2016 Atlanta Dream and WNBA Previews

[Randy]

In case anybody doesn't know it - the game today against the Liberty is at 11 am. 

[lethalweapon3]

What does Breakfast at Madison Square Garden consist of? Probably, something more like roasted chestnuts and diner coffee than strawberries and cream. It’ll be an Afternoon Delight (11:00 AM Eastern, NBATV, MSG) when the Atlanta Dream visit the New York Liberty. That is, if they can stand the shrill sounds of thousands of teeming, screaming Manhattanite tykes.

It is School Day at MSG, but topping the Liberty in their house won’t be child’s play for the Dream, both teams sitting at 2-1. The Libs are kicking themselves after blowing an 8-point lead in the final 80 seconds of regulation against Los Angeles on Saturday. The Sparks took advantage of miscues by New York to pull away for the 79-72 overtime win, and now the Liberty is hoping they’ll make amends in the third game of a five-game homestand.

Tina Charles (21.7 PPG, WNBA-high 12.7 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.3 SPG) aims to take Elizabeth Williams (2.0 BPG, 3^rd in WNBA) and the Dream frontline to school. Charles has been delegating shot-blocking pivot duties to Kiah Stokes (2.3 BPG, 2^nd in WNBA), allowing Tina more room to roam as a power forward.  Charles will have to avoid overdribbling, lest she risk losing the ball to Atlanta’s Sancho Lyttle (2.3 SPG, 4^th in WNBA).

Any preoccupation with some big payback game by reserve guard Shoni Schimmel (2-for-3 3FGs, just 11 minutes in two games thus far) could cause the Dream to overlook some very good guard play, particularly by one other notable ex-Dreamer.

Lindsey Harding is averaging 5.3 APG (5^th in WNBA) while turning over the ball just four times in her first three games. The veteran has the trust of Liberty coach Bill Laimbeer, has replaced second-year guard Brittany Boyd in the starting lineup, and has been successfully distributing to not only Charles but guard Sugar Rodgers (18.7 PPG, 7^th in WNBA; 3.7 3FGS per game, 2^nd in WNBA; 6.3 defensive RPG, 7^th in WNBA). Rodgers is certainly filling the bill, while super-scorer Epiphanny Prince (ACL recovery) is on the mend and offseason acquisition Shavonte Zellous has been slow out of the gate.

Turnovers were the story for the Dream in their 87-81 win on Sunday against Chicago, or, at least, the lack of them. Uncharacteristically, Atlanta committed just 5 player errors against the Vandersloot-less Sky, 3 of those in the opening three minutes of play, while giving replacement ballhandlers Jameirra Faulkner and Allie Quigley fits.

The Liberty had 15 assists on Saturday but also 15 player turnovers, 12 of those coming by way of L.A. steals. In this battle between the East’s two best defensive squads, Atlanta (40.8 opponent 2FG%, second in WNBA to New York’s 37.2%) has to limit the Liberty’s ability to execute halfcourt plays, getting out in transition after defensive stops and daring Stokes and Charles to Run with the Dream.

Meanwhile, Atlanta coach Michael Cooper has to continue rotating guards and wings like Layshia Clarendon and Meighan Simmons off the bench, keeping Tanisha Wright and the Liberty defense stretched out and granting Angel McCoughtry and Lyttle more opportunities to create havoc inside. Perennial Dream-killer Carolyn Swords and recent arrival (by way of Dallas) Amanda Zahui B. will be deployed by Laimbeer when either of Stokes or Charles finds themselves in early foul trouble.

GAMETIME UPDATE: another notorious ex-Dreamer, Swin Cash is back on the New York Liberty roster and active today.

 

Let’s Go Dream!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Not too shabby, ladies! Not too shabby...

Great effort by Tip Hayes to hold things together while Angel was resting that hip in the first half.

~lw3

[Gray Mule]

We saw some ex Dream players today.  Popular ex Dream players.

Still missing too many short shots near the basket but being aggressive inside means

more foul shots, which the Dream got, and needed, in this game.

Three ball not falling for either team.  Sancho grabbed a lot of rebounds.  Without Angel

in the first half, dream still stayed with the NY gals.

Wonderful to see Madison Square Garden filled with all those young, future fans.  Atlanta

must have a kids day here.  Please!

Nice overtime victory.  Still a lot of stuff to improve on but our 3-1 record sure looks nice.

[lethalweapon3]

Another road-home pair is waiting in the wings for the Atlanta Dream this weekend. They’ll follow up a successful overtime trip to NYC this past Tuesday with a Friday night in the DFW Metroplex, taking on the Dallas Wings (8:30 PM Eastern, NBATV). They’ll fly home afterwards and prep for a rematch with the Indiana Fever on Sunday afternoon (3:00 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast, NBATV outside of ATL).

It’ll be just the second regular season game in the new comfy confines at the University of Texas-Arlington for the Wings who, like Atlanta, come into tonight’s game with a 3-1 record and aiming for a third-straight victory. WNBA teams have tried the collegiate-arena route before with mixed results. But the cozier 7,000-seat arena layout plus the potential superstar draws of Skylar Diggins and Odyssey Sims make a nice combination for the former Detroit/Tulsa Shock franchise.

The Wings are well-rested, former Dream coach Fred Williams’ squad having been off since outlasting San Antonio in their home opener last Saturday. Diggins played 11 minutes and made one free throw in her first game since tearing her ACL early last season, which was just when the then-Shock were finally beginning to gain some traction. Sims and Erin Phillips have held up the Wings backcourt while Diggins has been on the mend. Plus, they’ve gotten sparks from swing player Karima Christmas and budding rookie Aerial Powers.

