2016 Atlanta Dream and WNBA Previews

[lethalweapon3]

WNBA League Pass-only for this evening's visit by the Atlanta Dream to Bankers Life Fieldhouse. They'll face the Indiana Fever (7:00 PM Eastern), who have had a rough go of things at home.

The Fever's last victory in front of their home crowd, was back on June 1 against the Seattle Storm. Since then, Indiana (9-12) has dropped home games versus Chicago, Seattle again, and New York. Indiana ended June on a two-game road winning streak when they returned home to fall against lowly San Antonio. They went back out on the road and nearly edged the L.A. Sparks, then beat Phoenix and Seattle in their respective gyms, only to come home and get walloped, 86-64, on Wednesday by a Connecticut team that hadn't beaten an Eastern foe all season.

Fever coach Stephanie White already has one foot out the door, accepting a better-paying job at Vandy and preparing to hit the recruiting trail during the upcoming Olympic break. But for a team eager to give WNBA icon Tamika Catchings a proper sendoff, mounting losses before a rabid fanbase can only risk hastening White's departure.

Featuring nine of its 11 active players averaging between 6.5 and (Catchings') 13.3 PPG, and no players averaging above 2.0 per-game turnovers, Indiana has been preaching and practicing balanced team offense all season long. But Catchings needs someone to steadily take over at both ends of the court.

Rebounding savant Erlana Larkins (71.1 TS%, behind only Nneka Ogwumike's would-be-record 76.2%) could certainly stand more looks in the post. Frontcourt player Lynetta Kizer was the pop-up performer (9-for-11 FGs) in the loss to Connecticut, but is inconsistent. Lead guard Briann January led the WNBA in 3-point accuracy in 2015, but doesn't look for her own shots as much as she ought to. Shenise Johnson, rookie Tiffany Mitchell, and Marissa Coleman are ready-made wing scorers, but all three are coming off the bench since White lacks confidence in their defense.

Speaking of team-balance, seven of the Fever's top 8 scorers all shoot above 85 FT%. Atlanta (11-10) has to avoid committing shooting fouls, as a contest in that department works to the Dream's detriment (75.5 team FT%, next-to-last in WNBA). With Indiana playing both point guards in the starting lineup, any effort that leads to either January or ex-Dreamer Erica Wheeler in early foul trouble would be beneficial.

After the Dream-Fever game ends, the league's attention shifts fully to Seattle tonight. WNBA legend Lauren Jackson will be in attendance for her jersey retirement ceremony. It's scheduled to be held postgame, so if the league is wise it will allow its League Pass subscribers to tune in.

~lw3

[Gray Mule]

Three starters out by the end of thee game.  Two top scorers both fouled out and

Sancho missed the second half with a sore ankle.  Too many things to overcome

as the Dream fall again.

[lethalweapon3]

The march to WNBA history continues for the Los Angeles Sparks, who roll into Philips Arena facing the Atlanta Dream (3:00 PM Eastern, Fox Sports South in ATL, Time Warner Cable SportsNet in LA, NBATV everywhere else) while upholding a WNBA-best 20-1 record. Back in 1998, Cynthia Cooper and the Houston Comets were on the way to a league-best mark of 27-3, but lost to the Cleveland Rockers in August to slip to 20-2. So the Sparks can break the best-ever mark for a WNBA team through 22 games with a win today in Atlanta.

The Sparks aren’t infallible, though. The last-place Connecticut Sun held a lead on visiting Los Angeles with under 2 minutes to go on Friday, then went back-and-forth with the Sparks well into overtime until a three-pointer and a pair of free throws from Kristi Toliver (2.7 3FGs/game, 3^rd in WNBA) allowed L.A. to pull away.

Although we’re barely past the midway point of the season, Nneka Ogwumike (19.2 PPG, 4^th in WNBA; 8.6 RPG, 3^rd in WNBA) likely has a chokehold on the league MVP trophy. Her 71.3 FG% would be a new WNBA record if it holds up through season’s end. Nneka scored a career-high 38 points against visiting Atlanta on June 30 in an 84-75 win, but thanks to Tiffany Hayes’ cobweb-shedding 32-point performance, also her career-best, the Sparks couldn’t pull away from the Dream until the closing two minutes.

Atlanta had to play most of that game without Sancho Lyttle, who Michael Cooper withheld to rest a nagging leg injury, perhaps further allowing Ogwumike free range. When Ogwumike and woman-on-a-mission Candace Parker (5.1 APG, 3^rd in WNBA) are at the top of their respective games, the Sparks are tough enough to top. It gets even rougher for opponents if teammates like backup big Jantel Lavender (career-high 25 points @ CON on Friday) are going bonkers.

