2018 Atlanta Dream and WNBA Previews

[lethalweapon3]

Atlanta Dream 2018: So crazy, this just might work!

Another WNBA season at the Thillerdome is about to unfold, and this edition of the Atlanta Dream is certain to have a better “look” than the crew that entered 2017. But will a better “look” equal better end-of-season results?

What’s different? Well, literally for starters, thanks to their efforts to take last season seriously, Layshia Clarendon, Tiffany Hayes and Elizabeth Williams each have a shiny new All-Star credential in their quivers. Not that she often really looked the part, but Brittney Sykes is no longer a rookie. There’s also a new Dream management and coaching team, one taking much more than the semi-serious approach to the WNBA offseason we’ve grown accustomed to around these parts.

Oh, and there’s this: Angel McCoughtry is finally back!

The march to May 2018 began in January of 2017, when Atlanta’s franchise star announced a WNBA sabbatical to grant her body, and her focus, a well-deserved respite. That decision set the team’s clock ticking, first for coach Michael Cooper and now for his replacements, to provide the building blocks for a team ready to contend not only after McCoughtry returns to WNBA action, but in time for the team to return to a renovated Highlight Factory in the spring of 2019.

If new GM Chris Sienko and the new coaching staff, led by first-timer Nicki Collen, can get this team to gel quickly, contention might not have to wait until next year.

After issuing Cooper his walking papers, team owners Mary Brock and Kelly Loeffler essentially knew what they were looking for in a head coach – and, more specifically, who. They got plenty of intel from Sienko, the consultant they would later hire to be the new GM. So, by the time Collen arrived for an interview from Sienko’s former employer, the Connecticut Sun, the Dream owners were already planning to hand over the head coach job.

Don’t expect a vast departure from the high-paced “Run With The Dream” philosophy of seasons past. Collen has repeatedly noted a desire to get her new team to “play fast.” Yet, she wishes to depart from her predecessors by demanding quick decisions and efficient ball movement to extend to the halfcourt offense, where Atlanta historically bogs down.

Swift decisions with the rock, when Angel gets double-teamed, when Layshia attacks inside off pick-and-roll action, when Brittney beats her assignment, when Tip drives, when Libby snags an offensive rebound… Collen wants the Dream offensive players to know how to execute, precisely, and find open scoring opportunities for teammates when opposing defenses find themselves imbalanced.

With Sienko in charge, Atlanta made potentially the most momentous veteran free agent signings in franchise history, at least the biggest early-offseason additions since acquiring Sancho Lyttle via the 2008 Comets dispersal draft.

Guard depth was immensely advanced with the acquisition of Renee Montgomery, a former All-Star and Sixth Woman of the Year who is now a two-time WNBA champion, after going all the way with the Minnesota Lynx last season. Those individual accolades for Montgomery, who was already living in Atlanta during her offseasons, came while she was playing with Sienko’s Sun from 2010-2014.

Back with the Lynx for the past two-and-a-half seasons, Renee shot a career-best 42.4 percent from the field in 2017, and also spelled future Hall of Fame guard Lindsay Whalen, the player Montgomery was traded for following her 2009 rookie season in Minnesota. Montgomery filled in capably for Whalen in 12 starts last season, while the latter was sidelined with a hand injury. She averaged a 2.0 assist/TO ratio last season, dishing out the most per-36 assists since her 2011 All-Star season in Connecticut.

Renee provides the Dream not only steady ballhandling but a legitimate perimeter shooting threat (8^th all-time in 3FGs made), especially when the stakes increase. In Minnesota, Montgomery shot 39.3 3FG% (11-for-28) in the 2017 playoffs, boosting her career postseason accuracy to 38.2 3FG%. That included sinking half of her 14 attempts along the way to the WNBA Finals. Her being a decent free throw shooter (83.7 career FT%) is an additional plus for Atlanta. Even so much as a modest regression from her recent play with the reigning champs would still be a welcome development for a Dream team that has struggled with quality guard depth for years.

Sienko and the Dream were not done, bolstering the frontcourt by wooing another former All-Star honoree, Jessica Breland of the Chicago Sky. The power forward also played with Mongtomery, briefly, with the 2011 Sun, and provides an experienced yet younger alternative to longtime Dream star Sancho Lyttle, who signed as a free agent with Phoenix.

Returning full-time to a starter role in 2017, Jessica compiled her best numbers since her 2014 All-Star season with the Sky. She has ranked top-five in block percentage in four of her past five seasons, and she matched her career-best with 12 rebounds (11 defensive) during an early-season win in Atlanta last year. Her overall on-court efficiency took a dive in recent seasons, as it would for anyone no longer paired alongside Sylvia Fowles and/or Elena Delle Donne. But Breland should have no problems blending into frontcourt lineups featuring McCoughtry and Williams.