Atlanta has controlled excessive fouling in their wins, building free-throw-attempt advantages of 23-10 in San Antonio, 31-22 versus Chicago and a whopping 42-20 in New York. After fouling out in the Dream’s sole loss at Indiana, Angel McCoughtry has not been whistled for a personal foul in her last two games (11-for-23 combined 2FGs, 14-for-18 combined FTs against Chicago and New York). Defensive discipline will be needed once again, this time to limit Dallas to one-and-done possessions and keep them off the charity stripe.

The drive-happy Sims (18.3 PPG) is leading the WNBA with 9.5 FTAs per game, hitting them at a superb 92.1 FT%, while Christmas (88.2 FT%), Phillips (90.0 FT%), and Diggins (91.8 FT% last season) are excellent free throw shooters as well. The Dream need the Wings’ wings and guards settling for jumpers outside the paint, as the lack of free throw opportunities can neutralize their offense. Dallas’ 27.6 3FG% ranks 10^th out of 12 WNBA teams thus far, and their 45.2 2FG% is also below the league average.

Dallas’ top three-point threat so far, forward Theresa Plaisance (42.9 3FG%), is unavailable due to a sprained ankle. Even despite the unavailability of Plaisance, the continued suspension of Glory Johnson, and the recent trade-off of second-year center Amanda Zahui B., it would be inappropriate to ever describe the Wings’ frontline as “thinned-out.”

Space-eating pivot Courtney Paris (11.3 RPG, 2^nd in WNBA) leads the league with 3.3 offensive rebounds per game, and Christmas (3.0 offensive RPG) ranks right behind her. Elizabeth Williams (2.5 BPG, 2^nd in WNBA) and Sancho Lyttle (8.3 RPG, 6^th in WNBA, 2.5 SPG, 4^th in WNBA) will have their work cut out with this duo, along with 2015 All-Star forward Plenette Pierson and rookie Ruth Hamblin. But if they can find ways to box out effectively, they can further stifle the Wings, whose top four scorers to this point (Sims, Christmas, Pierson, and Powers) have each shot below 38 percent from the field and are heavily dependent on second-chance opportunities.

The only team granted more free throw shots than the Dream (30.8 FTAs per game) and the Wings (27.8 per game) has been the Fever (WNBA-high 31.7 per game). Coach Stephanie White’s squad prefers to send teams to the line rather than allowing easy buckets, opponents getting a league-high 31.0 FTAs per game. When sent to the line, Atlanta has to convert at a rate better than their current 74.0 FT% (10^th in WNBA).

Only gravely disappointing Phoenix (0-5) has had less success keeping opponents’ shots out of the basket than Indiana (45.6 opponent FG%, league-high 39.1 opponent 3FG%), but the Fever is keeping their foes’ interior shot volumes low. By contrast, Atlanta opponents have taken a league-high 65.8 two-pointers but have made just 40.3 percent of them (2^nd-lowest in WNBA).

Indiana (2-1) will visit The Highlight Factory after a tough trip tonight in Minnesota, their first road games of the season coming this weekend. This past week, Coach White accepted the head coach job at Vanderbilt, soon to be coaching against her predecessor Lin Dunn in the SEC, but she will hang on with the Fever through the end of the WNBA season. Sunday afternoon will be the final visit to Philips Arena for not only White in her current capacity, but for the venerable Tamika Catchings. The five-time Defensive Player of the Year, ten-time All-Star, and three-time gold medalist will retire at the close of the season.

At least offensively, Catch is leaving the Fever in good hands with rookie Tiffany Mitchell (13.3 PPG), who leads her team in scoring, and sharp-shooting Shenise Johnson (42.9 3FG%). Indiana presents a balanced yet relentless offensive attack, leading the league with 90.0 PPG without a single player averaging more than 15.0 PPG. Their 94-85 win over the Dream last week was the second-consecutive time the Fever had seven players scoring in double figures.  White is picking up the tempo in Indiana, her team currently leading the league in pace. But it’s becoming hard for the Fever to maintain cohesion defensively (107.7 D-Rating, 11^th in WNBA).

Thanks to an erratic yet effective outing in New York (27 points, 10-for-10 FTs, 11 rebounds, 6 TOs), Tiffany Hayes (42.9 3FG%) is currently tied with Angel at 16.5 PPG, but needs to cut down on her turnovers (4.0 TOs/game, 2^nd in WNBA). Tip’s ability to get open for shots around the perimeter could keep the Fever defense spread out, to the benefit of Angel and the point guard committee led by Carla Cortijo (3.0 APG, 1.3 TOs/game). After blowing many runout opportunities that could have closed out New York during regulation, Atlanta guards also have to get out in transition against Indiana and finish to create And-1 plays around the rim.

After starting of the season with four away games out of five, Sunday’s contest kicks off a stretch of five home games out of the Dream’s next six, interrupted only by next Friday’s visit to Connecticut. The next time Atlanta visits the Lone Star State after today, about a month from now, will be Becky Hammon’s jersey retirement night in San Antonio.

Have a safe, reflective, and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend.

Let’s Go Dream!

~lw3

[Gray Mule]

THE FIRST PLACE ATLANTA - - - - - - - -

Woah!  What is this?  The words "First Place" and "Atlanta"  does not compute.  Impossible!

Yet, as we look forward to tonight's game, the Atlanta Dream, with their 3-1 record, are in 1st place

in the eastern conference of the WNBA !  WOW !

GO DREAM !!

[lethalweapon3]

Bonus article from Excelle Sports' WNBA Confidential, ahead of tonight's game: "Have the Atlanta Dream found their point guards?"