Armed with Lyttle and Elizabeth Williams, Atlanta (11-11) has the starting frontline to match up with Parker and Ogwumike, or at least to offset them when they’re healthy. What the Dream don’t have is a reliable sixth woman.

Struggling with her shot for well over a month, reserve guard Carla Cortijo came alive with 20 points (4-for-6 3FGs; rest of team 0-for-6) in Friday’s 78-72 loss in Indiana, what can only be hoped for as a breakout effort on her end. To keep from wearing down Williams, Lyttle and leading-scorer Angel McCoughtry, the Dream need much more productive minutes than they’ve received from Reshanda Gray and Markeisha Gatling.

Angel has yet to have a solid outing since being named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week last Monday. She was short-leashed by Michael Cooper after just ten unproductive minutes in New York, then shot just 5-for-15 with six turnovers in Indiana, likely more had she not fouled out of the game midway through the fourth quarter in her likely final meeting versus Tamika Catchings. Today, she’ll have to solve the riddle of her offensive Sphynx, the Sparks’ Alana Beard, who was key to strait-jacketing McCoughtry to 2-for-7 shooting from the field on June 30, ending a long double-digit scoring streak.

Hearts Out to Baton Rouge! Stop the Wanton Gun Violence! And Let’s Go Dream!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

:-(

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

~lw3

[Dnice]

Yay ... upset!

[Gray Mule]

GREAT  WIN ! 

Sancho gone for the season.  Angel in big foul trouble in 1st half.  Didn't matter.

This is a feel good day in Atlanta with both the Braves and Dream winning.

 

[lethalweapon3]

WNBA League Pass only for the mid-day matinee (1:00 PM Eastern), where the Atlanta Dream will try to score its first victory in the Target Center against the Minnesota Lynx since 2009. Back-to-back upsets are a little too much to ask, and of course the climb is even more uphill with Sancho Lyttle gone for the season. But the Dream are hoping to fend off hard-charging Chicago and Indiana, the latter team victorious over the backsliding Sparks last night.

A shockingly strong upset of the L.A. Sparks could not have transpired without several components coming together at the right time: rookie Bria Holmes with a solid two-way effort (15 points, 2 steals) as a starter, aggressive defense from point guard Layshia Clarendon (6 D-Rebs, two steals and a block), a pair of quick three-pointers from Meighan Simmons off the bench, and aggressiveness on the offensive glass from reserve big Markeisha Gatling. The Dream also made 27 of their 31 free throw attempts, leaving few points on the table.

That scale of effort and more will be needed to top Maya Moore (ESPY Award Winner for Best WNBA Player; 20.0 PPG, 3rd in WNBA), Sylvia Fowles and the Lynx in their house. Like the Sparks, Minnesota is not infallible. They're 11-1 in their own conference but 8-3 against Eastern teams. They needed a jumpshot in the paint from Seimone Augustus with 15 seconds to play to pull off a win in Dallas on Sunday night, their fourth-straight victory and sixth of their past seven games after dropping three straight.

Long known for shutting opponents down inside (40.9 opponent FG%, 2nd-best in WNBA; league-low 7.9 opponent O-Rebs per game), the Lynx allow plenty of three-point shots (18.3 opponent 3FGAs per game, 3rd in WNBA), the Wings sinking ten of them on Sunday. While it's not Atlanta's forte (league-low 13.1% of offense from threes), it behooves the Dream to find somebody with an occasional hot hand from the perimeter, as it can shift the Lynx's defensive pressure on Angel McCoughtry along with Elizabeth Williams around the rim. Also crucial for Atlanta will be recovering on defense when losing the ball, as Minnesota is the only WNBA team whose opponents have more turnovers than assists.

Let's Go Dream!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Now, there's some good news! Well, maybe not for Spain, but still, we'll take it!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

In the mid-season finale before the WNBA’s Olympic Break, will there be a win beneath these Wings? The Atlanta Dream take their show up the street to McCamish Pavilion at Georgia Tech, where Skylar Diggins, Odyssey Sims and the Dallas Wings await (7:30 PM Eastern, WNBA League Pass only).

