2015 Atlanta Dream and WNBA Previews

[Randy]

If only the Dream were playing basketball as well as you are writing previews lw3!  Jasmine burns us again - 17 points, but then I guess a lot of their players did.  Looks like Cooper is now struggling to figure out what our rotation at PG is with Matee, Shoni and now Erica being subbed in an out.  The only good news from this game was that Erika's ankle seems to be ok.  

Edited June 14, 2015 by Randy

[Dnice]

I see LaChina got an extra job on the ESPN broadcast.

[Randy]

She's pretty busy  - does college games, Dream games and ESPN WNBA games.  She's a great talent.

 

More bad news for the Dream.  Henry and Hayes have been suspended for five games - no not domestic violence, but rather they have become (as is increasingly common for WNBA players) Citizens of Fortune.  They have been granted citizenship and joined the Azerbaijan National Team for a 3 on 3 tournament in Europe.  No word on who the 3rd player on the team will be, fortunately it does not appear to be another Dream player.  Perhaps Azerbaijan has at least one woman who can shot a basketball.  So Hayes and Henry will be gone till July 5.  Perhaps the Dream will be hosting a Azerbaijani Heritage Night to celebrate the occasion.      

Edited June 15, 2015 by Randy

[Gray Mule]

Three point shot is killing the Dream - - - Again.

 

Last season, I thought that one of their greatest weaknesses was the three.

They couldn't hit it and they couldn't defend it.  Seems nothing has changed.

 

I am discouraged.  Right now the Dream are not a very good team.  Bone made

things look easy inside and the three pointers buried us from the outside.

 

Both the Braves and the Dream had big leads Sunday and both lost.  Not a

great day to be an Atlanta fan.  I expected it of the Braves but not the Dream.

[Randy]

And it only gets worse without our best 3 point shooter for the next five games, and Henry to scoop up some of the misses from range.  Indy is pretty weak now, and has lots of injuries, but its sounds like Erika is questionable for the Tuesday game.  Maybe we will play 3 on 3.  Could solve a lot of problems.  Angle, Sancho and Shoni v. Zealous, January and Catchings.

[lethalweapon3]

Must be a camp day! The Atlanta Dream have two “Businessperson’s Specials” during their upcoming three-day homestand, beginning with a high-noon meeting with the Indiana Fever (12:00 PM Eastern, Fox Sports South in ATL, NBATV). If you’re at the game for an extended lunch break, bring earplugs if the sound of 1000s of squealing tykes isn’t your cup of tea.

 

Speaking of Kid’s Day, scoring on the Dream (2-3) looked like child’s play in the closing minutes of Sunday’s game at Connecticut, the Sun blazing to an 18-3 finish in the final six-and-a half minutes. Lead guards Matee Ajavon (1-for-4 FGs, 2 assists, 4 TOs), Shoni Schimmel (0-for-2 FGs, 3 TOs in 10 minutes) and Erica Wheeler (1-for-3 FGs, 4 assists, 3 TOs in 12 minutes) could not slow down ex-Dreamer Jasmine Thomas (17 points, 3-for-3 3FGs). Meanwhile, the trio of Angel McCoughtry, Tiffany Hayes, and Erika DeSouza could hardly buy a bucket (combined 1-for-9 fourth-quarter FGs) in the final frame. Fatigue from playing three games in less than four nights may have been a culprit.

 

Atlanta’s nine-point fourth quarter cannot be made up with perimeter shooting (3-for-13 3FGs) in the clutch. Unlike the Sun, who benefitted from Thomas and Shekinna Stricklen (7-for-9 3FGs, 5-for-6 in the fourth-quarter) getting hot at the same time.

 

The good news is that Hayes’ early-season struggles with her shooting (30.2 FG%) won’t continue today. The bad news is the reason why. In a continued display of black-box transparency, the Dream announced that they’ll be without two players, Hayes and Aneika Henry, for the next five games as the pair participates in the 2015 European Games.

 

That sounds really important until one discovers this is essentially a 3-on-3 basketball tourney in Baku, Hayes and Henry agreeing to play on behalf of the host nation after gaining citizenship. Seriously, nobody can find enough Azerbaijanis to field a decent 3-woman hoops team? It’s already an uphill climb for the WNBA to sell season-tickets, and the league and its players are greasing their own skids with persistently unannounced and poorly planned in-season defections.

