2015 Atlanta Dream and WNBA Previews

[lethalweapon3]

Aye-yay-aye! 

 

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Cierra Burdick starts in place of Lyttle. Also Sydney Carter gets the starting nod ahead of Matee Ajavon.

 

~lw3

[Gray Mule]

Nice way to wreck my nerves!  Dream wins!!

 

Finally, Dream hit some three point shots and they win!

 

Burdick starts with Sancho out and the dream win!

 

Dream blow a 19 point lead, but hang on to win!

 

Shoni FINALLY gets to play some and Dream win!

 

DREAM WINS!  DREAM WINS!  DREAM WINS!

 

[Randy]

I guess Cooper must have seen the same thing in practice I did.  Carter rocks.... Or is that Ajavon has her leg wrapped up and Wheeler banged up her knee against Tulsa.  Guess they will keep us guessing.  Anyway, Sancho was in street clothes, with a sore foot.  Everybody else had a uniform on. 

 

It was a really exciting game.  Dream crowds have been a lot better this year.  Unless everyone forgets about the team in the month away, they should blow away last year's attendance numbers since they won't have 3 games at Tech (which struggled to get to 3000 or so.)  The crowd was really into the game as well. 

 

Our new pickups did play well.  Don't think it was on TV but Angel's chest bump on Carter (after bailing out Angel with the dagger two late in the 4th) flattened Sydney.  She got up unharmed.  Sometimes Angel just doesn't know how strong she is. 

[Randy]

BTW - If Ajavon isn't injured - Cooper may be in the running for the George McGovern award. First he says "Shoni is our PG and a damn good one.  Then he benches her.  Over the weekend the AJC quoted him as saying "Ajavon is doing a fine job at PG" and then replaces her with Carter.  Its just like "I'm 1000% behind Thomas Eagleton."

Edited July 13, 2015 by Randy

[lethalweapon3]

The battle with Bridezilla Number One is tonight!

 

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~lw3

[Dnice]

Well, congratulations to Sonni and Angel as all star starters.

[Randy]

Shoni wins an election without having done anything this year.  I think she may have a future in politics.  

 

Anyway, speaking of Bridezilla 1- this is going to be a tough game, though I would imagine Griner is  going to have a hard time stopping herself from laughing every time she thinks about Glory Johnson suing her for $20,000 a month in alimony.  

Edited July 14, 2015 by Randy

[Gray Mule]

Yikes!  Another loss.  Another big lead goes away.

 

Dream shoot, and hit, a lot of 3's.  Get a nice lead.  Then, shots refuse to fall.

Sancho out and sorely missed.  Another Dream defensive standout fouls out again.

Foul calls go mostly to our opponent.  Something needs fixing.

 

Shoni, all star starter, comes off the bench for the Dream and has a good game.

 

Griner had a great game for our opponent.

[Randy]

I figured the lead wouldn't last since it was built on hitting 3's.  No way that would go on for a whole game.  They must have let everyone foul like crazy in that 3 on 3 tournament Hayes played in.  Or else, the refs don't like her.  

 

Strangest thing is the revolving door on Cooper's doghouse - Shoni out, Matee in.  Really makes you wonder what's going on.  Maybe the Matee at pg experiment is over.....until we lose some more games.

 

We missed Sancho (mainly on d against Dupre) but Burdick has been a good pickup - game leader in rebounds, team leader in assists and steals.  If she can add a few more baskets she can be a pretty useful player for us.

 

On to LA. REMEMBER ITS KIDS DAY IN LA.  3 PM START.  Last year I think we played a close, tough game against the 1st place Mercury, then went to last place Seattle and god blown out.  Hope history doesn't repeat itself. (Always drives me crazy when our teams play well against the really good team on the road, and then follow up with a lousy game against a lousy team, and end up losing both.) 

[Randy]

Game ready to start. Let's go Dream - send 10,000 kids home disappointed and angry today.....

[lethalweapon3]

The Dream get a W in their column! Nice 4th-quarter comeback after digging the obligatory hole (down 10 with 4:20 to go) to win 76-72 at Staples. Sorry, tykes!

 

Defense was key: just one solitary field goal in the closing minutes for the Sparks, and no free throws. Three blocks for Tiffany Hayes, who magically didn't foul out this time! Angel continues to struggle with her shot but Aneika Henry stepped up with some nice buckets, including the winning layup with 30 seconds left.

 

On to Seattle!

