on paper.

After losing forward Sancho Lyttle just as she was coming into her own as an All-Star caliber player, the Dream collapsed in the second-half to the 2013 season, negating a torrid 12-1 start to finish just 17-17. Making their seemingly annual crawl into the postseason, Atlanta scrambled to return to the WNBA Finals for the third time in four seasons, only to get dusted once again, for the second time at the hands of the three-time champion Minnesota Lynx.

On the heels of their latest Finals ouster, Atlanta made major moves in the front-office, on the sidelines, and on the court. Yet, this is far from a tear-down rebuilding effort. Rather, the Dream appears to have enhanced a cohesive core that, when they play with focus and stay healthy, can be hard to stop.

Not long after the Finals, Coach Fred Williams stepped aside, planning to quietly settle into a (capital-D) Dream consultant gig. But a new head coaching job leading some of the best young up-and-coming talents in the league was simply too good for Williams to pass up, so he moved on to Tulsa. For the first time in franchise history, Atlanta’s player personnel/general manager position was split away from the coaching job, and Angela Taylor swooped in. Taylor has considerable experience in leaguewide scouting, and served as GM during the Washington Mystics’ peak season in 2009.

Demonstrating the seriousness with which Atlanta intends to elevate above perennial-bridesmaid status, the Dream owners’ first big get was Los Angeles Lakers legend Michael Cooper. The 2000 WNBA Coach of the Year carries two WNBA championship rings from his seasons coaching the Sparks, to go along with his five NBA rings from his Showtime years in the 1980s. Bridging two separate stints with the Sparks, Coop brought Lisa Leslie into prominence and helped kickstart Candace Parker’s pro career as Leslie moved into retirement. Over the course of both coaching tenures in L.A., Cooper’s teams reached the conference finals in six of eight seasons.

An eight-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection and former NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Coop won’t have a hard time stressing defensive intensity on one of the league’s best shutdown squads (95.7 opponent points per 100 possessions, best in 2013), although his style will be markedly different from what Williams and Marynell Meadors preached in seasons past. While Cooper says he aims to push Atlanta’s breakneck pace (league-leading 93.9 possessions per-40) even more, he will seek to greatly improve Atlanta’s halfcourt execution to boost the nightly offensive output.

Cooper added some pure Georgia flavor to his staff by bringing in another legend, four-time Olympic gold medalist and Naismith Hall of Famer Teresa Edwards, as an assistant coach. Edwards has some WNBA coaching experience, as she was left holding Nolan Richardson’s bag with a shell-shocked Tulsa team in 2011. Her fellow assistant Karleen Thompson, who played with Leslie at USC, was the final head coach and GM for the Houston Comets before the league’s signature franchise folded in 2008, and took over for Cooper when he left the Sparks for the NBA’s Denver Nuggets in 2004.

Altogether, there is a lot of heft and experience for Atlanta’s players to draw from, particularly for all-everything Angel McCoughtry, who ranks third all-time in WNBA per-game scoring and steals. It will be interesting to see how the notoriously moody McCoughtry will meld with the new staff as they revise Atlanta’s style of play and go through their growing pains together. Will the franchise player be patient, soaking up as much as she can to improve her already All-WNBA caliber game and lead on the floor? Or, when the going gets tough, will alter-ego “Lori Ann” emerge, overconfident that she knows more than her coaches do about what it takes to win it all in the “modern” WNBA era?

Thanks to a pair of shrewd moves from Taylor, Atlanta just might have the two non-Team-USA players with the best performances from the 2012 Olympic Games. The Dream re-signed Erika DeSouza, the All-Defensive second-teamer (should have been All-WNBA Third Team) who shattered many of her own team records in 2013 and, now at age 32, has shown no real signs of slowing down. With Chicago’s Sylvia Fowles out of action for at least the start of the year, DeSouza should have an inside track for Defensive Player of the Year honors, with McCoughtry and Lyttle also in the running.

DeSouza played her rookie year under Cooper in L.A., way back in 2002. In case the passionate post player does decelerate a little bit, she’s brought along 25-year-old Nadia Gomes Colhado from Brazil. The 6-foot-4 rebounder stands a decent chance of making the team if Cooper goes, as planned, with the 12-player maximum roster allowed under the new WNBA Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The other Olympian standout was French star point guard Celine Dumerc, who carried Les Bleus on her back to the silver medal at the London Games. Dumerc will reach 32 years of age this summer, but remains arguably the most accomplished lead guard in international hoops. She is a remarkable left-handed shooter, has ideal court vision and remains a heady defensive player. While she can be quite candid with her comments, Dumerc is expected to bring a serious professional attitude to the court, and may be just the X-Factor Atlanta needs to contend with the Lindsay Whalens of the world at the point.