I'm not ready to scream "Yes!" aloud, just yet. But don't let me stop anybody else from doing so!

http://www.excellesports.com/news/wnba-confidential-atlanta-dream-found-point-guard/

Quote

“It feels great!” [Angel] McCoughtry said at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, after the Dream’s 85-79 win. “I feel like in a lot of the other years I have had more of a load on my back. Now it just feels different. I feel like I can just lead and go out and play my game, and everyone can play their game, and it feels like we are really starting to gel together.”

In [Carla] Cortijo, the Dream’s leader in PER is doing so on the strength of an assist percentage of 38.7, which would’ve led the league last year. And in [Layshia] Clarendon, the Dream’s starter at the position is doing a bit of everything. Not only is she at 20.3 in assist percentage, she’s 58.6 percent from the field, including 60 percent from three and grabbing 12.7 percent of the available rebounds...

The net result—a better-performing offensive team, along with a defense that currently ranks third in the league in efficiency, all tied together by an Olympian in McCoughtry—means Atlanta is an early surprise contender in the East. How much point guard play matters has been brought into sharp relief by Washington, struggling without Kara Lawson and Ivory Latta (the latter was cleared to play just this week) and New York, where Brittany Boyd and Lindsey Harding have struggled early.

It’s a problem Atlanta knows all too well. But no longer, it appears.

~lw3

[Gray Mule]

Dream win !!

Still in 1st place !

 

[lethalweapon3]

8 minutes ago, Gray Mule said:

Dream win !!

Still in 1st place !

 

That was fun!

Another free-throw-palooza. Almost 50 attempts! phew! And Dallas almost had 40!

Skylar sat out the whole game, plus Odyssey was pressed into shooting just 2-for-13 (no field goals until late 4th quarter) with 6 turnovers. Courtney Paris was all over the place (in a good way) for the Wings. But Angel (26 points, 7-for-12 2FGs, 12-for-19 FTs) and the Dream were relentless, and got three of Dallas' double-figure scorers to foul out.

6 turnovers for Sancho (who, announcers noted, will be with us for 3 or 4 more games before heading out to help Team Spain), but she more than made up for that (team-highs of 10 rebounds, 6 assists), her 6th steal-and-bucket serving as the clincher in the clutch. Back to ATL!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Not a bad start thus far for the Atlanta Dream, eh? They are off to a surprising 5-1 mark ahead of this weekend’s games, at Connecticut today (7:00 PM Eastern, NO LOCAL TV, WNBA League Pass) and back home against Washington on Sunday afternoon (3:00 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast). Enjoy this early sprint for however long it lasts, as the degree of difficulty will only heighten soon, without one of the team’s veteran pillars.

This is likely the last full weekend that Sancho Lyttle graces the Dream with her presence, for at least a couple weeks. Spain participates in the FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women in France, and their opening matches tip off on June 13, one day after Atlanta hosts the Sun next weekend at Philips Arena. Spain, who holds a bitter rivalry with neighboring host France, plans to be among the top five of 12 entrants in order to clinch their bid to Rio 2016.

The Eurobasket Women MVP for tournament champion Spain in 2013, Sancho elected at the last minute to remain in the U.S. with her WNBA team while Spain headed to the Olympic-qualifying Eurobasket Women 2015 tourney. Without Lyttle, her compatriots were tripped up by France in the semifinals and finished third, thereby making a strong tourney finish in FIBA 2016 essential.

“The Olympic qualifiers are the final step to Rio,” Lyttle noted (as translated here into English) to the Team Spain reporter on its website. “We need the maximum effort and concentration in it to win and qualify.” The FIBA tourney continues through June 19, but hopefully Spain can wrap up their Olympic spot with a quarterfinal victory on June 17.

Last summer, Lyttle missed ten games after tearing her plantar fascia in her left foot. By the time she returned, Atlanta had lost eight of those ten games, slipping from 6-6 to 8-14. The Dream closed out the season with a 7-5 run after she returned, but their 15-19 record was not enough to reach the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The Dream dragged their way into the WNBA Finals without Sancho two seasons before that, after she suffered a fracture in that same foot in July 2013. Atlanta started out that year with a gaudy 10-1 record, but the loss of Lyttle sent the team reeling, losing eight of their next nine and finishing the regular season with just a 17-17 record.

Spain plays in four more friendlies prior to the FIBA OQT, but the ideal scenario for Dream fans is that Sancho (WNBA-high 3.0 SPG; 8.2 RPG, 6^th in WNBA) leaves just in time for OQT play, and is permitted to return for WNBA play after the tourney, not missing more than four WNBA games. It’s all a wild card, though, and Michael Cooper’s crew will have to step up in her absence, no matter how long, for the Dream to maintain their lofty position in the WNBA standings.

Reshanda Gray and rookie Rachel Hollivay appeared in 15 and 13 minutes, respectively, of Atlanta’s last two victories, the frontcourt duo contributing five points in each contest, while Cierra Burdick was held out of action. Lyttle has struggled with her shot early but has made clutch plays in each of Atlanta’s five victories thus far. Cooper is challenged to find the right rotations of these reserves, such that Lyttle’s absence doesn’t overtax her fellow frontcourt starters Angel McCoughtry (19.0 PPG, 5^th in WNBA) and Elizabeth Williams (WNBA-leading 2.5 BPG).

Preparing to face Connecticut, the team that traded her in the offseason, tonight, Atlanta’s second-year center Williams is beginning to get the hang of things. Liz was a perfect 5-of-5 from the field in Dallas last week, and kicked off a block party late in the second half against Indiana this past Sunday.