In search of a frontcourt player who could serve as a stretch-four, Atlanta brought free agent Damiris Dantas back into the fold. In addition to the likelihood of more pick-and-pop action for Williams, Collen has expressed further excitement over the possibility of using Breland more in this specific role. Jessica flashed some of that perimeter potential at the outset of 2017 (7-for-17 3FGs in first ten games). But Chicago started out 2-8 and shied away from her outside shooting as the season wore on (just 1-for-4 3FGs in her final 24 Sky appearances). Potentially boosting the team depth would be rookie second-rounder Monique Billings, a 6-foot-4 forward who is hoping to expand on her newfound mid-range jumpshot.

This team is not stacked with 1-through-12 depth, but Collen’s club is endowed with a positional versatility that is unprecedented for this particular franchise. While I would prefer to start Montgomery for the sake of spreading the floor, she can relieve either of Clarendon or Hayes at the guard spots. Sykes may become a sixth-woman award contender, too, filling in at either wing position and, as demonstrated late last season, as a third option at the point.

Atlanta’s biggest wild card is their trade-deadline acquisition from 2017. Imani McGee-Stafford has only scratched the surface of her potential. The 6-foot-7, third-season center has averaged a double-double per-36 in each of her first two WNBA campaigns, plus she established a playoff rookie record with six blocks in her 2016 postseason debut. Yet, Imani found herself underutilized in 2017, first by Sky coach Amber Stocks and then by Cooper during Atlanta’s failed playoff push.

Getting McGee-Stafford active in the frontcourt rotation, ideally as a starter that allows Williams to shift to power forward, is a critical measure for the Dream’s on-court growth over the next two seasons. The Dream demonstrated their commitment to Williams by extending her contract for a couple more seasons.

An improved McGee-Stafford and Breland would help the Dream better contend in a league loaded with extraordinary talents at center. With McGee-Stafford, Williams, and Breland (all top-30 WNBA in per-game blocks) teaming up with McCoughtry (3^rd all-time in per-game steals), Atlanta should prove capable of getting plenty of stops when opponents shift their offensive attack to the interior.

Hayes, Clarendon and Sykes were instrumental, meanwhile, in Dream opponents shooting just 31.4 3FG% last season (3^rd-best in WNBA, virtually tied for best with Minnesota and Phoenix). If that development holds this season, and if Atlanta keeps opponents off the free throw line (4^th-most personal fouls, 2^nd-most opponent FTAs in 2017) while limiting live-ball turnovers themselves (16.2 opponent TO% in 2017, 3^rd-best in WNBA), they will satisfactorily suppress foes with their defense while giving themselves ample room to sort out their own offensive flow.

The final X-Factor is the re-enmeshing of McCoughtry into the team gameplans. Angel has already played with Clarendon, Dantas, and Williams in prior seasons, and Hayes for much longer. Just last week, she got an opportunity to bond further with Layshia, Brittney, Tip, and Elizabeth during Team USA training camp, where Collen serves as an assistant.

The likelihood that a rested McCoughtry returns to All-WNBA prominence isn’t in question. But how much more hardware she can collect will depend on her ability to guide the execution of Collen’s offense, not merely her own. Collen, in turn, will also have to entrust the league’s premier two-way non-center to help orchestrate the team defense whenever her star is on the floor.

The blend of talent, experience and potential is as sound as it has been in any of Angel’s prior eight WNBA seasons in Atlanta. But when the team runs into adversity, which is coming for every competitive team at some points this season, McCoughtry cannot turn a tin ear toward her teammates and staff and just party like it’s 2013.

This is a squad loaded with players with huge off-court aspirations, from sports media to advocacy to modeling to retail and even medicine. A Finals-competitive squad only enhances those individual endeavors further, and McCoughtry is just the tide that, when she rises rather than capsizes, can lift all boats. If this team finishes strong, and Angel’s play makes several teammates better at both ends of the court, her MVP candidacy can’t be obscured.

Vying for final spots on the Dream roster include: Maggie Lucas, a veteran jumpshooting wing eager to make a comeback after tearing two ACLs since May 2016 (supported throughout by Kyle Korver’s off-season strength and conditioning coach); Adaora Elonu, a 2011 college-champ swing player with Texas A&M who has played in EuroLeague and was in camp with the Sun last season; Blake Dietrick, a star collegiate guard who led Princeton to an undefeated regular season in 2015, and; 2018 third-round pick Mackenzie Engram, who shined at forward for Georgia under coach Joni Taylor (spouse of new Dream assistant coach Darius Taylor). If they can impress in camp, there is enough room for at least one, if not two, of them to outlast the final roster cuts.

Cooper made the cardinal error of touting his 2017 Angel-free unit as championship-contender material. Collen and Sienko won’t make the same mistake, but they also know they'll have no time to get acclimated, not in this rough-and-ready WNBA, and not in Atlanta’s once-sleepy but now superheated summertime sports market. Whether they’re longtime diehards or on-the-fence wannabes, Dream fans deserve a team that’s worthy of a grand return to Philips Arena in 2019, not one relegable to whatever rink the Hawks construct down in College Park. In the meantime, this is shaping up to be one crew that can bring the Thrill back to the Thrillerdome.