Dumerc will arrive late to the roster, after the French League championships are completed later this month. When she arrives, she will probably serve as an apt mentor for Jasmine Thomas. Thomas’ 2013 season was not significantly improved from her final year with the Mystics, before the Dream acquired her. Jasz struggled mightily as a shooter all season, and averaged just 2.0 assists (and 2.5 turnovers) per game in the playoffs as a starter. Cooper is a strong player-development proponent and isn’t likely to give up on Thomas so easily, hoping a season of tutelage ahead or behind Dumerc might do the trick. However, Cooper is also enamored with a purer point guard, free agent Samantha Prahalis, possibly making Thomas a waiver casualty before opening day.

Alex Bentley made the WNBA All-Rookie Team largely on the strength of her first-half of 2013, where she broke the WNBA record with 10 consecutive three-pointers made, and an uncanny string of shots made at the end-of-quarter buzzers. She was moved to Connecticut, in a three-team deal that brought swing player Matee Ajavon to Atlanta. (Trivia: Matee’s boyfriend at Rutgers was running back Ray Rice. Breaking up may have been a smart move).

As the Mystics’ GM, Taylor selected Ajavon in the 2009 dispersal draft after the Comets folded. As a reserve, she averaged 18 points in the top-seeded Mystics’ 2010 playoffs, where Washington fell to Atlanta in both opening-round games. Starting at shooting guard in 2013, she struggled with her shot in Washington’s 2-1 playoff loss to Atlanta, but did contribute five assists in the concluding game of the series. Matee brings decent on-ball defense to the table. Her shot range isn’t ideal, but on the wing, she can draw attention on drives and dish the ball out to more capable shooters.

Speaking of which, you may not find a more capable perimeter gunner coming out of college than Shoni Schimmel. Taylor nabbed the Louisville All-American with the 8^th pick in last month’s draft, and Cooper absolutely cannot stop raving about her. Atlanta’s three-point shooting has been downright atrocious for many seasons (just 27.5 3FG% in 2013, last in the league by a mile), and Schimmel could serve as an elixir for the Dream’s woes. She sunk 3.1 triples per game for the Cardinals as a senior. 2013 third-round pick Inga Orekhova has an outside shot at making the roster, but the USF guard must wow people in training camp with her shooting stroke.

If you don't know already, Shoni’s kind of a big deal, and rightfully so. Honing her game on an Indian reservation in Oregon, her path to D-I basketball was chronicled by “30 for 30” filmmaker Jonathan Hock in a documentary called “Off the Rez”. Felling mighty Baylor in the 2013 Elite Eight on a wild and-1, over-the-shoulder layup past the outstretched arm of giant Brittney Griner, before screaming upwards into Griner’s Adam’s apple, the tales of her tenacious exploits are many.

Schimmel bedeviled Baylor in a different way last month, taking the women’s Three-Point Shooting Contest championship and then topping that by besting the men’s champion, Baylor’s Brady Heslip, in a head-to-head for the overall title. It doesn’t hurt chemistry at all that Schimmel arrives from the same collegiate program that put McCoughtry on the path to stardom.

If there’s any doubt she can draw a crowd by herself, this year’s WNBA Draft was the most watched in history, surpassing the “3 To See” Draft of 2013. Atlanta’s road games against the Seattle Storm (in August) and Tulsa Shock (in July), reportedly, are already sold out, as was Schimmel’s #23 WNBA jersey online, out of stock in just seven days, according to Shoni’s sister. NDN Sports reports the Dream’s social media accounts suddenly added thousands of new “friends” in the week following Schimmel’s selection.

Cooper and Taylor’s commitment to player development will be exemplified, and roundly critiqued, on the quality of Schimmel’s on-floor growth. Cooper has already praised her passing abilities hyperbolically (“We see her like Magic Johnson”), and her eagerness to learn on the fly. He will be challenged to find the right balance of floor time and shot usage for his prized rookie. Schimmel will need to upgrade her conditioning, in anticipation of the rigors of her future role as a WNBA starter.

Atlanta will be missing the defensive spark brought by guard Armintie Herrington. Herrington sure could hurry, the 29-year-old remaining one of the speediest players in the game. She signed on with the Sparks to join her former assistant coach, Carol Ross, and former backcourt mate Lindsey Harding. Atlanta will take a considerable step back defending point guard drives and perimeter shots in Herrington’s absence, although Ajavon will help compensate a bit. To minimize the impact, expect a lot more time at the two-guard spot for the Human Floor Burn, Tiffany Hayes. Tip, who spent her offseason playing in Brazil alongside DeSouza and Colhado, was the only true perimeter threat Atlanta gad during the playoffs, where she finished second behing Angel in scoring.