The Dream was predicted (including by yours truly) to be wallowing around the shallower side of the Eastern Conference pool, alongside Washington (2-5) and Connecticut (1-5). To pull the Dream closer to their end of the standings, both teams will turn to players formerly associated with Atlanta, in hopes they’ll step up and inspire their teams to victory.

Against Phoenix, first-year Sun coach Curt Miller fielded four former Dream-ettes in the starting lineup: guards Alex Bentley and Jasmine Thomas, and bigs Camille Little and Aneika Henry-Morello. Chiney Ogwumike is being brought back slowly after missing last season, and her frontcourt mate Kelsey Bone has struggled on the defensive end. So both players, plus first-round rookie Jonquel Jones, played as reserves against the Mercury on Tuesday.

Bentley has been struggling as a shooter, her field goal percentage languishing in the twenties before a hot stretch during garbage time in the 99-90 loss at Phoenix. Jasz Thomas (5.3 APG, 4^th in WNBA) at times has tried to keep up with Bentley on shot volumes. Despite Miller pushing the highest pace in the league, the Sun rank last in the East in scoring with 68.8 PPG, and last with an 89.4 O-Rating. They’re also last in the league with 21.8 defensive RPG and a 111.3 D-Rating. Not the best combo to have coming out of the gate.

Miller has been adamant about Sun fans needing to pump the brakes a bit, noting his team is competing but that implementing his strategies won’t be a quick fix. “The sky is not going to fall if you don’t win a lot of games right away,” he told the Hartford Courant last week. “But Los Angeles was 3-14 running their new system last season and look at it now [6-0]. None of us want to be 3-14, a rebuilding year. But we understand we need to be patient and not pick each other apart.” As an asterisk to Miller’s example, L.A.’s Candace Parker sat out the first half of last season.

Lyttle, McCoughtry, and Williams will be charged with battling for those boards tonight to give Atlanta an edge via second-chance points and transition scoring opportunities. The Dream still rank next-to-last with 41.4 2FG%, so crashing the glass (10.5 O-Rebs per game, 2^nd in WNBA) will be a key to topping Connecticut, who sits right behind Atlanta with 9.7 O-Rebs per game but shoots 51.0 2FG% (2^nd in WNBA). Until Bentley or first-rounder Rachel Banham gets it going, Connecticut’s biggest threat to pop perimeter shots is the stretchy Little (35.3 3FG%).

The Sun will also foul heavily (WNBA-high 26.2 personal fouls per game), so converting free throws are similarly crucial for Angel (74.0 FT%) and the Dream. Atlanta’s 73.0 FT% as a team ranks ahead of only Connecticut (69.5 FT%) and is presently tied with the Mystics.

While former Dream star Ivory Latta plays her way back into form after offseason knee surgery, fellow guard Tayler Hill (16.0 PPG) has grabbed the reins for the Mystics offense. Senior leadership (Kara Lawson and retired former Dream player Armintie Herrington) is gone from Washington due to retirement. First-round rookie wing Kahleah Copper is struggling with handling the ball (2.3 TOs per game, 0.3 APG) and avoiding the whistle (3.0 personal fouls per game). Mike Thibault started the season with Natasha Cloud at the point, and now she’s out of action due to kidney stones.

Taken together, it seems opposing backcourts are having field days versus Washington. Opponents are producing a league-high 20.7 APG while committing an average of just 11.1 turnovers (Mystics 5.6 SPG a league-low). The Mystics join Seattle as the only teams currently compiling more turnovers (14.9 TOs per game) than assists (13.7 APG), 8.9 of those Mys-takes coming by way of opponent steals (Atlanta’s 9.7 SPG leads the East). Sunday’s game ought to be a showcase for Dream guards Layshia Clarendon and Carla Cortijo (team-high 2.6 APG, 0.8 TOs/game).

Thibault already has one foot out the door, but in order to enjoy a fond farewell this autumn, he’s got to get his lumbering frontcourt to move out of just static halfcourt offense (slowest team pace in the East). All-Star forward Emma Meesseman (52.1 2FG%, 54.5 3FG%) and Stefanie Dolson (57.8 2FG%) have to run the full floor. Hill joins Odyssey Sims, Bentley, Bone, Sugar Rodgers, Marissa Coleman, and Plenette Pierson as high-volume sub-40% shooters, so the Mystic bigs (including Kia Vaughn) must be ready to go for putbacks when Atlanta (WNBA-worst 11.7 opponent O-Rebs per game) fails to adequately box out.

Even with the Mystics and Sun struggling, Atlanta cannot merely show up. They must continue to commit what Sancho implores of her Spanish National Team – “maximum effort and concentration” – if they are to keep their winning streak going a little longer.

Let’s Go Dream!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Off to Europe she goes! Following the Dream's weekend split, AJC notes that Sancho Lyttle will indeed miss 4 WNBA games as she heads across the pond to help Team Espana clinch a spot in Rio. To give some idea of her importance to the national squad, the team captain says:

"I'm not ashamed to say, Sancho Lyttle is more than 50% of this team"

http://www.elconfidencial.com/deportes/baloncesto/2016-06-06/laia-palau-seleccion-femenina-baloncesto-juegos-olimpicos-sancho-lyttle_1211880/

¡Buen viaje!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Sancho Lyttle’s on her way off to Europe, leaving the Dream one player short heading into Friday’s battle between the WNBA’s conference leaders. Atlanta hosts the defending WNBA champion Minnesota Lynx, led by leading MVP candidate Maya Moore, tonight (7:30 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast in ATL, Fox Sports Plus North in MIN). The AJC reports, correctly, that league rules prohibit a team from adding a player to its full roster until one player misses a game. So, if the Dream have somebody in mind, that player would not be able to suit up until Sunday’s home matinee against Connecticut (3:00 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast in ATL, WTIC-TV in CT).