 

~lw3

[TheNorthCydeRises]

This is my goal for the summer . . . to go to at least 2 Dream games, at least.  I refuse to watch the Hawks tank away another season, and make my basketball watching experience miserable.  At least if I put forth some of my efforts toward the Dream, maybe the summer won't be as painful as the fall and winter will be.

[lethalweapon3]

The 2018 WNBA Season Schedule begins in May for the Atlanta Dream just as it does in most years, on the road. After a pair of contests in Dallas and Chicago, the team returns to the ATL for its longest home stretch of the season, four games.

The homestand is likely to feature four opponents with titans (Cambage, MVP Fowles, Griner, MIP Jonquel) at the pivot, placing Atlanta’s ability to compete in the paint squarely front and, well, center. The Dream have only one other homestand lasting three games. It doesn’t arrive until August, and it is also quite a gauntlet, with a trio of Western opponents (Las Vegas, with rookie star Wilson; LA, with Ogwumike and Parker; Dallas, with Cambage again) visiting in the space of a mere five calendar days.

While matchups with Eastern Conference rivals have some value, the imbalance in the WNBA schedule, plus the combined standings for playoff contention, make it more crucial for teams to collect victories versus the opposing conference. The Dream face 18 Western Conference opponents, compared to 16 in their own conference. Following four WNBA West opponents in their first six games, Atlanta treks back out of town for the first of three three-game road swings, this one entirely out West (Las Vegas, Seattle, Los Angeles) in June.

Coming back from LA, Atlanta will take on Indiana in a home-and-home series, the Fever being the sole WNBA opponent the Dream face four times. The Thursday morning contest versus Indy will be the Dream’s designated Kids’ Day. That series kicks off the first of a pair of five-game clusters against the rest of the WNBA East, the second one including five games in the space of nine July days.

Atlanta will be in LA again in late July and, hopefully, a few Dream players will earn a detour to Minnesota afterwards, for the All-Star Game on July 28. The Dream’s shallow roster and reconstituted coaching staff will be severely tested once the All-Star Break concludes.

The WNBA compacted this year’s schedule to accommodate the 2018 FIBA Women’s World Cup, featuring Team USA, in Spain in late September. The good news, following Angel McCoughtry’s persistent demands of this league, is that the Dream have just a single back-to-back in their schedule. They travel to Long Island to face Tina Charles’ New York Liberty one day after hosting Dallas, both contests on weekend August afternoons.

The downside is the schedule compression requires Atlanta to play on just one-day’s or two-days’ rest on 26 out of 33 occasions. An arduous August crams the final eight games into just 17 days. As was similarly the case in 2017, if the Dream wishes to clinch a playoff spot, they’ll want to secure it before they head to world-champ Minnesota on August 5. The short turnarounds following the Lynx game include that final three-games-in-five-days homestand, and the final three-game road trip at probable playoff-seed contenders (New York again, then Phoenix, and finally Vegas).

 

2018 ATLANTA DREAM SCHEDULE

((all times Eastern, to be updated with local TV broadcast schedule once available))

Sunday, May 20 – at Dallas, 3:00 PM (Twitter)

Wednesday, May 23 – at Chicago, 12:00 PM

Saturday, May 26 – vs. DALLAS, 6:00 PM (FS Southeast)

Tuesday, May 29 – vs. MINNESOTA, 7:00 PM (Twitter)

Sunday, June 3 – vs. PHOENIX, 3:00 PM (FS Southeast)

Tuesday, June 5 – vs. CONNECTICUT, 8:00 PM (FS South)

Friday, June 8 – at Las Vegas, 10:30 PM

Sunday, June 10 – at Seattle, 7:00 PM

Tuesday, June 12 – at Los Angeles, 10:30 PM (NBA TV)

Thursday, June 14 – vs. INDIANA, 11:30 AM (FS South, NBA TV)

Saturday, June 16 – at Indiana, 7:00 PM

Tuesday, June 19 – at New York, 7:00 PM

Friday, June 22 – vs. CONNECTICUT, 7:00 PM (FS Southeast)

Wednesday, June 27 – at Chicago, 12:00 PM

Friday, June 29 – at Minnesota, 8:00 PM (NBA TV)

Sunday, July 1 – at Indiana, 5:00 PM

Friday, July 6 – vs. SEATTLE, 7:00 PM (FS Southeast)

Sunday, July 8 – vs. PHOENIX, 3:00 PM (FS Southeast)

Wednesday, July 11 – at Washington, 11:30 AM

Friday, July 13 – vs. INDIANA, 7:00 PM (FS Southeast)

Sunday, July 15 – vs. WASHINGTON, 3:00 PM (FS Southeast)