Lyttle’s return is the most impactful for Atlanta’s title-contention hopes. Lyttle significantly cut back on her long-range shooting last season and it paid great dividends amid much of Atlanta’s 12-1 run. Through six WNBA games, interrupted by a stint winning the Eurobasket title for Spain and joining Dumerc on the all-tournament team, Lyttle was on pace for a career-high in scoring, rebounding and blocks while shooting a five-year-high field goal percentage before going down for the year.

If Sancho picks up where she left off, she will make Atlanta as formidable as any WNBA team from the 3-through-5 spots. And she seems quite healthy. For her Eurobasket performance, Lyttle was named the 2013 FIBA Europe Women’s Player of the Year. Just in the past month, her Galatasaray team defeated McCoughtry’s vaunted Fenerbahce squad to win both the Turkish league title (ending Fener’s 8-year streak) and the Euroleague Women’s championship (stopping Fener’s 18-game winning streak).

Filling in for Lyttle and DeSouza, Aneika Henry made great strides in the latter half of 2013, and may be one of the league’s strongest frontcourt reserves coming into 2014. After a trade with Chicago, Atlanta has bolstered their depth by acquiring the Sky's starting power forward from last season, Swin Cash. A longtime veteran and three-time WNBA championship team member, Cash will instantly provide leadership on and off the floor, and flexibility for Cooper's frontcourt rotations.The always-cosmetic LeCoe Willingham returns at least for training camp, but is likely competing for Spot #12 with Rookie Cassie Harberts (who played for Cooper at USC) will have a hard time earning a spot now that Cash is on board. and longtime veteran Ruth Riley, who snapped Cooper’s string of Sparks championships when she earned the MVP award for the Detroit Shock in the 2003 Finals.

Although perhaps a bit spoiled by three Finals appearances in four years of this franchise’s short history, Atlanta Dream fans have tired of half-baked seasons with uncompetitive endings. There will be fits and starts while the new coaches and players gel and establish a new chemistry around their playoff-hardened core. The Dream must find ways to be more competitive on the road than they were last year (4-13, tied for next to last in the league; no road wins from June 25 until September 6). They also must improve their efficiency at the free throw line (74.1 FT%, also next to last). Still, this is likely to be Atlanta’s most entertaining run toward the WNBA championship yet.

Go Dream!

~lw3

Edited May 12, 2014 by lethalweapon3

[lethalweapon3]

WNBA Preview

Even with a new GM/Coach combo, the defending Eastern Conference champs are the most stable team in the East. For different reasons, each of their conference rivals have a significant readjustment or learning curve ahead of them. Barring injuries, another strong start by Atlanta might have them finally looking down at the rest of the East by the time September rolls around.

The biggest bombshell in the league dropped on draft night, when 2012 MVP center Tina Charles was traded to her hometown of New York City. Hard feelings were openly expressed by the Connecticut Sun, as Charles advised them she intended to sit-out the season if she was not traded, specifically to the New York Liberty. The Sun staff could only reveal Charles’ strong-arming tactic after the trade was final, but they got a pretty good haul with WNBA All-Rookie Kelsey Bone and 4^th-overall pick Alyssa Thomas.

Anne Donovan will at least have a team in Connecticut loaded with eager players, including #1-overall Chiney Ogwumike, whose hearts are in the right place. That includes their legendary former star Katie Douglas, who surprisingly bailed from Indiana to return to Uncasville on a free agent deal. Douglas offers veteran stability as long as she can return at close to 100 percent healthy.

Over in Gotham, Charles’ trade has set up the most tantalizing rivalry east of the Mississippi. Charles joins her longtime friend Cappie Pondexter, the 31-year-old scorer who was forced to do too much at point guard last season under taskmaster Bill Laimbeer. Charles could serve as a vital spark for Cappie, but questions remain among the Liberty’s reserves with an under-experienced backcourt and an aging frontcourt. Guard Essence Carson will be a big plus for the offense after having missed most of last year with an ACL injury. Talent-wise, the Libs are essentially a three-legged table. They will enjoy their return to Madison Square Garden, after a three-year absence allowing for arena renovations.

The Chicago Sky ran away with the regular-season conference title after Atlanta faltered in the second half of the year. But their chances at 2014 title contention have been leveled by a pair of missing frontcourt starters. Last year’s WNBA-leading rebounder and Defensive Player of the Year Sylvia Fowles will be out indefinitely after having hip surgery, and veteran power forward Swin Cash has been traded to Atlanta after a contract is at an impasse with the Sky, who hold her contract rights.

The reigning Rookie of the Year, Chicago’s Elena Delle Donne remains MVP-caliber but is not strong enough to hold her own in the post for long stretches. Pokey Chatman will likely lean on rookie Markeisha Gatling and a committee of bigs to hold things together in hopes Fowles can return eventually. The Sky could also use more depth in the backcourt, behind Epiphanny Prince and Courtney Vandersloot.