While the Dream cannot afford to look ahead, we certainly can. It’s as good a time as any to look at Magic Numerology! If Atlanta can get a little help via losses by Washington (hosting L.A.) and/or Seattle (visiting Minnesota) tonight, the playoff-clinching Magic Number for the 12-12 Dream could be trimmed down to seven with a victory tonight.

There will be nine games left on the slate once Angel McCoughtry returns from Rio about a month from now, so the smaller that single-digit Magic Number, the better for everyone. They’ve got some tough road games ahead (Chicago, L.A., Phoenix, Minnesota), to be sure. But with a modest home schedule to close out the regular season (Connecticut, Seattle, Phoenix, San Antonio, Washington), it shouldn’t take much more to make a return to the postseason, and remain in contention for the coveted fourth-seed (first-round bye), presuming key players stay healthy.

On that note, some heartening news arrived yesterday. It turns out forward Sancho Lyttle’s foot injury did not involve a break, but instead a partial tendon tear and bone bruise. That puts Sancho’s rehab timetable right on track for a return to the floor when the Dream resumes play in August. Further, she won’t be returning with any Olympic wear-and-tear playing for Team Spain.

You’ll recall that McCoughtry’s triumphant gold-medal return to the ATL following the London Games in 2012 didn’t last for terribly long. Her infamous feuding with then-coach Marynell Meadors was low-lighted by her skipping out on a road game and all but daring owners to oust the coach before she would consider playing (the team obliged).

Current head coach Michael Cooper’s job seems to be in decent standing, especially if Atlanta gets back into the postseason. But with the downturn in the team’s overall success in recent weeks, The Specter of Lori Ann is percolating to the surface once again.

As halftime approached in Minnesota on Wednesday, McCoughtry was predictably flustered by Layshia Clarendon’s unwillingness to pass her the ball. Angel stood askance at literally the halfcourt line, while Clarendon was left to run a 4-on-5 as the clock wound down.

That was it for the game for Angel (2-for-8 FGs), as Coach Coop elected to sit her out from the second half (“rest”, I’m sure). Even despite a poor game from Maya Moore (1-for-9 FGs), the Lynx were able to pester Tiffany Hayes (3-for-11 FGs, fouled out) and the Dream into poor shooting from the floor (38.3 team FG%, 2-for-12 3FGs) while constraining Atlanta’s trips to the free throw line.

Absent floor leadership from McCoughtry and Carla Cortijo, the Dream’s Matee Ajavon committed five turnovers in just under 16 minutes of floor time versus the Lynx. But with the Wings bearing the league’s worst defense (107.0 D-Rating), Dallas is an ideal opponent to help McCoughtry and the Dream return to an even keel before the break. Angel nearly registered a triple-double (27/10/9; one assist was discredited from her after the game) when the Dream edged the visiting Wings in overtime on July 8.

Sims (15.0 PPG) continues to lead her team in scoring, but while shooting a highly inefficient 34.5 FG%. She led the way with 20 points and 8 assists on Wednesday at home, but the Wings fell behind early and could not catch up to Connecticut, a loss they’re eager to atone for. Diggins is still not quite 100% healthy but is starting and getting more minutes of playing time.

One player for the Dream who seems to be coming around is newcomer center Markeisha Gatling, who went 4-for-5 on shots versus Minnesota and picked up 5 rebounds in 20 minutes of action off the bench. While Gatling vies for the ball against a similarly space-eating Courtney Paris, while working in tandem with Elizabeth Williams to keep the Wings out of the paint, Atlanta will need a sound team effort on the defensive glass against a Dallas team that leads the WNBA in offensive rebounding and piled up the second-chance points with 17 O-Rebs during their last skirmish in Atlanta, a 95-90 overtime loss.

While Atlanta is missing Lyttle, they’re also catching a bit of a reprieve today, given that Wings forward Glory Johnson (16 points, 15 rebounds @ ATL on July 8) remains sidelined due to a toe injury she sustained during that game. Wings coach Fred Williams, whose job might be on shaky ground heading into the break, will instead turn to stretch forward Plenette Pierson. Plenny P sat out the last game against Atlanta but contributed 21 points (5-for-8 3FGs) and 11 rebounds in a one-point loss to Minnesota this past Sunday.

As a final note, Atlanta’s Lisa Borders has her first major PR crisis on her hands, the aftermath of her league’s bungling of fines for protesting players. Let’s see how, or if, she and the league brass can turn this around.

Let’s Go Dream!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

No Gray Area last night for Reshanda!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Liz vs. Angel tonite!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

At the Olympic Break:

 

What’s been working?