 

Eroding consumer confidence in the consistency and quality of the product on the floor is a pervasive problem throughout the WNBA, made worse by a lack of openness with the public until the last-possible minute. Sudden injuries and illnesses are understandable to ticketholders. Funball tournaments in Azerbaijan are decidedly not. Whether it’s player personnel management or a website “refresh,” an American professional league with an eight-month layoff must be better prepared than this.

 

Expect to see a lot more of Roneeka Hodges, and both Wheeler and Matee Ajavon sliding to the 2-spot, in Hayes’ absence. As expected, there remains no news about the status of Samantha Logic’s recuperation from injury. To compensate for Henry, Coach Cooper will play more of Nadia Colhado while also wiping some dust off of Delisha Milton-Jones. Atlanta is fortunate to have had the last-second decision by Sancho Lyttle (4-for-6 FGs, 6 offensive rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals @CON) to stick around, and should reward her by getting her more looks in the offense.

 

Indiana (1-4) have given their fans multiple looks so far. A balanced effort with five double-digit scorers in a loss at New York last Tuesday, followed by a home win over Phoenix on Friday, where Tamika Catchings (27 points, 13 rebounds) carried the team. Catch wasn’t suited up for Sunday’s blowout home loss to Elena Delle Donne and Chicago, because she was suspended for bumping a ref during the win over the Mercury. She’ll be back and eager to put the team on her back once again. But the Fever arrive in Atlanta shorthanded and hobbled.

 

Starting center Erlana Larkins has missed several games due to nagging knee soreness. Reserve forward Natasha Howard remains sidelined after she broke a finger by falling off a truck during the Indy Pride parade. Rookie center Natalie Achonwa is playing through a calf strain. After Croatia failed to complete her naturalization papers, two-guard Shavonte Zellous made a surprising about-face and decided to return home from Euroleague play, but is trying to shake off fatigue.

 

The Dream bigs should be able to outrun the Fever today, but must finish layups and floaters at the rim. Atlanta will have a leg up on Indiana if the frontcourt stars can keep Catchings, Achonwa, and forwards Shenise Johnson and Marissa Coleman off the offensive glass while beating them down the floor for scores. After committing another 24 player turnovers on Sunday, the Dream must find players who can keep the ball away from All-Star Briann January, Catchings, Zellous and Coleman, each of whom average at least one steal per game.

 

Let’s Go Dream!

 

~lw3

[Gray Mule]

The Dream proved it again today.  They are not a very good team this season.

 

Today, they played very poor defense.

 

Today, they shot very poorly.

 

Today, they had too many turn overs.

 

Other than that, they were great!

 

Who can we blame for this?  Isn't this almost the same team as last year?  Same coach?

There is a big difference in the three point shooting of the Dream and any and all opponents.

 

Dream made a great come back, which fell short.  Where was all this great play and energy

when they were getting buried in the second and third quarters?

 

So many questions.  So few answers.

 

Dream missing two players who have left to play somewhere else, as happens in the WNBA.

This isn't the starters.  Can't put all this blame on them not being here.

 

Pathetic!

[Randy]

lw3 - sometimes I think you deserve a team worthy of your efforts to write about.  Getting blown out by Indiana without Larkins, Howard, and Zealous, even with the newly crowned Princesses of Azerbaijan in front of thousands of kids is totally embarrassing.  Probably most the kids are too young to know the difference between winning and losing, but if the teachers or drivers cared about winning and losing they will probably have to offer them free beer to come back to next year's kids day.  

 

As for the team, this is pretty much the same team we saw the last half of 2014 which played like a lottery team.  Had it not been for a really hot start (10-1? or something close - helped along by lots of home games and games against wounded teams) they would have ended up in the lottery.  Whatever the problem is - I don't know, but I think  the team has lost its way.  If semi hapless Indiana can make us look this bad, I hate to think what Chicago will do. 

[Randy]

After checking, if I counted right the Dream were 17-4 through the July 13 last year and went 2-11 after that.  

[Randy]

The reinforcements have arrived.  Cierra Burdick and Syney Carter signed.  Don't know if either will stick, but the way the team, and especially the guard corps is playing it seems possible.  The front court bench players haven't been awesome either, so who knows.  