The Washington Mystics made multiple moves as Mike Thibault strategically modified a lineup that made great strides in 2013. Crystal Langhorne is off to Seattle, in exchange for bench depth in Tianna Hawkins and rookie Bria Hartley. Hartley will help the Styx minimize the impact of missing second-year player Tayler Hill, who’s out indefinitely for maternity leave. Without Langhorne, pressure will be onto forward Monique Currie to become a top-line scorer again.

As part of the three-way deal with Connecticut, veteran guard Kara Lawson comes to D.C. to play alongside the rejuvenated Ivory Latta. Look for rookie and white-girl-dance-off sensation Stefanie Dolson to make immediate impacts at the center spot.

The Indiana Fever had a good run toward the 2013 playoffs, but injuries and depth issues were just too much to overcome against Atlanta in the Conference Finals. The degree of difficulty for Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Lin Dunn in her final coaching season heightens, as former MVP Tamika Catchings becomes even less of a spring chicken, while Douglas has moved back to Connecticut, cementing Karima Christmas’ place in the starting lineup at the wing.

Fever guard Shavonte Zellous earned the Most Improved Player award in 2013, but to nail down a spot in the playoffs, Indiana will need steady offensive improvement from rebounder-extraordinaire Erlana Larkins.

As in the past couple of seasons, it should be another rockfight among the more-talented teams in the Western Conference. The Minnesota Lynx are in dynasty status now, and Cheryl Reeve’s band of future Hall of Famers made an indelible statement with their run to a third-consecutive championship last season: if anyone wants the WNBA title, they’ll have to take it away from us.

The main chink in the Lynx’s armor is sixth-woman Monica Wright’s recent knee surgery, one of several reserves dealing with injuries. Even so, it will take a monumental effort from the other Western contenders to seize the top spot from Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen and company. Only the Houston Comets (1997-2000) held the WNBA’s top hardware four seasons in a row, and the Lynx intend to match that this year.

Atlanta Dream West? Former Dream assistant Carol Ross is under pressure to at least guide the Los Angeles Sparks to the Conference Finals after falling short last year. She went out and grabbed Armintie Herrington, the savvy speed demon who will help Candace Parker and Nneka Ogwumike dominate the rebounding while pushing a higher pace of play alongside former Dream point guard Lindsey Harding.

Another free agent prize for L.A., Candice Wiggins adds even more versatility to the backcourt. Enhancing production out of the small forward spot will be key for the Sparks to keep up with Minnesota.

Otherwise, the Sparks will likely be neck-and-neck with the Phoenix Mercury, who expects Brittney Griner to improve by leaps and bounds from her rookie season. Erin Phillips arrives from Indiana via trade, and has the inside track at point guard after missing much of last season with knee injuries.

Former WNBA All-Star and new coach Sandy Brondello seems like a great fit, having just coached top-gunner Diana Taurasi in Russia and having played on the Australian Opals national team with Penny Taylor, whose knee injury also caused her to miss the second half of 2013, and Phillips. Frontcourt options behind Griner and Candice Dupree should be improved with the additions of Mistie Bass and Ewelina Kobryn.

Last year’s most surprising team, the Seattle Storm, sent WNBA legend Tina Thompson happily into retirement, and they’ve got another legend back in Sue Bird. The acquisition of Crystal Langhorne brings much needed rebounding and veteran experience to Brian Agler’s group.

With Bird back to share the backcourt with defensive star Tanisha Wright and Temeka Johnson, there’s enough depth now to contend for a playoff spot, even as 3-time MVP Lauren Jackson misses another season after offseason knee and heel surgeries.

The only other WNBA player to raw-deal her team worse than Tina Charles was the wishy-washy Liz Cambage, who waited until after the draft to inform the Tulsa Shock she won’t be joining them after an offseason in China, saving her energy for her Aussies in this fall’s FIBA world championships. Cambage has never been committed to her obligations with Tulsa, handicapping the team’s development for a couple of seasons.

Fred Williams will soldier on behind do-it-all forward Glory Johnson and a dynamic group of guards, led by Skylar Diggins and rookie sensation Odyssey Sims and backed by all-time-in-game-scorer Riquna Williams and Angel Goodrich. The Shock will continue to struggle defensively, but will be no less entertaining without Cambage around.

The “Silver” is gone from the San Antonio Stars, but competitiveness won’t be tarnished, thanks to the return of their top scoring threats, guard Becky Hammon and forward Sophia Young-Malcolm. The latter’s publicized social views hasn’t appeared to hamper cohesiveness upon her return to Dan Hughes’ squad. A mid-season shakeup among Hammon and Danielle Robinson might be in the offing to bring rookie Kayla McBride into the starting lineup.