Strong Start! Atlanta had a surprisingly decent sprint out of the blocks, highlighted by an impressive road win at New York. The 6-1 start, including 4-1 on the road, made the predictable decline that ensued (1-7 on the road since) far more palatable.

Wing Clippin’! You have to show a mastery of some teams, just to create the pedestal needed to stand above the playoff fray. Atlanta swept their 3-game series versus Dallas, and took all three games thus far versus in-conference rival Connecticut, including two games at Mohegan Sun. They also won both regular-season games played against Elena Delle Donne and Chicago. Anything less successful against those teams, and we’d be seeing the difference between a current 4-seed and yet another disappointment.

Shoni What? The portly point guard is shooting 56 percent on her threes, but she’s more of a spot-duty luxury for Bill Laimbeer’s first-place Liberty (just 4.5 mins/game, DNP’d in nine of New York’s 26 games) than an essential component of the rotation, as was the case here in Atlanta (20-21 mins/game in two seasons). Meanwhile, her essential replacement, Layshia Clarendon, has kept the turnovers down, helps out on the boards, and makes buckets on her drives, all while making a case for Eastern Conference All-Star guard, if there was a game this season. Layshia’s no “star” (the East guard options are weak this year) but, relative to Schimmel, she is hungry (in a good way) and determined.

Damiris Who? The preseason maneuver to trade away a high draft pick and get Liz Williams paid off immediate dividends for the Dream, especially with the team’s presumptive starting center sitting out this season for Rio. Her defensive work has been fantastic: 4^th in the WNBA East for rebounds, second in the league for blocks. She has to work on finishing strong in the paint (42.9 FG%), but for a sophomore season coming off an injury, it’s hard to ask for much more. Whatever issues we have with Michael Cooper as a coach, his personnel decision-making as the de facto GM has been on-point this year.

We Made It! Thanks largely to Angel McCoughtry and Tiffany Hayes at the wing, Atlanta is on pace to shatter WNBA records for the most free throw attempts in league history (27.1 FTAs per game; the 1999 Sacramento Monarchs got up 26.5 charity shots per game). It will help Atlanta’s cause tremendously if Angel (league-high 6.8 per game) can hit those shots at better than 76.6 FT%, her lowest percentage since her 2009 Rookie of the Year season.

Turnovers? What Are THOSE? Better ball control from the lead guards is making the Dream halfcourt offense look a lot more like a garden-variety WNBA club, for a change. 13.1 player turnovers per game are right below the league average. Atlanta has “led”, if you will, in this category for the past three seasons and four of the past five (second only to Tulsa in 2011).

Match Game! The Dream finished with just 15 wins last season, and will come back from the break next month just two wins shy of matching that number, with nine games remaining.

What hasn’t worked?

Dimed and Dimed! The 2008 Atlanta Dream became the first WNBA team to allow opponents to ring up over 20 assisted baskets per game (20.1 opponent APG). Eight seasons later, this Dream team (19.6) is dangerously close to that all-time franchise mark, although the league record was since eclipsed by the 2010 Mercury (21.4). An above-average tempo on defense (80.2 opponent possessions per-40, 3^rd in NBA) is only partially explanatory. The discrepancy in ball movement and team-oriented playmaking is evident. The Dream produce a league-low 14.8 APG on offense and, despite a reduction in turnovers, they rank dead-last with a 1.06 assist/turnover ratio. The assist totals would probably be a little bit higher, but for the next item.

Oww, She’s A Brick… House! The 2011 Dream (26.1 3FG%) barely missed out on surpassing the 1998 Monarchs (26.0 3FG%) for the worst three-point shooting percentage in WNBA history. This year’s edition is threatening to seize that mark, their league-low 26.6 3FG% currently the 4^th-worst all-time, and Clarendon is the only Dreamette hitting above a 30 percent clip. Mixing in the lack of assists, these two factors contribute heavily to the Dream being ranked 11^th in eFG%, true shooting%, and offensive rating. Including the 2013 club (27.5 3FG%), the Dream hold three of the ten worst three-point accuracy marks in WNBA history, four of the 15 worst if you throw in the 2010 team (28.9 3FG%). As a franchise, they’ve only finished at the league average once in its nine-year history, and that was the inaugural 2008 season.