 

 

http://dream.wnba.com/news/dream-signs-burdick-and-carter/

[lethalweapon3]

After getting run out of their own gym by a heady Indiana Fever squad, who do the Atlanta Dream face next?

 

Oh, the team that ran the Fever out of Indiana's gym (albeit without Fever star Tamika Catchings) just days before.

 

Elena Delle Donne and the Chicago Sky (7:30 PM Eastern, SportSouth in ATL, TheUToo in CHI) return to the site of the most momentous in-game turnaround in their franchise history, coming back from 18 points down midway through the final quarter of the decisive Conference Semifinals Game 3 last August to win, and advance, thanks to a clutch EDD bucket in the closing seconds. The win propelled them to their first-ever WNBA Finals appearance last season.

 

While the Sky is just 2-2 so far on the year, Delle Donne continues getting it done. She blows away the WNBA field in scoring with 30.5 PPG; Angel McCoughtry of the Dream is second in the league, but way back at 19.7 PPG. Thanks to Delle Donne, the Sky has been blazing with the top scoring offense in the WNBA (87.8 team PPG). They're the only team nailing over 45% of their field goals, and have made 86% of their free throws.

 

Sky GM/coach Pokey Chatman has even more offense coming in. Reigning Sixth Woman of the Year Allie Quigley returns early from her Eurobasket stint with Hungary. Plus, the team added 26-year-old rookie wing and former high school sensation Jacki Gemelos. She'll soon get her first regular-season action after fighting through five ACL tears over the course of her playing career, including several seasons under current Dream coach Michael Cooper at USC. Chicago's additions will offset the loss of first-ever Dream draftee Tamera Young to a thumb injury.

 

While McCoughtry (league-high 3.5 TOs/game, just ahead of Shoni Schimmel's 3.0 per game) has a lot of leeway with turnovers, Delle Donne, blessed with a steady point guard in Courtney Vandersloot (1.25 TOs/game), has personally turned over the ball just four times in four games.

 

Young's absence is forcing Delle Donne to play more often at the small forward spot, and McCoughtry needs to exploit that matchup by taking her off the dribble and having a plan when the help comes for Chicago. Delle Donne leads the WNBA East in shotblocking (2.25 BPG), but she'll have little effect if she's swiping at the ball from Angel's backside.

 

Nearly ten months have elapsed, but that heartbreaking defeat does not appear to be a blow that McCoughtry's Dream squad (2-4) has recovered from. Having lost the ability to dictate the pace and flow of the game, Atlanta is caught scrambling for second-chance halfcourt points and winds up virtually absent on opponent runouts. The once-formidable Dream frontline has been unable to close out around the perimeter to help mask their backcourt mates' mistakes, particularly defending off picks.

 

In response to the sudden absences of Tiffany Hayes and Aneika Henry, and perhaps to address the early groans from the Dream faithful, Atlanta added two players at least temporarily. Cierra Burdick will fill the gap at forward. The former Lady Vol was a second-round pick by Los Angeles but didn't make the final cuts. While Burdick helps with the rebounding, Sydney Carter will provide reinforcement at the guard spots. Carter showed out in an early game last year in Atlanta, contributing a career-high 14 points for the Fever.

 

Although Chicago is scoring at a crazy clip, they're not totally holding the fort at the other end, giving up 78.0 PPG (2nd most in WNBA). To be fair, much of that is due to a small sample size (101-93 loss at red-hot Tulsa two weeks ago; no other opponents have scored more than 72). But Delle Donne, Vandersloot, and Quigley are not the strongest on-ball defenders, and if Atlanta can find anyone that can get a groove from the perimeter (Sky opponents 6.3 3FGs per game, 3rd in WNBA), they need to get the ball to that person early and often.

 

The continued absence of Sylvia Fowles has not bothered the Sky significantly yet. Thanks to Chicago's solid shooting from the field (on two-pointers, anyway) and the line, their opponents have averaged a league-low 20.5 defensive RPG. In Big Syl's place, former Yellow Jacket Sasha Goodlett has done admirable work in the starting lineup (1.3 BPG), while newcomer old-timer guard Cappie Pondexter (4.3 defensive RPG) has helped Jessica Breland and the Sky bigs with the boxing out and loose ball recoveries.