Tuesday, July 17 – at Connecticut, 7:00 PM

Thursday, July 19 – vs. NEW YORK, 7:00 PM (ESPN3)

Sunday, July 22 – vs. SEATTLE, 3:00 PM (FS Southeast, NBA TV)

Tuesday, July 24 – at Los Angeles, 10:30 PM (Twitter)

WNBA ALL-STAR GAME (Minneapolis, MN) – Saturday, July 28, 3:30 PM

Tuesday, July 31 – vs. WASHINGTON, 7:00 PM (Twitter)

Friday, August 3 – vs. CHICAGO, 7:00 PM (FS Southeast)

Sunday, August 5 – at Minnesota, 7:00 PM (FS Southeast)

Tuesday, August 7 – vs. LAS VEGAS, 7:00 PM (FS South)

Thursday, August 9 – vs. LOS ANGELES, 7:00 PM (FS South, NBA TV)

Saturday, August 11 – vs. DALLAS, 2:00 PM (FS Southeast, NBA TV)

Sunday, August 12 – at New York, 2:30 PM

Friday, August 17 – at Phoenix, 10:00 PM

Sunday, August 19 – at Las Vegas, 6:00 PM (ESPN3)

 

2018 WNBA ESPN2 TELEVISION SCHEDULE

May 20 (Sunday), 5 PM ET — Los Angeles @ Minnesota
May 24 (Thursday), 7 PM ET – Los Angeles @ Connecticut
June 1 (Friday), 8 PM ET – Phoenix @ Minnesota
June 7 (Thursday), 10 PM ET – Seattle @ Los Angeles
June 13 (Wednesday), 7 PM ET – Washington @ Connecticut
June 22 (Friday), 10 PM ET – New York @ Las Vegas
June 28 (Thursday), 9 PM ET – Los Angeles @ Seattle
July 5 (Thursday), 8 PM ET – Los Angeles @ Minnesota
July 19 (Thursday), 8 PM ET – Washington @ Dallas
July 24 (Tuesday), 8 PM ET – New York @ Minnesota
August 2 (Thursday), 10 PM ET – Minnesota @ Los Angeles
August 12 (Sunday), 7 PM ET – Los Angeles @ Phoenix
August 19 (Sunday), 7 PM ET – Washington @ Minnesota

 

2018 WNBA ON NBA TV SCHEDULE

May 18 (Friday), 10 PM ET – Dallas @ Phoenix
May 19 (Saturday), 1 PM ET – Chicago @ Indiana
May 20 (Sunday), 1 PM ET – Indiana @ Washington
May 27 (Sunday), 8:30 PM ET – Seattle @ Las Vegas
June 9 (Saturday), 2 PM ET – Minnesota @ Connecticut
June 12 (Tuesday), 10:30 PM ET – Atlanta @ Los Angeles
June 14 (Thursday), 11:30 AM ET – Indiana @ Atlanta
June 15 (Friday), 8 PM ET – Las Vegas @ Dallas
June 15 (Friday), 10 PM ET – Connecticut @ Seattle
June 16 (Saturday), 8 PM ET – New York @ Minnesota
June 17 (Sunday), 6 PM ET – Los Angeles @ Chicago
June 17 (Sunday), 8 PM ET – Phoenix @ Las Vegas
June 24 (Sunday), 4 PM ET – Seattle @ Dallas
June 27 (Wednesday), 7 PM ET – Indiana @ Connecticut
June 27 (Wednesday), 10 PM ET – Dallas @ Las Vegas
June 28 (Thursday), 7 PM ET – New York @ Washington
June 29 (Friday), 8 PM ET – Atlanta @ Minnesota
July 11 (Wednesday), 11:30 AM ET – New York @ Connecticut
July 15 (Sunday), 3 PM ET – Chicago @ New York
July 15 (Sunday), 5 PM ET – Phoenix @ Indiana
July 15 (Sunday), 7 PM ET – Connecticut @ Minnesota
July 18 (Wednesday), 1 PM ET – Indiana @ Minnesota
July 20 (Friday), 7 PM ET – Seattle @ Connecticut
July 20 (Friday), 9 PM ET – Dallas @ Chicago
July 21 (Saturday), 3 PM ET – Washington @ New York
July 22 (Sunday), 3 PM ET – Seattle @ Atlanta
July 22 (Sunday), 6 PM ET – Los Angeles @ Chicago
July 31 (Tuesday), 8 PM ET – Chicago @ Dallas
August 1 (Wednesday), 7 PM ET – New York @ Connecticut
August 1 (Wednesday), 10 PM ET – Phoenix @ Las Vegas
August 2 (Thursday), 7 PM ET – Dallas @ Indiana
August 3 (Friday), 7 PM ET – Las Vegas @ Washington
August 3 (Friday), 10 PM ET – Minnesota @ Seattle
August 4 (Saturday), 3 PM ET – Indiana @ New York
August 5 (Sunday), 4 PM ET – Washington @ Dallas
August 5 (Sunday), 7 PM ET – Phoenix @ Los Angeles
August 6 (Monday), 11 AM ET – Seattle @ New York
August 7 (Tuesday), 7 PM ET – Seattle @ Indiana
August 7 (Tuesday), 10 PM ET – Washington @ Phoenix
August 8 (Wednesday), 7 PM ET – Los Angeles @ New York
August 9 (Thursday), 11:30 AM ET – Seattle @ Washington
August 9 (Thursday), 7 PM ET – Los Angeles @ Atlanta
August 9 (Thursday), 10 PM ET – Minnesota @ Las Vegas
August 10 (Friday), 10 PM ET – Indiana @ Phoenix
August 11 (Saturday), 2 PM ET – Dallas @ Atlanta
August 12 (Sunday), 1 PM ET – Dallas @ Washington
August 14 (Tuesday), 8 PM ET – Chicago @ Minnesota
August 14 (Tuesday), 10:30 PM ET – New York @ Los Angeles
August 15 (Wednesday), 7 PM ET – Washington @ Indiana
August 15 (Wednesday), 10 PM ET – New York @ Las Vegas
August 17 (Friday), 7 PM ET – Los Angeles @ Washington
August 17 (Friday), 10 PM ET – New York @ Seattle
August 18 (Saturday), 4 PM ET – Chicago @ Indiana