One, But Not Done! The Dream are holding their foes to just 46.8 eFG% (3^rd-lowest in WNBA), largely due to solid defensive work along the perimeter (31.1 opponent 3FG%, 2^nd-lowest in WNBA) on many nights. Too often, though, they just find themselves failing to close out with the defensive boards to terminate possessions. Opponents’ 9.8 offensive rebounds per game are second-most only to Seattle. In fairness, six overtime sessions inflate the per-game totals: their per-possession D-Reb% is right in the middle of the league. But the intermittent presence of Sancho Lyttle (injuries, Olympics prep) in the lineup has hampered already wafer-thin depth. More urgently, Williams is logging way too much floortime (34.1 mins/game, 2^nd in WNBA), and the wear-and-tear shows up on the floor in many games.

Markeisha, Matee and the Funky Bench! Atlanta is getting next to nil out of their reserve performers, especially if Coach Coop has to rely on more than two at a time. After a surprising 2015, Matee Ajavon has regressed completely to Matee Ajavon levels. Rookie Rachel Hollivay might not be the worst player in the league getting around ten minutes a night (Matee?), but she is certainly in the running. Carla Cortijo, Reshanda Gray, Meighan Simmons, and first-rounder Bria Holmes have shown occasional sparks, only to revert to the shadows shortly thereafter. To be fair to all of them, excepting Ajavon and Markeisha Gatling, they’re very young and under-experienced. But this break is a perfect time for them all to put in the needed work and come out of it with greater confidence and efficiency.

Regression to the “Mean”? Angel was as jovial as anyone could be during the winning stretch at the season’s outset, eager to lavish praise toward teammates at virtually every opportunity. Alas, as has often been the case, when the bad losses pile up, an Angel discards her halo. She assured fans that the team finally had it together going forward, after the big home win over Los Angeles. A couple days later, she’s fuming at the half despite a tough but manageable deficit in Minnesota. For this to be anything more than an early playoff departure for the Dream, Angel has to be less Lori Ann in games, and more Even-Keel. She has to trust her point guard to run plays, and her coach to call the right ones.

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

 

WNBA Teams at the Olympic Break

 

San Antonio Stars (5-18): From arenas to leadership to floorplay, this seems like a franchise that has been in flux for several seasons now. Dan Hughes himself has one foot out the door, and the legendary coach deserves to go out in better style than this. A lot has been put on Dearica Hamby (42.9 FG%), and the second-year forward hasn’t quite turned the corner. Relying so heavily on Jayne Appel-Marinelli (3.0 PPG) to produce at center is a signal to the fanbase that you’re not really trying that hard; it’s time to let Kayla Alexander (7.9 PPG in fewer minutes) hold the fort as a starter. With the backcourt of the future seemingly set (Mo Jefferson, Kayla McBride), injured 2015 All-Star Danielle Robinson must be on the outs and headed to a contender once the trade deadline (August 30, 8:00 PM Eastern) approaches.

 

Connecticut Sun (8-16): They’re sort of righting the ship under first-year coach Curt Miller, having won five of their past eight games, and he can thank the recovering Chiney Ogwumike (three 20+-point games this month) and a less-disastrous Alex Bentley for the bounceback. Jonquel Jones is also coming along nicely in her rookie campaign, quite a relief given how disastrous Camille Little and free agent Aneika Henry-Morello have been. Having to give up on center Kelsey Bone already (traded to Phoenix), plus losing rookie Rachel Banham to knee surgery before she could get going, had to be disappointing. But it’s good to see point guard Jasmine Thomas has probably found a steady WNBA home, while Alyssa Thomas has kept the team defense from going completely haywire.

 

Dallas Wings (9-16): Fred Williams is likely the most endangered coach in the W right now, but it remains to be seen whether he gets the heave-ho before the break ends, or after the season instead. They’re just a half-game out of the final playoff spot, yet fans should certainly have expected more out of this outfit. The league leader in per-game rebounding (9.8 RPG), Glory Johnson’s early (suspension) and recent (injury) absences have certainly hurt, again overtaxing last year’s team leader in Courtney Paris. But central to the disappointing play is the lack of synthesis between the Yin and Yang of their star-laden backcourt, Odyssey Sims and Skylar Diggins. It often seems that when one is on, the other is decidedly off. Can Coach Freddie get this duo working in sync, before it’s too late for him?