 

The Dream's advantage in the experience department up front has yet to be exploited to Atlanta's advantage, particularly in the case of Erika DeSouza, who came out of the blocks strong in 2014 but has exceeded 10 points or 10 boards just once through six games this season. DeSouza (4 assists, 3 TOs vs. Indiana on Tuesday) is at her best when she is able to gather and make swift decisions with the ball, and she'll need to do that tonight against the relatively green Sky opponents in what is likely to be a high-paced shootout.

 

Let's Go Dream!

 

~lw3

[Gray Mule]

Angel!  With the ball still in the air when time ran out, the winning basket

dropped in the basket for the win.

 

Dream were set to lose the game because of a two point shot that was counted

for Chicago that didn't go in.

 

I was greatly impressed by the newest Dream player.  I like Burdick a lot.  If this

is how she plays all the time, we've got a keeper!

 

Great win!  And, the Braves beat the Mets!

 

GO ATLANTA!!

[lethalweapon3]

Nothing easy!

 

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~lw3

Edited June 20, 2015 by lethalweapon3
#LiveIt

[Randy]

Finally a game, and and ending worthy of your preview lw3!  Angel undoes the absurd 2 point missed basket call and the Dream find hope in a Lady Vol apparently waived by the Sparks as part of their tanking scheme.  A lot of fans left the game when Del Santos went to line.  Bet they are sorry now. Without last second heroics from Angel we would be 1-6 now.

 

BTW - Angel's shot should make the Top 10 and the Officials call should make the Not Top 10. 

Edited June 20, 2015 by Randy

[Gray Mule]

This is something that the rules officials should change.  Apparently all three

officials stated that the missed goal and subsequently approval of the shot

and added two points was not subject to revue. 

 

This officials call should be shown everywhere, over and over, until something

is done to change this rule.  Otherwise, the officials in the WNBA and the NBA

have the power to decide the outcome of any close game by declaring that the

shot was good.  Doesn't have to go in, just come close.

 

Angel is our heroine and Lady Vol Burdick gets a great big thumbs up!

 

GO DREAM !!

[lethalweapon3]

It's Daddies and Daughters Day at Philips Arena, and they'll get to watch Angel McCoughtry once again try to right the ship for the Atlanta Dream against the New York Liberty (3:00 PM Eastern, SportSouth in ATL, NBATV). Angel's buzzer-beater on Friday night versus Chicago averted another late-game Dream collapse and a Deadspinnable referee call for the ages. She does not want another outcome resting in the hands of a referee crew paid by the same league that cannot even manage a functional website.

 

The good news for McCoughtry is New York's perimeter shooting (17-for-72 3FGs through six games) is at the bottom of the WNBA barrel. So Angel will be able to shift her efforts to help Erika DeSouza (13 points, 11 boards vs. CHI on Friday) and Sancho Lyttle counterbalance New York's statues-of-liberty, namely Tina Charles and rookie Kiah Stokes, each among the top-ten of the league in rebounding.

 

Charles' 12 defensive boards was enough to fend off the glass-crashing Dream during the season-opener in NYC. But offensively, New York has struggled in the past three games to crack 70 points, including an 80-63 loss (8 fourth-quarter points) to the road-warrior Indiana Fever this past Friday. Libs coach Bill Laimbeer will look to ex-Dreamer Swin Cash to contribute off the bench similar to her 6-for-8 FG outing against Atlanta back on June 5.

 

(EDIT: Sugar Rodgers is apparently back in the starting lineup, bringing Boyd back to the bench. Swin is starting, too.)

 

Rookie Brittany Boyd (4-for-7 FGs, 14 points vs. ATL on June 5) has supplanted Candice Wiggins in the starting lineup, so bench production will be critical for the Liberty, particularly to match the energy injection Atlanta received from newcomer Cierra Burdick (4-for-7 FGs, 11 points in 14 minutes) on Friday. 

 

~lw3

Edited June 21, 2015 by lethalweapon3

[Randy]

This is getting depressing.  We are seeing the team disintegrate before our eyes.  Truly distressing. lw3- have you done any coaching?  How about being a GM?

 

Gray Mule - I think the reason the rule is you can't review a missed shot is that no one in their right mind ever thought that an official would give two points for a missed shot.  Ever since they peach basket went up, its been zero.  I guess now refs are giving style points.

Edited June 21, 2015 by Randy

[Gray Mule]

Sadly, the winning stops at one game.