In the meantime, the plan for coach Michael Cooper’s crew is to shift to a smaller lineup, returning Angel McCoughtry to the four-spot, while also ramping up the playing time for forwards Reshanda Gray and Cierra Burdick. The Dream (6-2) will go small while Elizabeth Williams (still leading the league with 2.5 BPG) is patrolling the rim, a tall order against an undefeated Lynx team (8-0) that remains so well-stacked in the frontcourt.

At small forward, Moore comes into tonight’s game as the reigning Western Conference Player of the Week and Month. Not far behind Maya in the early MVP is center Sylvia Fowles, last season’s WNBA Finals MVP who’s averaging 15.0 PPG and 8.5 RPG while also leading WNBA centers with 1.6 SPG. The crafty Janel McCarville returns rejuvenated after sitting out 2015, and is among the league leaders in Defensive Rating. Thanks to strong center play and sound defensive help, Minnesota leads the WNBA with 77.4 D-Reb% and 21.3 opponent TO%.

Williams will be challenged to sustain her defensive effort and attack the basket at the other end, without getting in foul trouble. If she watched the second half of Minnesota’s last game, she understands the ramifications if she doesn’t.

At the Target Center on Tuesday night, the floundering Phoenix Mercury had the Lynx on the ropes in the second half, opening up a nine-point lead midway through the third period. That was when Mercury center Brittney Griner drew her fourth foul of the game. She was subbed out, but a few minutes later as the Lynx made their charge, Griner was unwisely re-inserted to the game.

Moments later, a loose ball call had Brittney headed back to the bench with an unnecessary 5^th foul. For Fowles and Moore, Phoenix’s residual defenders around the rim resembled, as Shaq would put it, barbeque chicken. The Lynx duo was relentless in the fourth, each finishing with 21 points apiece, as Minnesota sped to a nine-point lead it wouldn’t relinquish.

Also sparingly used as a rookie in Minnesota, Gray (89.7 D-Rating, 2^nd on the Dream; just 6.6 minutes/game thus far) arrived here as part of last season’s three-way mid-season deal that landed Fowles in her desired destination, after Big Syl insisted on holding out until she was traded to that one specific team. Reshanda is definitely chomping at the bit to make her mark, playing against her former team.

“We have at least three people who can match what Sancho can bring to the table,” said Gray, operative word “can”, to the AJC, “in her rebounding, her basketball IQ and her great decision-making.” She added, I just take advantage of every minute and every opportunity I have out there.”

Cooper has been hard-pressed to find a frontcourt reserve contribution to match not just that of Lyttle, but of Aneika Henry-Morello, the former Dream big who has played sparingly for Connecticut after signing there as a free agent this past offseason. Rookie center Rachel Hollivay has struggled to adjust so far to the pace and physicality of the pro game. The lithe and lengthy Cierra Burdick (13 minutes in 4 appearances so far) could be a nice matchup against Minnesota’s Natasha Howard, who arrived via trade from Indiana.

While Atlanta shifts around in the frontcourt, the Dream may catch a bit of a break in the backcourt. Guard Seimone Augustus (third on the team in scoring, 11.1 PPG) is under the league’s Concussion Protocol after sustaining a head injury in Tuesday’s game against Phoenix, and is questionable to play tonight.  Trade acquisition Jia Perkins has been pleasant in spurts for the Lynx, but has not shot the ball well.

If Augustus is unfortunately out, tonight could be a strong opportunity to exploit Minnesota at the wing. Tiffany Hayes’ physical game can create foul trouble issues for coach Cheryl Reeve’s squad, and she’ll be needed to hit shots from the perimeter (1-for-10 3FGs in last four games) and also help secure defensive boards. Like Hollivay, Bria Holmes is another rookie that has struggled to get it going on the floor. Holmes and Hollivay’s Scarlet Knight alum, veteran Matee Ajavon, will have to step up on the offensive end to spread out the Minnesota defense, and make stops so that McCoughtry can key in on Moore.

Similar to Atlanta (29.0 team 3FG%, next-to-last in WNBA), the Lynx have not shot the ball well from deep thus far (31.0 team 3FG%) aside from Moore’s 37.7 3FG% and a hot night from Perkins and Renee Montgomery (combined 5-for-8 3FGs) this past Tuesday. Point guard Lindsay Whalen has struggled with consistency to start the year, and it’s up to Atlanta’s Carla Cortijo and Layshia Clarendon to minimize her playmaking from dribble penetration.

In terms of net rating, Connecticut (-10.2) sits just behind Washington (-10.1). The Mystics’ performance last Sunday afternoon in a 86-79 win at Philips Arena, breaking their 3-game losing skid, has to be heartening to coach Curt Miller and his Sun team, who have dropped six straight and hope to trip up visiting Seattle tonight before heading south for Sunday’s contest.

Last Sunday, Washington’s bigs (Stefanie Dolson, Emma Meesseman, Kia Vaughn, Ally Mallott) finally put together a full court effort to help out guards Tayler Hill and Ivory Latta (combined 6-for-13 3FGs). That, and cold shooting from Hayes (0-for-9 FGs, just two free throws) and Clarendon (3-for-10 FGs) made the difference. Connecticut will need a similarly balanced effort from their bigs to ease up the pressure on guards Alex Bentley and Jasmine Thomas.