Season Predictions

Eastern Conference

1. ATLANTA DREAM (22-12?)

2. Washington Mystics

3. New York Liberty

4. Chicago Sky

5. Indiana Fever

6. Connecticut Sun

Western Conference

1. Minnesota Lynx

2. Los Angeles Sparks

3. Phoenix Mercury

4. Seattle Storm

5. Tulsa Shock

6. San Antonio Silver Stars

Conference Semifinals – ATLANTA over Chicago (2-0); Washington over New York (2-1); Minnesota over Seattle (2-0); Los Angeles over Phoenix (2-1)

Conference Finals – ATLANTA over Washington (2-1); Minnesota over Phoenix (2-0)

WNBA Finals – Minnesota over ATLANTA (3-1)

MVP – Maya Moore, Minnesota

Rookie of the Year – Chiney Ogwumike, Connecticut

Most Improved Player – Emma Meesseman, Washington

Sixth Woman of the Year – Temeka Johnson, Seattle

Defensive Player of the Year – Erika DeSouza, ATLANTA

Peak Performers – Maya Moore, Minnesota (Scoring); Glory Johnson, Tulsa (Rebounding); Lindsay Whalen, Minnesota (Assists); Brittney Griner, Phoenix (Blocks); ANGEL MCCOUGHTRY, ATLANTA (Steals)

Coach of the Year – Michael Cooper, ATLANTA

~lw3

Edited May 12, 2014 by lethalweapon3

[Randy]

Wow - great write ups. I think your West calls are spot on. The East is a mystery for sure. If Pondexter recovers her shot, NY could be right up there fighting for the top spot. As always, injuries will be the biggest single factor in deciding things, but the Dream proved last year they could have a good season even with Sancho only playing a handful of games. With better depth we could survive a big injury hit for anyone except Angel. The Sky will be w.o. Fowles to start the year and with her injury history, I think it may be a long season for them. Indy looks weaker, for sure, but retains most of the key elements from last year. I can't figure out if DC is better or worse, but Mike T is a great coach so you can't count them out. The Sun have lots of young talent - can they put it all together?

I'm hoping this is the year Hayes puts it all together and wins MIP. Competition will be stiff with Bone getting a lot more playing time in CT, and based on just two pre-season games, Diggins is looking a whole lot better at finding the basket so could be a threat for MIP as well. Of course, Courtney Clements looked great in the pre-season last year, and couldn't translate that to the regular season.

I was bummed when Alex was traded, but am thrilled we got Shoni. Cooper sounds like he's ready to roll with her. Let Sho-time begin!!

I'll report back later on the Dream v. Australia game today.

[lethalweapon3]

I was just about to add in the WNBA previews yesterday, "wouldn't it be neat if the Dream could swing a deal for Swin?"

Now I'm gonna go see what we gave up to get her!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

That's it?

http://lovewomensbasketball.com/2014/05/07/chicago-sky-trades-swin-cash-to-atlanta-dream-for-courtney-clements/

Chicago Sky has traded forward Swin Cash to Atlanta Dream for Courtney Clements. Sky also sends their next year’s third round pick, receiving Atlanta’s second rounder.

Smooth move, Madame Taylor!

~lw3

[Randy]

We gave up Courtney Clements, star of the 2013 pre-season and swap our next 2nd for their 3rd. Not much unless Courtney suddenly recovers he touch which was never present after last years pre-season. Big question is what does that do to the salary cap situation and how long is her deal? One year would be just fine, two maybe ok, 3????.

[Randy]

We may now only be going with 11 not 12 players depending on the cap. Could be great for Courtney - Pokey may not want to admit she made a lousy deal - so Courtney keeps her job, which was not at all a certainty with the Dream.

Edited May 7, 2014 by Randy

[lethalweapon3]

We gave up Courtney Clements, star of the 2013 pre-season and swap our next 2nd for their 3rd. Not much unless Courtney suddenly recovers he touch which was never present after last years pre-season. Big question is what does that do to the salary cap situation and how long is her deal? One year would be just fine, two maybe ok, 3????.

I hope it's two. I know Swin wanted three badly (enough to hold out up in Chicago), and she keeps herself in great shape, but three is juuuuust past her sell-by date.

~lw3

[Randy]

Back from the Australia scrimmage. Pretty interesting. Cooper is going to have a hard time deciding who to keep. No one really stood out and no one played badly. Shoni and Sammy alternated at PG. Shoni didn't look to shoot much, but showed herself to be a good passer - better than I expected, setting up a number of baskets. There were some great fast break passes to Erika for a basket first by Sammy then by Shoni. As might be expected, Erika was pretty much the star of the game, being the only full time starter (and two time all star) to play tonight.

The 2 players who figured to be the first to go - Player and Thompson looked pretty good, and you could tell they had several years of pro ball to give them a bit more confidence. I was probably least impressed with Orechova and Colhado, though both may fill certain holes in the roster. Inga has a really fast release on her shot, and made 3 3 pointers, I think, but didn't do well trying to go to the basket. Any of these players might have made the Dream or at least some WNBA team in a prior year.