 

Couldn't stop the pick and roll scoring and couldn't score from outside.

Entire team plays like they are tired.  Slow reacting and couldn't shoot.

A sure combination for defeat.

 

Willing to fight but not ready to play. 

[lethalweapon3]

The Atlanta Dream will play their last road game for a couple weeks, in Chicago this afternoon against the Sky (12:00 12:30 PM Eastern, SportSouth in ATL, The U Too network in CHI). The Dream (3-5) wish they could be back home celebrating new jerseys with their arena-mates, as their underwhelming play on the floor has not been a good look thus far.

 

The doldrums resumed on Sunday, the Dream crawling out of the Philips Arena gate with a 21-10 start against the New York Liberty. Atlanta players continue to struggle with halfcourt pressure, dribbling into the teeth of double-teams and throwing the ball up-for-grabs rather than swinging decisive passes to open players on the opposite end of the floor. They cannot continue to dig holes for themselves and hope Angel McCoughtry (4-for-16 FGs, 4 TOs vs. NYL) can carry them out of it. At least Sancho Lyttle's 4 TOs were balanced by six steals. Roneeka Hodges came back from a mid-game hip injury to contribute a few fourth-quarter threes and kept the contest from becoming another laugher.

 

With such disjointed ballhandling off the bench from Erica Wheeler (0 assists, 2 TOs in 13 minutes) and Shoni Schimmel (0 assists, 3 TOs in 13 minutes), the decision to make a corner-jumpshooting guard out of rookie Samantha Logic (0-for-3 3FGs in just three minutes of play) is bordering on madness. The ill-Logic only makes sense if one assumes she's still laboring with knee soreness. Newcomer Sydney Carter defended well and helped move the ball (3 assists, no TOs in 16 minutes) but couldn't throw it in the ocean (0-for-5 FGs).

 

Fellow newcomer Cierra Burdick continued to do yeoman's work upfront, but foul trouble by the Dream starters left her overwhelmed at both ends against the Liberty front line. After Carolyn Swords' career-defining outing, Erika DeSouza and the Dream bigs must cut down on opponents' high-percentage buckets and second-chances today in Chicago.

 

The Sky (3-3) bounced back from the buzzer-beating defeat in Atlanta on Friday night, shooting 55.3 percent in San Antonio and surviving a late Stars rally to prevail in OT. Chicago has been paper thin off the bench so far, with Allie Quigley shifted into the starting lineup in her return from overseas play to replace Tamera Young. Six Sky reserves were a combined 2-for-6 on shots in San An, while the starters made 40 of their 70 field goals and collected 30 of the 38 rebounds.

 

Do-it-all Elena Delle Donne was moved to center (benching Sasha Goodlett) to make room for Quigley, possibly creating an intriguing matchup today for EDD with DeSouza. It will help Atlanta if McCoughtry and Lyttle can drive (and DeSouza can post-up) enough to get any of Chicago's Big Four (Delle Donne, Cappie Pondexter, Courtney Vandersloot, Quigley) into foul trouble, compelling coach Pokey Chatman to rely on a shallow bench in hopes someone like Betnijah Laney or Clarissa dos Santos steps up again.

 

Let's Go Dream!

 

~lw3

Edited June 24, 2015 by lethalweapon3

[Randy]

Hopefully a game by the Dream worthy of your writings lw3.  I'm wondering that since Tamera Young is not around to pester Anglel, if a big game from Angel can offset a possible small game from our guard corps?  I don't know about Erika on Elena, she's usually too buy covering whoever our guards are supposed to defending.  I think Angel actually did a really good job on Elena until she got in foul trouble in the final game of the playoffs.  That would leave Erika on Breland and Sancho on Quigley.  Ok, so that doesn't work.  So back to the drawing board.

 

I guess the Sky have figured out a 3 guard lineup is a matchup nightmare for us.  Let's put Angel on Cappie,  Sancho on Elena and Erika on Breland.  

 

Anyway, there's probably little point in covering Elena anyway now that she gets two points and a free thrown for a missed shot on a charging foul......

 

Kids days are fun.  The kids we had did great on the DEFENSE chants.  Not so good on thundersticks - seemed to use them whenever we were shooting....They should have a pregame video explaining the proper use of thundersticks.....

Edited June 24, 2015 by Randy