 

Seattle Storm (9-15): With as good a shot as anyone to creep into the playoffs, there’s really not much to complain about up in the Emerald City. Jenny Boucek’s crew is just one victory short of 2015’s win output with ten games to spare. Rookie Breanna Stewart is just about a lock to end the season with some hardware, league assist-leader Sue Bird looks rejuvenated, and second-year pro Jewell Loyd is beginning to work things out. Plus, Seattle’s shooting the rock (51.7 eFG%, 2nd in WNBA) fairly well. Poor rebounding (worst in WNBA by most measures; Stewie looks as though she’s out there by herself) and turnovers are the things holding this team back. They could also sorely use a sixth-woman that’s an upgrade over Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Ramu Tokashiki, and Jenna O’Hea.

 

Washington Mystics (9-15): Things were going so well! After blowing out the Dream and beating the Lynx by 24, Washington went into July at 9-8. They’re capably led by Emma Threesseman (55.6 3FG%!!!), I mean, Meesseman, the best stretch in the biz right now. But injuries to, first, Natasha Cloud and Ivory Latta and, now, second-leading scorer Tayler Hill, have zapped the Mystics’ backcourt depth, the first two plus Bria Hartley (broke finger) playing like the walking wounded lately. They came up empty on a five-game West Coast road trip, followed by home losses without Hill to Minnesota and New York going into the break. Turning this around will require everybody getting healthy, and for coach Mike Thibault to rely more on rookie wing Kahleah Copper.

 

Phoenix Mercury (10-14): It suffices to say, the Merc can’t be happy with where things stand going into the break. Underscoring that losing record is a 2-9 record versus their fellow teams in the Western Conference, and an underwhelming 3-8 mark away from Talking Stick. Starting out the year 0-for-4 didn’t help, either. Offensively, it’s also safe to say Brittney Griner isn’t what she should be, and she’s been a non-factor defensively on too many nights, When Chicago won the mid-season finale in their house on a buzzer-beating putback, Griner was in the showers, ejected in the third quarter for shoving an opponent. Diana Taurasi herself spends more time going after referees than she does opposing guards defensively. Phoenix produces just 6.8 O-Rebs per game. Their opponents are having a field day around the perimeter with a league-high 39.0 3FG%. Sandy Brondello has more work cut out for her during this interim period than any other coach. The team that was supposed to be the most motivated to excel in 2016 has been coasting.

 

Chicago Sky (11-13): Having Jameirra Faulkner (4.8 APG in just 20.5 mins/game)raise her play to near-parity on many games with Courtney Vandersloot (4.4 APG in 21.7 mins/game) has been a boon for the Sky. It helps that the pair can dish the ball for the most accurate three-point shooting team in the East (38.7 team 3FG%), a quality that coach Pokey Chatman could afford to exploit in the back end of the season. Elena Delle Donne (21.2 PPG, 41.9 3FG%), simply put, has been fire. But her team has been missing bigs that can keep up defensively without fouling (opponents’ WNBA-high 22.3% of points from FTs), as Erika de Souza is less of a presence, while Clarissa dos Santos and Cheyenne Parker have failed to emerge. Can rookie Imani Boyette be the answer? Chicago also misses wings that can help keep opponents (WNBA-high 23.5% of points from 3FGs) cool from outside.

 

Indiana Fever (12-12): Last season’s surprise NBA Finalists went through quite a mid-season funk at home; but for that, they might be rivaling New York for the top spot in the East. Instead, they’re neck-and-neck with Atlanta and Chicago, trying to stay clear of the playoffs’ first round. Stephanie White is splitting duties, spending most of her downtime on the recruiting trail for her upcoming job at Vanderbilt. The retiring Tamika Catchings (35.6 3FG%, league-high 48 steals), still the best thing Indiana has going for it, is Olympics-bound for the last time. That leaves assistants and remaining players practicing to rekindle a team once well-renowned for its team defense, but needs Catch to keep them from falling below-average. Indy opponents are hitting shots at a league-high 51.5 eFG%, but also producing turnovers at a WNBA-high 20.7% of possessions. For the Fever defense, it’s Turnover or Bust. Is the future face of this franchise rookie reserve Tiffany Mitchell, or somebody not yet on this roster?

 

New York Liberty (18-8): Coach Bill Laimbeer and company are looking like the East’s top seed once again. But while 2015’s franchise-best 23-11 record is within reach, it’s really all about avoiding any stumbles once the playoffs get here. Working forward Rebecca Allen back into the fold will help, but even more beneficial will be the September return of scoring guard Epiphanny Prince. Without Allen and Sugar Rodgers (2.7 3FGs/game, 2nd in WNBA, 43.5 3FG%), the Libs would be hard-pressed to find any 3-point shooters that aren’t also defensive sieves. So, the sooner Prince can get reacclimated, the better, Meanwhile, Tina Charles (21.4 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 3.7 APG) has been as prominent as any fixture you’d find on Ellis Island. Swin Cash provides a steady presence as a starting small forward, but an upgrade at the position by Trader Bill and Associates would only bolster what’s already one of the deeper teams (Shavonte Zellous, Kiah Stokes, Brittany Boyd) in the league.