Cash was at the game, but didn't dress. She was introduced to the crowd and received a warm welcome and seemed genuinely happy to be here. So bottom line - frontcourt depth was our biggest weakness and that's been solved. I think at this point, it makes it really tough for the front court rookies to get a job here. So I'd guess Harberts, Orechova and Thompson don't make it.

Biggest mystery of the night - why was Henry working out on the sideline rather than playing? She did dress. (Ajavon didn't dress because she is just back from overseas.)

Edited May 8, 2014 by Randy

[lethalweapon3]

Dream Schedule

The WNBA schedule terminates one month early this season, accommodating the FIBA Women’s World Championship that kicks off in Turkey in late September. That means the 34-game schedule will be crammed with fewer days off in between games, and teams without depth at key positions will be feeling the wear and tear as the season wears on.

The Dream will be feeling the effects of the compressed timeframe from the outset, as they kick off the season with the first two of four back-to-back affairs. Their Friday, May 16 home opener against the Stars will be followed by a trip to Indiana for a game on Saturday. After a full week off, they’ll face Chicago for a Saturday night game in the Windy City, and then meet up again with Indiana back at the Highlight Factory on a Sunday evening.

There are only two 3-game homestands in the Dream’s 17-game home schedule. June 3 through 13 starts with a nationally-televised game (ESPN2) against Candace Parker and L.A., and concludes with a visit from Maya Moore and defending champ Minnesota. The second homestand from July 1 through July 8 bookends the only other two nationally-televised games, versus the Fever and the Sun.

Mid-June through July 1, Atlanta’s schedule will feature three home-and-home matchups with Eastern Conference opponents: the Mystics, Liberty, and Fever. Their two significant road trips include a wild three-game tour June 22 through 29 (to New York, to San Antonio, to Indiana) and an even zanier swing through Phoenix, Seattle, L.A., and Chicago in the space of six days (August 5 through 10).

The Dream plan on taking a few opponents to school, literally, when they play three home games at Georgia Tech’s McCamish Pavilion (“The Thrillerdome”). All three contests are in July, two against Chicago and the nationally-televised game against Connecticut.

Atlanta will want to start particularly strong against their Eastern opponents, because by the time August rolls around, there will only be three in-conference games left to play.

13 home games will be televised on SportSouth or FoxSports South, the great Bob Rathbun making the calls alongside the superb LaChina Robinson.

**All Times Eastern**

**All Home Games at Philips Arena, unless noted in brackets**

PRESEASON (1 Game)

Sunday, May 11 – vs. New York, 3pm

REGULAR SEASON (34 Games)

Friday, May 16 – vs. San Antonio, 7:30 pm (SportSouth)

Saturday, May 17 – @ Indiana, 7:00 pm (Fox Sports South, Fox Sports Indiana)

Saturday, May 24 – @ Chicago, 8:00 pm (No Local TV, “The U Too” Network in Chicago)

Sunday, May 25 – vs. Indiana, 6:00 pm (SportSouth)

Friday, May 30 – vs. Seattle, 7:30 pm (SportSouth)

Sunday, June 1 – @ Connecticut, 3:00 pm (No Local TV)

Tuesday, June 3 – vs. Los Angeles, 7:00 pm (ESPN2)

Saturday, June 7 – vs. Chicago, 7:00 pm (SportSouth, “The U Too” Network in Chicago)

Friday, June 13 – vs. Minnesota, 7:30 pm (SportSouth, FoxSports North Plus in Minnesota)

Sunday, June 15 – @ Washington, 4:00 pm (No Local TV, CSN Washington)

Wednesday, June 18 – vs. Washington, 12:00 pm (Fox Sports South)

Friday, June 20 – vs. New York, 7:30 pm (SportSouth)

Sunday, June 22 – @ New York, 3:00 pm (No Local TV, MSG Network)

Thursday, June 26 – @ San Antonio, 8:00 pm (No Local TV)

Sunday, June 29 – @ Indiana, 6:00 pm (No Local TV, “My WNDY-TV” in Indianapolis)

Tuesday, July 1 – vs. Indiana, 8:00 pm (ESPN2)

Saturday, July 5 – vs. Washington, 7:00 pm (SportSouth)

Tuesday, July 8 – vs. Connecticut [GEORGIA TECH], 7:00 pm (ESPN2)

Saturday, July 12 – @ Indiana, 7:00 pm (SportSouth, Fox Sports Indiana)

Sunday, July 13 – vs. Chicago [GEORGIA TECH], 6:00 pm (No Local TV, “The U Too” Network in Chicago)

Wednesday, July 16 – @ New York, 11:00 am (No Local TV, MSG Network)