 

 

~lw3

[Randy]

Since the announcer said the kids were all loaded up on kool aid and twizlers maybe they won't be thinking much about the loss.  Good win in a hard fought game.  Cooper's guard rotation seems more and more random. The "Wheel deal' finished out the game today (+- of +20) so I guess he's going with what works.  The starting PG played 5 minutes.  Henry finishes out another close game instead of Erika.  Anyone think we will see a starting lineup change against Seattle?

[Gray Mule]

Didn't know the start time and when I checked the game was over.

Just finished watching the replay.  Come from way behind for the win.

 

LA sure misses Candice Parker, one of the best in the WNBA.

[Gray Mule]

Erica, as great as she is, continues to shoot line drive shots.

 

Even from the free throw line, her shots have no arch on them.

Why does she continue to do this?  When she banks her shots

off the glass, usually they go in.  Her others, not so good.

 

Who can tell which PG will be on the floor at any given time?

Remember the old commercial: "Does she or doesn't she?  Only

her hairdresser knows for sure!"  Who will be our PG at any

given time?  Only our coach knows for sure.

 

Dream are playing better.  Yet, they continue to struggle.

 

[Randy]

Mule - after about 15 years in pro basketball (counting her teenage years in Brazil) I'm kind of doubting Erika is going to change her shot.  She's been among lead leaders in shooting percent, but her numbers are down this year.  Could this be a case of Father Time starting to rear his ugly head?

Henry has been playing pretty well the last few games, but unfortunately, she has butterfingers, compared to Erika's suction cups.  Henry also is offensive foul prone, which makes matters worse.  So, not only is a PG by committee its starting to look like its center by committee.  Whoever is having a good game plays at the end, I guess.   

[Gray Mule]

Another blow out loss.  Watched until half time, then went to sleep

as the Braves were getting shut out and the Dream killed.

 

What is the problem?  Dream shooting % was in the 30's and opponent over 50 %.

 

Who do we blame for the losses?  Sancho is missing but that can't account for

all the missed shots, can it?

 

Coach isn't missing shots but he is responsible for the plays run, isn't he?

 

This is much the same team that did so well last year in the regular season

and then fell on their face in the playoffs.  Apparently, they haven't recovered.

 

Announcers for the game kept saying, "Atlanta is always slow to react."  Why?

We have a problem.  Maybe more than one.  What is the solution?

 

HELP!  DREAM HAS FALLEN AND THEY CAN'T GET UP!

[Randy]

And unfortunately they don't seem to have that bracelet you can use to call 911. I only got to see the last 3 minutes, but that was probably enough.  Seattle is one of the worse teams in the WNBA and we struggled to beat them at home, and get blown out there place.  Seems like this sort of thing has happened before - play hard and well against a good team, then in a few days, have a no-show against a really bad team.  End up losing 2 when they should have won at least one.

 

Chicago is next, and there will be some days off to go back to the drawing board.  Then the All Star break.  We are now 1-2 on this road trip, with road games at the Sky, Stars and Lynx only the Stars look like a team we should be able to beat, but then so did the Storm.

 

BTW - if there is a bright spot in this season its Erica Wheeler - she is putting up good numbers on good shooting and getting some assist while getting after players on d.  She also seems to be the only guard we have that actually plays well in spot minutes.  

Edited July 19, 2015 by Randy

[Randy]

We are now 1-3 on the road trip after losing to the Sky.  Ajavon seems to have gotten out of the doghouse and Shoni seems firmly back in it.   Next game is San Antonio - ought to be winnable, but they just clobbered Indiana.  Both teams will have a week to get ready.  SA followed by the Lynx - at their place.  The Lynx have had some injuries and just made a trade, but may be in better shape by then.  Never easy to win in the Twin Cities. 

Edited July 22, 2015 by Randy

[Randy]

The Dream have waived Erica Wheeler and Milton-Jones.  This is the 48 hour period before the contracts are guaranteed for the rest of the season, so a lot of names are coming up on the waiver wire.  Brittany Hyrnko anyone?  Andrea Hoover?  Jasmine Lister? (My choice) and I think there will be some more.

 

We could resign both Wheeler and DMJ later, so those two may just lose one paycheck.

Edited July 23, 2015 by Randy

[Gray Mule]

We hear a lot about our all star, Angel.  Very popular player as is Shoni.

 

However, the Dream have proven to me that, without Sancho, they are nothing.

She is the one player who is the difference maker.  When will she be able to return?

Without her, we are doomed.

 

Think I'm wrong?  Just check the record since she went down.

Edited July 24, 2015 by Gray Mule