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Mechelle Voepel of espnW reports on the Dream as they embarked on training camp.

http://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/23367581/refreshed-atlanta-dream-optimistic-upcoming-2018-wnba-season

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New coach Nicki Collen hopes to get Atlanta to take that one last step to a title. And she has two primary goals for the Dream to achieve this season.

"I want to be the best defensive team in the league, and I want to play the fastest," said Collen, who was hired this past October. "Defensively, I'm not going to measure that by points per game. Because if we're driving up possessions, that's not a good measurement. It's field goal percentage defense, it's turnover margin, and things like that.

"I want to play a certain way, but I inherited a team with certain strengths. It's about meshing the two."

 

Quote

"With Angel (McCoughtry) out (in 2017), a lot of us had different roles to play," said center/forward Elizabeth Williams, who led the Dream in rebounds (7.2 per game) and blocked shots (2.0) in 2017, plus averaged 10.4 points. "Every year, I've gotten better -- including vocally and feeling more confident. I think it makes it more exciting, to have that confidence coming in, and knowing we have such a great veteran coming back."

Quote

 

McCoughtry watched it all from afar, acknowledging that the rest she needed wasn't just physical but mental, as well. She tried to disengage from what Atlanta was doing in 2017.

"I had to," she said. "If you don't, you won't come back fresh. I'm happy to come back. In the past, it's been tough because we didn't have the talent we do now. It's going to be a great team. We've got some new pieces."

 

Quote

 

In fact, Collen thinks that McCoughtry could be a triple-double threat.

"I think she's been forced to make a lot of plays and take a lot of tough shots," Collen said. "The beauty of Angel is she makes a lot of those tough shots, and she has the confidence to take them. But I'd like to put her in situations where she's not forced to take so many."

 

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In contrast to (Michael) Cooper's more laid-back yet at times acerbic coaching and communicating style, Collen comes to the Dream as an optimistic bundle of energy. It's easier to have those qualities, of course, before going through the grind of a season.

But the Dream players all seem ready for the new regime, and the hopes that come with it.

"The sun has come out," is how McCoughtry puts it. "Nicki has brightened things up a bit."

 

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

WNBA PRESEASON POWER POLL

 

1. Minnesota Lynx

The best starting five in Lynx history is back. But that's where the challenge begins for Cheryl Reeve. How well can her reserves mesh and contribute? Is Danielle Robinson an ideal replacement for Renee Montgomery? Can the WNBA-returning Tanisha Wright cover both wing slots? And can Lynetta Kizer fill in ably at the 4- and 5-spots? For Minnesota's age 29+ starters, experience still trumps endurance.

 

2. Los Angeles Sparks

Brian Agler's team already had the best team offense outside of Minnesota, and it only gets better with veteran guard Cappie Pondexter available to spell Chelsea Gray. Between Russian rookie Maria Vadeeva and the WNBA-returning forward Mistie Bass, is there now adequate depth to relieve the Sparks' frontcourt stars? If so, L.A. will have gained an advantage the Lynx don't appear to have.

 

3. Dallas Wings

Skylar Diggins-Smith has the best shot at wresting the league MVP trophy away from frontcourt stars. But she is on an island unto herself when it comes to moving the rock. With the return of Liz Cambage and the addition of rookie Azura Stevens, the rebounding and second-chance points will certainly be there for Dallas. But which backcourt and Wing players can help enliven Fred Williams' offensive attack?