 

Minnesota Lynx (21-4): Couple a six-game winning streak with Los Angeles’ recent road stumbles, and you have the best two-team race for full homecourt advantage in years. Minny’s starting five has long been stalwart, but now coach Cheryl Reeve can turn to a pretty stout second line as well, with Renee Montgomery, Jia Perkins, Janell McCarvile and the young Natasha Howard leading the way off the bench. Sylvia Fowles (8.5 D-Rebs per game, 1.9 BPG) continues to make the Lynx’s play to acquire her for last year’s championship run worth their while, as the leader in the race for Defensive Player of the Year. The team’s leading scorer, assist-maker, and theft-producer, Maya Moore (24.8 PER, 2nd in WNBA) remains as spiffy as ever, despite some early-season struggles. Having split wins on the road, L.A. and Minnesota go at it once more on September 6.

 

Los Angeles Sparks (21-3): It’s safe to assume these Sparks won’t go the way of the 2013 Atlanta Dream, who went from a torrid 12-1 start to finish at a sad 17-17, despite still reaching the Finals out of the East. Leading MVP candidate Nneka Ogwumike (19.6 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 71.0 FG%, 1.2 SPG, 1.3 BPG) and the extra-motivated Candace Parker (16.4 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 5.1 APG, 40.3 3FG%) won’t allow that. Lockdown wing defender Alana Beard won’t, either. And after a rough start to last season, coach Brian Agler has no intentions of overseeing a regression. One wild card: can guard Kristi Toliver maintain her epic shooting pace (45.3 3FG%, 91.5 FT%) through the end of the season? One big advantage the Sparks can exploit is rest: the Lynx have four Olympians on Team USA, whereas only the shelved Serbian Ana Dabovic returns from Rio for L.A. Can rest and preparation make the difference for the Sparks in securing the top-seed and, possibly, unseating the reigning WNBA champs?

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Tough deal for Les Bleus...

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

No All-Star Game this year, blame it on Rio. So here's how I figure the teams should have shaped up if the league bothered to have one.

* I do it MLB-style, so every team gets one. Merit schmerit.

* Several Dream players would make it in, by virtue of the WNBA East having such weak guard play this season.

* Several current and former Dreamgirls just missed the cut. 

Eastern Conference

(Starters)

G - Sugar Rodgers, New York [Liberty has been saved by the three all season... specifically, her threes]

G - Tiffany Hayes, Atlanta [With no fan voting, she basically gets Shoni's old spot]

F/C - Tamika Catchings, Indiana [Going out... in style]

F/C - Emma Meesseman, Washington [Gets the edge over EDD despite her team sliding lately, thanks to absurdly good shooting]

F/C - Tina Charles, New York [Two of the league's top bigs each strong-armed their way out from their old teams last season, successfully]

(Reserves)

G - Layshia Clarendon, Atlanta [Along with Elizabeth Williams, the reasons Michael Cooper might win Unofficial Executive of the Year]

G - Tayler Hill, Washington [Coming into her own after some struggles getting her career started]

F/C - Elena Delle Donne, Chicago [She'd start if we were voting, but Sky's disappointing season start could not be ignored]

F/C - Angel McCoughtry, Atlanta [Would be a lock as a starting guard even though she doesn't shoot like one, the F/C depth is pretty good]

F/C -Erlana Larkins, Indiana [Because, rebounds]

Wildcard - Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut [Here comes a Sun! Doo doo doo doo... Spot would be Chiney's if she were healthier early]

Outside looking in: Elizabeth Williams and Sancho Lyttle (Atlanta); Cappie Pondexter, Jameirra Faulkner and Tamera Young (Chicago); Chiney Ogwumike, Alex Bentley and Jasmine Thomas (Connecticut); Briann January (Indiana)

 

Western Conference

(Starters)

G - Sue Bird, Seattle [At this stage of her career, she didn't have to be this good. Keeping this spot warm for Jewell]

G - Penny Taylor, Phoenix [See "Bird, Sue". Taurasi would start if it were left to voters]

F/C -Maya Moore, Minnesota [Because of course she is]