[All-Star Break: All-Star Game in Phoenix, Arizona on Saturday, July 19]

Tuesday, July 22 – @ Minnesota, 8:00 pm (Fox Sports South, FoxSports North Plus in Minnesota)

Friday, July 25 – vs. Chicago [GEORGIA TECH], 7:30 pm (No Local TV, “The U Too” Network in Chicago)

Sunday, July 27 – @ Washington, 4:00 pm (No Local TV, CSN Washington)

Tuesday, July 29 – vs. Connecticut, 12:00 pm (SportSouth, CPTV)

Thursday, July 31 – @ Tulsa, 8:00 pm (No Local TV)

Sunday, August 3 – vs. New York, 3:00 pm (SportSouth)

Tuesday, August 5 – @ Phoenix, 10:00 pm (No Local TV)

Thursday, August 7 – @ Seattle, 10:00 pm (No Local TV, “LiveWell” Network in Seattle)

Friday, August 8 – @ Los Angeles, 10:30 pm (No Local TV, TimeWarnerCable SportsNet in L.A.)

Sunday, August 10 – @ Chicago, 6:00 pm (No Local TV, “The U Too” Network in Chicago)

Wednesday, August 13 – vs. Phoenix, 7:00 pm (Fox Sports South, Fox Sports Arizona Plus)

Friday, August 15 – vs. Tulsa, 7:30 pm (SportSouth)

Sunday, August 17 – @ Connecticut, 1:00 pm (No Local TV)

~lw3

Edited May 15, 2014 by lethalweapon3

[WraithSentinel]

I hope she make the team.

Inga Orekhova -

I

[lethalweapon3]

Celine's on her way soon, now that she's all done over in France.

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~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

I hope she make the team.

Inga Orekhova -

I

The Blonde Assassin has a shot now! Cassie Harberts and Sammy Prahalis were cut today, so by my count, to get to 12 players, Inga has to beat out Jhasmin Player and Amanda "The Waitress" Thompson for the final spot.

She played a lot of minutes yesterday and was hit-or-miss, but did try to do other things beside just hoisting threes. I'd say her chance of making the roster are about 55%.

~lw3

[Randy]

Player was cut too, so at this point we have 13 and probably will continue to carry 13 until Celine arrives. Cooper was talking up Inga in the Swish Appeal article along with Colhado and, of course, Shoni. Seems like a pretty straight arrow so I think she probably makes the team. There was a pretty awesome photo of Ingo on the Dream facebook page. I'll see if I can find and post it.

BTW - where the "the Waitress" nickname come from?

Edited May 13, 2014 by Randy

[Randy]

Inga at recent event.

[Randy]

Here's Shoni, Inga and Jasmine (I think.) . These gals clean up pretty nice, don't they?

Edited May 13, 2014 by Randy

[lethalweapon3]

It’s almost time to ball! The WNBA season tips off tonight at the Highlight Factory, with the Dream set to take on the San Antonio Stars (7:30 PM Eastern, SportSouth, NBATV). Bob Rathbun and LaChina Robinson will be on the 1's and 2's for those of us watching from home.

Stuff to watch for:

• After a rough 2013 season (12-22) beset by injuries to top scorers, the Stars are easy to overlook on paper. But coach Dan Hughes has fielded a starting lineup that, on offense, makes it hard for foes to leave any one player to go and provide help for another. The Dream will catch a break tonight with the loss of Becky Hammon (sprained ankle). But Jia Perkins and 2013 All-Star and WNBA assists leader Danielle Robinson (6.7 APG) came alive offensively as Hammon missed most of last season. Jayne Appel (4^th in rebounding, #1 in defensive rebounding percentage in 2013) is no slouch around the glass, either. Atlanta will have to play stellar man defense when the Star starters are on the floor.

• Keep an eye out particularly for Perkins, who finished 2013 third in the league in steals and ninth in three-point accuracy. A strong start from Jia may convince Hughes to bring Hammon in off the bench once the latter returns healthy. Third-year wing Shenise Johnson is hoping to make further strides despite struggling to find her range last season.

• It’ll be hard to sag off the reserves, either. Danielle Adams is always a threat to pop a long-distance shot, as is forward Shameka Christon. Both were in the WNBA top-ten for threes attempted in 2013. Known for her sharp mid-range game at Notre Dame, #3-overall pick Kayla McBride will be a solid head-to-head challenge for Atlanta’s rookie guard Shoni Schimmel.

• With Celine Dumerc not yet on the Dream team, Hughes will try to exploit the one obvious position on the floor where San Antonio holds a decided advantage – at point guard. Jasmine Thomas may or may not be in the clear after surviving preseason cuts. She must make plays against D-Rob while keeping turnovers to a minimum.