 

4. Connecticut Sun

Continuity and the return of Chiney Ogwumike were the right offseason plays for Curt Miller's crew, who surprised plenty in 2017 with their readiness for competition. Will rim-protection and free throw shooting (particularly from Alyssa Thomas) improve enough for the Sun to take another step forward around MVP candidate Jonquel Jones, or will those factors betray Connecticut at playoff time?

 

5. Atlanta Dream

The right blend of veteran skill and young upstarts around rested star Angel McCoughtry should give the Dream the momentum it needs under rookie coach Nicki Collen. Atlanta is gambling, through its shallow depth, that an injury to a critical starter or sixth-woman won't send their season into a tailspin. For once, can they not finish in the basement for perimeter shooting, or is that too much of a Dream?

 

6. Phoenix Mercury

No worries, Diana Taurasi. Brittney Griner is ready to show coach Sandy Brondello why the ball should now go primarily through her on the offensive end of the Mercury's court. Having Sancho Lyttle and Camille Little together, and DeWanna Bonner back, borders on being unfair for the rest of the league. Does Phoenix have the depth to give Griner, Bonner and Taurasi the breathers they'll deserve?

 

7. Washington Mystics

Losing Emma Meeseman to international duty and missing Tayler Hill for the opening month are definite setbacks for Mike Thibault's roster. There remains a strong set of rim-protectors and shooters to complement Mystics star Elena Delle Donne, who does both very well already. But for Washington to compete, will Delle Donne have to become the team's best halfcourt passing option, too?

 

8. New York Liberty

The MSG-owned Liberty will try not to look out of place in their new Long Island home. New head coach Katie Smith's challenge involves concocting the right lineup combinations such that teammates don't appear out of place alongside frontcourt star Tina Charles. Has New York's supporting cast, and the offense around Charles, improved enough to avoid another premature playoff exit?

 

9. Chicago Sky

The law firm of (Courtney) Vandersloot and (Allie) Quigley will continue to capably hold down Chicago's guard spots. The mystery going forward for Amber Stocks' group is how prepared Alaina Coates is to lead the way at center, and how well a small forward (rookie Gabby Williams) and a center (Stefanie Dolson) can patch up what seems to be a gaping hole for the Sky at power forward.

 

10. Seattle Storm

It will be intriguing to see what a transitional offseason, under the watch of not-so-new hire Dan Hughes, will do for the Storm's Breanna Stewart and Natasha Howard. Bringing back Crystal Langhorne was essential for Seattle's frontcourt stability, while Sue Bird may finally have an heir apparent in rookie Jordin Canada. Can Jewell Loyd, now ensconced at shooting guard, find her comfort zone, and stay there?

 

11. Las Vegas Aces

Floating straight from the Riverwalk to Mandalay Bay! The ex-Stars have a new city, new name, new ownership, and a new staff headed by Bill Laimbeer. But unless Kelsey Plum and rookie A'ja Wilson make big strides, it's hard not to foresee the same old results for the Aces. Las Vegas will need a steady solution at small forward, plus a full season from power forward Isabelle Harrison.

 

12. Indiana Fever

In coach Pokey Chatman's second season with the club, any chance for the Fever to contend for a playoff spot hinges on not just one (Kelsey Mitchell) but two (Victoria Vivians) first-round rookies making big splashes. Candice Dupree continues to provide an anchor, but Indiana would be helped greatly by the continued emergence of her younger post mates, Natalie Achonwa and Kayla Alexander.

 

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Michelle Smith, at WNBA.com, with some high-quality Angel Bytes.

http://www.wnba.com/news/inside-the-w-michelle-smith-angel-mccoughtry-atlanta-dream-return/
 

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“Basketball should always have been something fun. It never should have been a burden for me,” McCoughtry said. “We are going to win, and I don’t have to put pressure on myself to do it.”

 

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“(Returning from her hiatus) was a no-brainer kind of decision,” McCoughtry said. “To play and watch my family cheer for me, that’s important to me. The city of Atlanta has been great to me. It was really about the dynamic of family, and the love I’ve gotten from this city. We also had a new head coach and I was excited about that.”

Quote

“I just need to be myself,” McCoughtry said. “I don’t have to change who I am. I don’t have to think, ‘Oh, I’m coming back, I have to do this or do that.’ I’ve battled with that in the past, thinking that people expect things from me. I’m just going to play and do what I know how to do best.”

Quote

 

Make no mistake: McCoughtry is not just back to have a good time. She thinks this team can win a title.

“I think we have all the pieces,” she said.

McCoughtry anticipates that the “serious” face that she used to wear on the floor all the time is going to be a thing of the past in 2018.

“There is going to be a lot more smiling,” she said. “I’m going to smile and enjoy it.”

 

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Let’s get this party started… right!

The Atlanta Dream are through with all the training camp action and the preseason dress rehearsals. New Dream coach Nick Collen is all set for her WNBA head coaching debut against a former Dream coach, Fred Williams of the Dallas Wings (3:00 PM Eastern, Twitter as part of the #WNBAAllDay promo, No TV in ATL, FS Southwest-Dallas Plus).