Still coming off the bench, Chiney Ogwumike is showing signs she’s beginning to shed the rust, sinking five of six shots in Tuesday’s 88-77 home loss to Indiana. That, Camille Little’s occasional three-pointer, and Alyssa Thomas’ 20 points were about all the offense the Sun could muster against the Fever. But center Kelsey Bone, back in the starting lineup, continues to struggle mightily on defense, her 113.2 D-Rating the second-worst among players averaging 20+ minutes per game. Bone (-27 plus-minus against Indiana) has blocked one shot through eight games, and that was four games ago.

Hosting Atlanta back on June 3, the Sun could not melt Angel McCoughtry around the cup (10-for-11 2FGs) or keep Hayes (11-for-13 FTs) away from the charity stripe. The slide for Connecticut will continue if they can’t coax turnovers from the Dream, who have gotten much better in that regard thanks to stronger ball control from the point guards. Despite ranking last in the league for assists (14.4 team APG), Atlanta’s 16.3 TO% is behind only undefeated Los Angeles right now. Meanwhile, the Sun’s 9.5 SPG ranks 3^rd in the league, but Connecticut must find ways to score off live-ball turnovers to keep up with their competitors.

Toppling Minnesota at home, absent Lyttle, could be a big boost for Atlanta going forward. But the Dream will especially need to make sure they don’t look past Connecticut this weekend, if they intend to keep the season-long momentum steered in a positive direction.

 

Let’s Go Dream!

~lw3

[Dnice]

The dream didn't feel like playing after the half?  Gosh.

[Gray Mule]

Great first half! 

Adjustments were made and the Dream were only that, a Dream, in the second half.

How can a team go from being "Right there" with the defending champs at halftime

to being so bad in the second half?  Did we just give up or did they just wake up?

[lethalweapon3]

6 hours ago, Gray Mule said:

Great first half! 

Adjustments were made and the Dream were only that, a Dream, in the second half.

How can a team go from being "Right there" with the defending champs at halftime

to being so bad in the second half?  Did we just give up or did they just wake up?

I think i was a little of both! Atlanta rightly played the foul game in the opening half, catching the Lynx off-guard, but weren't able to keep up the energy needed to maintain the rebounding advantage and weren't creating transition points off turnovers. That just allowed Maya and Minnesota to lie in wait, and by the time they made their second-half run the Dream were too gassed. Really they had their chance to open up the lead in the first half when Maya sat with 3 personal fouls, but they wound up letting the Lynx sneak back into the lead at the half. Sancho's presence as the tables turned was sorely missed.

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

 

Sancho's veteran rebounding replacement is here!

http://dream.wnba.com/news/dream-signs-avery-warley-talbert/

Quote

ATLANTA (June 11, 2016) – The Atlanta Dream have signed free-agent center Avery Warley-Talbert to a contract, the organization announced Saturday...

Warley-Talbert, a 6-3 center, is a four-year WNBA veteran and has appeared in 104 career games, while making 31 starts for three teams (Phoenix, Chicago, New York).  A graduate of Liberty University, Warley-Talbert was originally signed as a free agent by the Phoenix Mercury prior to 2012 season.

She has averaged 2.7 points and 3.9 rebounds while playing 12.8 minutes per game over those 104 contests.

In 2015 Warley-Talbert appeared in 26 games for the New York Liberty, averaging 1.5 points and 2.7 rebounds.  She registered a per-48 rebounding number of 15.9 per contest, the top mark on the squad.  She was with the Liberty once again for training camp in 2016.

Plug and play!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Solid effort by both clubs this afternoon. If Williams puts together more games like that we might have to start calling her QE3.

If you picked some nice air conditioning at Philips over roasting outside at Turner Field, you were a winner today!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Back-to-back, Jill! After putting in a decent six quarters’ worth of WNBA play last weekend, the Atlanta Dream have been resting up for this weekend’s pair of contests, the first regular season games in 2016 that they’ll play on consecutive nights.

Following Friday night’s game at The Highlight Factory versus Elena Delle Donne and the Chicago Sky (7:30 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast in ATL, The U Too in CHI), Angel McCoughtry’s team heads up to D.C., to try exacting some revenge on the Washington Mystics (7:00 PM Eastern, NBATV in ATL, Monumental Sports Net in DC). To hear Angel tell it, back-to-backs like this in the WNBA schedule are cruel, but usual, punishment.

“The WNBA needs to get rid of back-to-backs,” she told the AJC which, by the way, is doing a much better job of covering the team than in seasons’ past. “Players play too much and too long all year around.”

A novice might take umbrage with the suggestion that the league’s 34-game regular season is “too much,” but they would overlook that for most women, their revenue generation continues in the WNBA’s postseason with leagues outside of North America. Throwing in national-team commitments and international tournament play, prominent WNBA athletes navigate an approximate NBA slate over the course of a calendar year, with a fraction of the income.

As a league, the W did a good job to couch the 2016 schedule around the Rio Games while also decreasing the number of back-to-back contests for its teams -- the Sky, for example, have none this season. But more could be done, including scheduling games on Monday (the league’s “Sabbath”, if you will, ensuring teams get weekly rest and/or practice time). The WNBA could also slip in more weekday matinees at non-NBA arenas, coinciding with the men’s Finals and conference finals.

In any case, McCoughtry (20.3 PPG, 3^rd in WNBA) is quick to add that it’s incumbent upon her team to “suck it up” and persevere, no matter what the schedule makers throw at them. “We’ve just [got to] tough it out and get the job done.”