F/C - Candace Parker, Los Angeles

F/C -Nneka Ogwumike, Los Angeles [Only a monumental collapse would deny her the MVP trophy]

(Reserves)

G - Diana Taurasi, Phoenix [She and Bird could be MVP if they could just figure a way to bribe the refs]

G - Kristi Toliver, Los Angeles [Most comfortable guard in the league in getting her own shot, Crawford-esque]

F/C - Breanna Stewart, Seattle [Just wait 'til the rookie really figures out what she's doing out there]

F/C - Sylvia Fowles, Minnesota [The "other" player mentioned previously, along with Charles]

F/C - Kayla McBride, San Antonio [Leading contender for the At Least She's Trying Trophy] 

Wildcard - Courtney Paris, Dallas [You could give this spot obligatorily to five other Wings and not be wrong.]

Outside looking in: Odyssey Sims, Skylar Diggins, Glory Johnson, Karima Christmas and Plenette Pierson (Dallas); Alana Beard (Los Angeles); Lindsay Whalen and Seimone Augustus (Minnesota); DeWanna Bonner, Candice Dupree and Brittney Griner (Phoenix); Moriah Jefferson and Dearica Hamby (San Antonio); Jewell Loyd, Alysha Clark and Crystal Langhorne (Seattle) 

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Congrats to Angel on bringing home Gold #2, and Team USA!

 

~lw3

[Dnice]

Back to the grind.

[Gray Mule]

WELL, DANG !!

[lethalweapon3]

WNBA summerball resumes here in the ATL, as the Dream host the Sun at Philips Arena this afternoon (3:00 PM Eastern, Fox Sports South in ATL, WTIC in CT, NBATV everywhere else). Atlanta is still in decent shape to head into the WNBA's reformulated playoffs. But to lock down a spot sooner rather than later, and especially to get the coveted 4-seed, the Dream (13-13) know it's imperative to take care of business at home.

That's what the Chicago Sky did on Friday night, holding serve with a 90-82 win despite a tough challenge from visiting Atlanta. Chicago raised its record to 12-13, within a half-game of current 4-seed Atlanta and into a tie with Indiana.

The Dream held out Sancho Lyttle on Friday, but its other starters performed well on offense, especially gold medalist Angel McCoughtry (22 points, 10-for-11 FTs, 2-for-5 3FGs), Elizabeth Williams (20 points, 8 rebounds... plus 6 blocks!), Tiffany Hayes (2-for-4 3FGs). Bria Holmes had a rough time on the defensive end and committed 5 TOs but still contributed  15 points and 5 boards.

Atlanta stayed within shouting distance of the Sky for much of the game, with Hayes tying the game going into the half and the Dream whittling Chicago's 13-point 3rd-quarter lead down to 1 with four minutes to go in the contest before Angel's fellow Olympian Elana Delle Donne (34 points) carried her team to victory. The Dream did not get much help from a bench that was already depleted going in, with Carla Cortijo dealing with a meniscus tear that has her status as day-to-day. Atlanta's reserves could muster only 8 points for 2-for-8 shooting from the field.

Hopefully, at least Sancho will be able to return to action today, because just like outside the arena, the Sun has been unrelenting. Connecticut (9-16) has won three straight and six of their last nine games, kicking off their homestretch on Friday by toppling the Minnesota Lynx for the second time in two months. They accomplished the unenviable task of cooling off Minnesota's Maya Moore (3-for-12 FGs, and 1-for-6 3FGs) and, with Chiney Ogwumike back in the starting lineup, produced a balanced effort with six players reaching double figures.

It's also notable that Connecticut won 4 of its past 5 games on the road before hitting the Olympic break, and they're now one full-game away from moving into a three-way tie for the final postseason seed. Last month, the Dream needed McCoughtry going 4-for-5 on threes (and Lyttle's 17 points and 14rebounds, 7 offensive) just to fend off the host Sun by four points, so they'll need a lot more help this time around. The reserves in that game managed just 4 of Atlanta's 67 points (1-for-12 FGs).

Matee Ajavon dished out 5 assists in Chicago, but must convert on her shots and get trips to the free throw line. Markeisha Gatling must take pressure off of Williams by keeping Ogwumike from piling up points in the paint and offensive rebounds. That will allow McCoughtry to shift her defensive efforts to the perimeter and keep ex-Dreamers Jasmine Thomas and Alex Bentley (combined 4-for-8 3FGs vs. MIN on Friday) cool.

 

Let's Go Dream!

~lw3