Not much dust needed to settle for the Dream, when it came to roster cuts, as was the case for many other WNBA clubs this week. Second-round rookie forward Monique Billings appears to be a lock among Atlanta’s reserves. Training camp participants Maggie Lucas and Blake Dietrick also cleared the final cut line for their opening-day roster. How long they stick around will depend on how Chris Sienko views the dozens of players recently released by other clubs.

Dallas (0-1) is enjoying its home debut at Texas-Arlington’s College Park Center (that name’s already taken, Hawks, sorry!), but the Wings got their season-opener under their belt already. They fell in Phoenix on Friday night, 86-78 to the Mercury, largely due to a weak third-quarter offensive effort. But that game proved far from uneventful.

Returning voluntarily to the States for the first time in almost five years, 6-foot-8 Australian pivot Liz Cambage was outstanding through most of her head-to-head matchup with league stalwart Brittney Griner. Connecting on half of her field goal attempts (her teammates not-so-much, 22-for-66 FGs; Griner 4-for-12), Cambage finished Friday’s game with 18 points, 9 boards, a pair of blocks, and 4 assists.

That last stat for Liz was perhaps the most impressive, considering how wayward her teammates’ aim was, and given how much the ball seemed to stick whenever it was handled by a Wing other than Cambage or point guard Skylar Diggins-Smith (9 assists, 18 points on 6-for-12 2FGs, 0-for-7 3FGs). Only Cambage and bench small-w wing Kaela Davis (4-for-7 FGs) seemed to shoot efficiently for Dallas (4-for-20 3FGs). And, to think, offense is supposed to be the name of their game.

The Wings’ defensive strategy tends to feel like, “Just let us know when it’s time to get the ball back.” Collectively, Williams’ crew managed just 4 blocks and 2 steals on Friday. The Wings usually want to keep the game close and put the ball in the hands of Diggins-Smith to save the day.

While Skylar indeed managed to narrow the gap in the fourth quarter against Phoenix, the Merc have a savior of their own in ageless wonder Diana Taurasi, who was granted carte blanche around the perimeter (5-for-8 3FGs) and got to the free throw line with ease (7-for-7 FTs). Dallas, who might be without super-rebounder Glory Johnson (hamstring, left Friday’s game on crutches, listed as doubtful), may not like the results today if they don’t have a better defensive game plan (anything better than, “don’t sag, don’t foul”) for Atlanta’s longtime savior, Angel McCoughtry.

Back from her single-season WNBA hiatus, A-Mac has many more tools at her disposal where she shouldn’t have to be the offensive tour de force she had to be in seasons past. Renee Montgomery, Lucas, and an improved Tiffany Hayes can all help spread the floor and unclutter the paint, as will forward Jessica Breland and center Elizabeth Williams. But McCoughtry’s singular ability to guard multiple positions, pressuring the opponent into mistakes and igniting the transition offense, was sorely missed and will sure come in handy for Atlanta today.

We will get to see what a full offseason of conditioning did for Atlanta’s Brittney Sykes, who finished 2017 as a runner-up to Dallas’ Allisha Gray for Rookie of the Year honors. Sykes’ ability to frequently relieve Hayes or McCoughtry will hinge upon her demonstrating improvements with team defense and ballhandling decisions. If Sykes is simply trying to outshine Gray, rather than contributing within the designs of Collen’s play calls, her subs on Sunday may be short-lived.

If GloJo is a no-go, and assuming stretch-five Theresa Plaisance remains out due to ACL-tear recovery, Coach Williams will turn to rookie Azura Stevens, who surprised many when she fell to Dallas at #6 in the WNBA Draft. The early-entry rookie from UConn will seek a strong home debut after mixed results on Friday (6 rebounds in 15 bench minutes, team-high 3 O-Rebs; 1-for-7 FGs, the sole make a 3FG).

Countering Dallas’ diminished depth at the 4-spot, Collen will need to use this game to get Breland, Damiris Dantas and Billups involved in the flow of the halfcourt offense from the outset. The other Liz on the floor, Elizabeth Williams will need to avoid foul trouble, and may get shifted to power forward to allow her more sizable teammate, Imani McGee-Stafford, crucial floortime against Cambage.

For this to truly be a Dream season, Atlanta will need to find ways to pick up wins on the road and versus the WNBA West. While they could notch their first road victory in Chicago in a few days, they should just as well strive to check both boxes in this Sunday showdown.

 

Let’s Go Dream!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Can we not do season-openers for Atlanta teams in Texas anymore?

No TV for today's visit by the Atlanta Dream to the new intown home of the Chicago Sky (12 Noon Eastern, WNBA League Pass, which I think is like $17 and has a "free trial" today, only), and the Dream will be thankful their on-the-fly reconfiguration won't be on Twitter or anywhere else.