For Dream head coach Michael Cooper, his challenge continues to be finding the right mix of contributors off the bench, a crew that has been hit-and-usually-miss to this point in the season. That task remains arduous as backup forward Reshanda Gray fills in for starter Sancho Lyttle, who just completed a successful run for Equipo España this morning, during the FIBA World Olympic qualifiers. “When you have to go back-to-back,” Cooper told the AJC, “your bench becomes very important. So we look for those players to see a little more time.”

During last Friday’s blowout home loss to still-undefeated Minnesota, Atlanta held serve through the first half, thanks in part to a foul-fest that worked more to the Dream’s benefit. But its reserve unit produced just two assists (both by Carla Cortijo) and shot a collective 1-for-16 from the field, their sole make a three-pointer courtesy of Meighan Simmons in the final minute of garbage time. They proved to be no competition for a Lynx bench that made 11 of 22 shots and matched Atlanta’s entire team with 11 assists.

Licking their wounds, Atlanta bounced back on Sunday against struggling Connecticut, and Cooper turned more to Simmons to keep the Sun set all day. In just under 11 minutes, Simmons hit 4 of her 8 shots from the floor, including two of the Dream’s three triples on the day. Cortijo (4-for-5 FTs) joined starting lead guard Layshia Clarendon (19 points on 6-for-8 FGs, 6-for-6 FTs, 9 assists) with persistent dribble penetration, drawing copious trips to the free throw line.

Relying upon veteran Avery Warley-Talbert for a couple more games could lessen the implulse for Cooper to play Rachel Hollivay, who continues to look lost on the floor. Her fellow rookie, first-rounder Bria Holmes, could stand to use more touches, having taken no more than four field goal attempts in all but one of her ten games, the exception being when she took five shots against New York back on May 24.

Elevating Bria’s usage (10^th lowest in WNBA among players with at least 10 minutes/game) could allow Atlanta to rest guard Tiffany Hayes. Tip has been passing the ball well lately (last five games: 17 assists, just four TOs) but otherwise struggles to make a positive imprint on the game, especially when she isn’t drawing fouls. Hayes has made just two of her past 16 three-point attempts, both coming on a 2-for-7 3FGs outing against the Lynx. Holmes lacks a perimeter shot but has played steadier on-ball defense and could serve as a nice change-up to pair with Clarendon in extended minutes.

Cortijo was the difference-maker off the bench for Atlanta (7-3) during their 87-81 home win over Chicago back on May 22. She made two of her five three-point shots and added four free throws while dishing out five assists with zero turnovers, all in under 13 minutes of action.

Conversely, two-time reigning Sixth Woman of the Year Allie Quigley converted just two of 12 attempts for the Sky in their last visit to Atlanta. Quigley made six of nine shots on the road against undefeated L.A. on Tuesday, but otherwise contributed binary numbers across the board. Chicago (5-6) is aiming to steer momentum back into the win column, having dropped its last two contests, both on the road, after winning four straight.

Tonight’s game features the top two teams in the East in per-game scoring, albeit for vastly differing reasons. Chicago is the sole WNBA team getting more than 70 percent of their scoring from two-pointers. Atlanta is the only team that draws over a quarter of its offense from free throws. The Sky aren’t taking many threes (WNBA-low 9.9 3FGAs per game) and the Dream aren’t making many (28.5 3FG%, 10^th in WNBA), so the outcome will hinge upon which team gets into the paint and converts.

Rumors of Erika DeSouza’s demise are premature. The former Dream center ranks second in the WNBA with 2.9 offensive rebounds per game. Atlanta will need solid play inside from DeSouza’s heir apparent, Elizabeth Williams (career game of 20 points, 10 boards, 5 dimes, 3 swats, 2 swipes vs. Connecticut on Sunday), along with Gray and McCoughtry, to limit Chicago’s second chances, while the swing players have to keep Cappie Pondexter and Delle Donne from getting good mid-range looks.

Come back soon, Sancho! Lyttle’s absence has already caused the Dream to fall back to Earth in terms of forcing live-ball turnovers. Atlanta nabbed just two steals in the flow of the game versus Minnesota, none after Clarendon’s steal of a Sylvia Fowles pass and subsequent pull-up gave the Dream an early third-quarter 50-49 lead, in a game they’d go on to lose 110-78.

After playing Minnesota, the Dream coaxed just one more team turnover out of Connecticut, Angel getting four of Atlanta’s paltry (for them) seven steals. Particularly at home, the Dream (5.6 home SPG, last in WNBA; league-high 10.8 SPG on the road) must find ways to get back to their DNA, something the Sky won’t make easy. Courtney Vandersloot (5.3 APG, 3^rd in WNBA) has returned to the starting lineup for Chicago ahead of Jameirra Faulkner (5.5 APG, 2^nd in WNBA), improving ball-control for coach Pokey Chatman’s club. The Sky’s current 1.47 assist-turnover ratio is eclipsed only by Los Angeles’ 1.69.

The downside for Chicago is that they’re not forcing many turnovers, either. Opponents’ 14.0 TO% ranks lowest in the league, while only Washington’s foes post a higher assist-turnover ratio (1.63) than Chicago (1.60). The L.A. Sparks committed just six turnovers on Tuesday as their sudden dynamo forward Nneka Ogwumike (12-for-14 FGs) had a field day against Delle Donne (4-for-12 FGs) and whomever the Sky assigned to her.

If Atlanta (tops in WNBA pace; 3^rd-lowest TO%) can keep pushing the tempo on Chicago without making many unforced errors, they can establish an advantage. A win tonight would clinch the season-series against the Sky, as these teams won’t play again until late August.