• While missing last season to injury, the Stars’ 2012 leading scorer Sophia Young-Malcolm’s stepped in it last season with some publicly-aired social views on marriage equality. Newly married herself, she has since played good-soldier for the sake of the team and tried to stay low-key while working her way back into form. Will she face boos tonight (and throughout the year on the road), or are there even enough fans paying attention to care one way or the other? Now at 30 years of age, does Young-Malcolm return in the mold of her team’s clear alpha-dog player, or will she be ceding that role to someone else?

• Just recently returned from Turkey, how rested, and how rusty, will Dream aces Angel McCoughtry and Sancho Lyttle be? Look to see if Atlanta plays mostly inside-out against San Antonio, working to perfect pick-and-rolls and low-post plays with center Erika DeSouza, who has already scrimmaged alongside pretty much everyone on the roster.

• San Antonio was a train wreck defensively by season’s end (league’s worst defense per 100 possessions, WNBA-high 45.5 opponent FG%), the team that ceded a WNBA-record 51 points to Riquna Williams. This is a good game to see whether Tiffany Hayes (2-for-6 on threes in preseason vs. New York) can become a consistent long-range threat in addition to a slasher from the wing. The Stars can play at a plodding pace, especially without Hammon around to cause havoc. Atlanta will have to push the tempo and force Appel and the Stars’ bigs to get back on defense. The Dream can easily beat opponents down the floor, but they have to get better at finishing in transition.

Go Dream!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

After pulling out a victory on Friday night, the Dream move on to Indiana for a matchup tonight with the Fever (7:00 PM, Fox Sports South, Fox Sports Indiana with the play-by-play). It’s a back-to-back as well for Indiana, who fell short in Chicago 74-71 last night.

Stuff to watch for:

• The Dream were just 4-13 in away games in 2013, but their initial statement of a team to be taken seriously was their first big road win against Indiana, spoiling the defending champs’ banner-raising night. The Fieldhouse was the site of Atlanta's last victory in 2013, the Eastern Conference Finals clincher. This year, Atlanta has to demonstrate they can win lots more games, more consistently, away from Atlanta.

• Indy got off to a strong 30-14 start in the season opener for coach Lin Dunn’s final campaign, but fizzled as the game wore on, shooting just 37.5% on the night. They played without All-Star Tamika Catchings (sore back), but Natasha Howard was spectacular in Catchings’ stead (16 points, 10 boards, 6 blocks, 3 steals). The Fever need someone much bigger than Shavonte Zellous (10 of Indiana’s 18 free throw attempts) to draw trips to the line. All indications are Catch will be back on the floor tonight, zeroing in on Angel McCoughtry.

• Guard Layshia Clarendon (concussion) also missed the Sky game. Dream guards struggled to contain Danielle Robinson (23 points on 8-for-9 shooting) last night and will be challenged to handle the Fever rotation of Briann January, Zellous, and Karima Christmas.

• Erika DeSouza was predictably monstrous in the season-opener against the Stars (23 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals in 33.5 minutes). On a back-to-back, look for some more floor time for Aneika Henry to spell DeSouza. Atlanta's bigs will need to keep Howard and Erlana Larkins (9 combined O-boards vs. Chicago) off the offensive glass to keep Indiana, 2013's worst shooting team (39.3 team FG%), at bay.

• Swin Cash was ineffective in 13 minutes off the bench last night, but she’ll be motivated to perform well tonight against Indiana, who was all but shut out against the Fever’s tight defense in the 2013 playoffs upset. Unlike last season with the Sky, Cash won’t have the attention of Fever starters on her in this game.

• How ‘bout that Shoni Schimmel? She amazed last night by tying a Dream record with 11 assists. She struggled defensively and with her shot at the start, but hit a big 3 in the fourth quarter and got the steal that led to some clutch free throws in the final minute of action. Louisville isn’t terribly far from Indianapolis, so don’t be surprised to see a lot of Shoni fans at the Fieldhouse.

Go Dream!

~lw3

Edited May 17, 2014 by lethalweapon3

[lethalweapon3]

Okay, that was fun! Go Angel! Go Dream! 2-0 weekend!

~lw3

[Randy]

Great previews lw3. I made it back from out of town just in time to make the Dream opener - and as luck would have it, we won the seat upgrade.

It was expected Bob and LaChina would talk up Shoni, but even Indy's announcers were impressed with Shoni. Yeah - she needs a little (ok more than a little) work on D, but, I'm thinking Debbie Antonelli has the right idea. The goal of basketball is to outscore your opponent, not for them to underscore you. LOL. BTW - Shoni's fans are showed up in Indy - they said there were a couple hundred that arrived before the game and were chanting SHONI-SHONI-SHONI....Supposedly the Dream games in Minny, Tulsa and Seattle are sold out already. Nothing like stealing a little of the opposing teams home court advantage. Wonder if she will have as many fans on the road as Pero.