Similar to the situation with the Sky, the Mystics won’t play the Dream again until mid-September. Atlanta could use a win on Saturday night to keep their head-to-head series in play, while maintaining pressure on the Mystics, who are desperate to kick off their five-game homestand on the right foot.

An 0-5 home record to start the season has been downright Mystic-fying for Washington. They have impressively won five of seven away games, including an 86-79 win on June 5 to snap the Dream’s five-game winning streak. But the Mystics have averaged a league-low 14.4 assists at home, and 18.4 free throw attempts, compared to 28.9 (only behind Atlanta’s 33.4 road FTAs per game) away from the Verizon Center.

Mike Thibault’s team prevailed most recently on Tuesday, their third-straight road win coming by way of a triple-overtime “thriller” in Connecticut. To get off the schneid back at The Phone Booth, it helps the Mystics to have the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week in their corner.

Lately, Emma Meesseman has been creeping up the MVP ranks. After a tepid start, the Belgian has been putting the waffle iron to opponents, averaging a career-best 15.5 PPG while helping Tayler Hill (also 15.5 PPG; former Hawk summer hooper David Lighty is her boyfriend and her kid’s baby-daddy) carry the Washington offense. Meesseman raised her perimeter shooting to 57.1 3FG% after sinking four of five attempts against the Sun on Tuesday, scoring 11 of her team-high 23 points in the first five minutes of the game.

Emma also took time to dish out a season-high five assists against Connecticut, this one day after receiving the POW award. If her past three games (21.7 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 57.8 FG%) are any indication, she’ll be among the MVP finalists once the regular season wraps up. But first, her team absolutely needs to get a few home wins under their belts.

Six Dream reserves tallied just 14 points in limited minutes against the Mystics on June 5, a total nearly matched by Washington backup guard Ivory Latta (12 points) alone. Atlanta will need production out of not only their bench but the starting backcourt, as Hayes (0-for-9 FGs, 1 point) and Clarendon (3-for-10 FGs, 1 assist, 3 TOs) were literal no-shows during that last Dream-Mystics matchup.

Still the league’s leading shot-blocker, Atlanta’s Williams (21 points, 8-for-12 FGs vs. WAS) will continue creating havoc as a help defender. But she’ll have to do a better job of boxing out Stefanie Dolson (six O-Rebs @ ATL) and keeping the Mystics to one-and-done possessions, especially with Lyttle (game-high 8 D-Rebs vs. WAS) still overseas. Team rebounding and better offensive balance would work to the benefit of McCoughtry, who had just about any shot she wanted against the Mystics (28 points, 8-for-16 FGs, 10-for-13 FTs) in their last meeting.

Saturday night’s game is merely the appetizer on NBATV’s double-billing. Just over a year after the infamous “Falter at the Altar”, Phoenix’s Brittney Griner faces off, in the game following the Dream-Mystics, against Dallas and her momentary spouse-slash-baby-mama. Glory Johnson has appeared in four games after serving her season-opening league suspension. She, like teammate Skylar Diggins, continues to shake off the rust, in Glory’s case after a publicly-contested pregnancy, divorce, and child-support proceedings against Griner.

While Glory is likely to receive a chilly reception from Mercury fans, she can warm up by sitting near the hot seat that belongs to her coach Fred Williams. The Wings (4-7) have reverted to their usual underwhelming selves, as was their custom in Tulsa, and have struggled with defense and keeping healthy and productive bodies on the floor.

Skylar Diggins is back in the starting lineup for Dallas. But more slippage out of the playoff picture, including an seventh defeat in eight games, could get the former Dream coach Williams an early jump on his summer jazz concert plans. Brittney and the Mercury (4-6) are playing marginally better but can’t afford any slip-ups, either. Get your popcorn ready!

 

Let’s Go Dream!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Angel McCoughtry is right on the Final Cut line for the WNBA Top 20 All-Time players, to be announced next Tuesday as part of the league's 20th anniversary celebration.

I've got Angel squeaking in as my final selection. But that doesn't mean she's getting Nique'd if she doesn't make it, as there are plenty of excellent candidates that won't make the cut.

My Top 20 list:

Lisa Leslie (#) ($)

Maya Moore

Tamika Catchings (#) ($)

Sheryl Swoopes (#) ($)

Diana Taurasi ($)

Cynthia Cooper-Dyke (#) ($)

Lauren Jackson (#) ($)

Yolanda Griffith (#) ($)

Candace Parker

Sue Bird (#) ($)

Tina Thompson (#) ($)

Katie Smith (#) ($)

Cappie Pondexter ($)

(now the list gets tough...)

Ticha Penecheiro ($)

Tina Charles

Seimone Augustus

Becky Hammon ($)

Lindsay Whalen

Sylvia Fowles

Angel McCoughtry

 

HONORABLE MENTION

Dawn Staley (#) ($)

Natalie Williams

Brittney Griner

Taj McWilliams-Franklin

Deanna "Tweety" Nolan

Chamique Holdsclaw

Teresa Weatherspoon ($)

Rebekkah Brunson

Elena Delle Donne

Penny Taylor

(# - WNBA Top 10 selection)

($ - WNBA Top 15 selection)

Other links:

http://womhoops.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/wnba-top-20-all-time-players-guru.html

 

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Congrats to Sancho. Go for the Silver! ;-)

Hopefully, she'll get to come back across the pond soon. In other FIBA OQT action, France (Celine Dumerc; draft blunder Isabelle Yacoubou) will likely punch their Olympic ticket later today by defeating Argentina. Belarus (Yelena Leuchenka; Lindsay Harding... yeah, I know) blew their shot earlier today, and now will have to win their next two games to get to Rio.

~lw3