The Dream held serve with the Dallas Wings for a full quarter on Sunday afternoon, before seemingly everything went south, and a theme from 2017 re-emerged as one to watch at the outset of this season.

Granted a multi-season extension just last month, Elizabeth Williams started at center, and found herself scattered, covered, and smothered (1-for-10 FGs, 3 points in 25 minutes) by the Wings' 6-foot-8 Liz Cambage (8-for-11 FGs, 21 points, 9 boards, 4 blocks).

Drawing help on Cambage from her new frontcourt partner, Jessica Breland (minus-22 in 23 minutes) didn't seem to help matters for Williams or for Atlanta as a whole, as the defensive breakdowns were evident in a 101-78 loss. Dallas' Karima Christmas-Kelly, filling in out of position at power forward, had herself a holiday with 10 rebounds (5 offensive).

Every Dream starter was whistled for at least four personal fouls. That led to a conga line for the Wings to the free throw line. Christmas-Kelly had 14 of Dallas' whopping 42 attempts, the disparity turning an uncomfortable deficit for Atlanta into an insurmountable one.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Williams will face size disadvantages for as long as she remains at the 5-spot. The "solution" sits on the bench, in Imani McGee-Stafford (one rebound but three fouls in less than 8 minutes). Imani's presence is the very reason Chicago was able to get their hands on rookie lottery pick and former ATL-area high school sensation Diamond DeShields, who enjoyed a sterling 18 points (7-for-11 FGs) during her winning WNBA debut on the road Saturday.

This season, Dream coach Nicki Collen has to find a way to get McGee-Stafford to work as part of Atlanta's regular rotation. Doing so would allow Collen's team to match up better with skilled bigs instead of committing to excessive defensive rotations and double-teaming that spring opponents free, both in the paint and along the perimeter (Wings star Skylar Diggins-Smith 3-for-4 3FGs on Sunday).

While both Atlanta and Chicago checked into 2017 with 12-22 records, the Dream were more highly touted for 2018 after an impressive offseason by the new staff. Instead, while the Dream stumbled out of the gate, things have already been looking up for the Sky.

Coach Amber Stocks has her crew at 2-0, winning soundly in Indiana one day before returning home to edge New York, 80-76. They're getting it done without 2017 WNBA assists leader Courtney Vandersloot, who is finishing up her overseas commitment in Turkey much like backup center Astou Ndour (Italy).

Vandersloot's All-Star backcourt mate Allie Quigley poured in 15 of her 22 points in the final frame to help Chicago stave off the Liberty. Going 2-for-4 on threes and 6-for-7 from the charity stripe in that game, Quigley and the Sky will try to follow Dallas' recipe for overwhelming the Dream.

"Big Mama Stef" Dolson can be a handful when her jumper is working in tandem with her post play. But Stocks can also throw into the mix their top pick from 2017, the lithe Alaina Coates (4-for-4 FGs in 15 bench minutes vs. NYL), along with fellow rookie Gabby Williams (5-for-7 FGs in 18 minutes vs. NYL) and 2015 1st-rounder Cheyenne Parker (8 rebounds in 21 bench minutes vs. NYL). The upshot is that Chicago's starting center, Dolson, doesn't get placed into positions where she is overwhelmed, a position Atlanta is trying to get to with Elizabeth Williams.

Even with just 13 points in her season debut on Sunday, Angel McCoughtry became the second-fastest to reach 5,000 WNBA-career points (just 14 games more than Diana Taurasi), and is well on her way to reaching top-15 all-time among career scorers. But the need for Atlanta to create mismatches, until McGee-Stafford can get up to speed and Williams can shift to power forward, might require Angel to play closer to the basket at the four-spot, also producing more minutes for Brittney Sykes at the wing. An experience advantage in the post, led by former Sky player Breland, Williams, and possibly McCoughtry, needs to produce dividends if Atlanta plans to notch their first win of the season today.

 

Let's Go Dream!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Side note... I had NO earthly idea until this past weekend, but former Dream coach Marynell Meadors is BACK, and right here in Atlanta!

There's a semi-pro league called the Women's Blue Chip Basketball League, and Meadors' Atlanta Monarchs (which features ex-Dream players like Meighan Simmons and Rachel Hollivay) play home games at The Galloway School in Buckhead (same gym where Hawks' players worked out with TSF for years before their Brookhaven facility opened).

They market themselves as "The most talented and competitive WBB team in Atlanta." Okay, then. Shoot your shot, Monarchs!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

[bartscottvoive] "CAN'T WAIT!" [/bartscottvoice]

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

There’s no place like home. At McCamish Pavilion, will the Atlanta Dream have their fans in a heel-clicking mood on Saturday afternoon with the Dallas Wings in town (6:00 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast in ATL)?

The Dream frontcourt played closer to the assertive level we expected of them during Wednesday’s 81-63 win in Chicago. Former Sky forward Jessica Breland produced defensive stops (3 blocks, 3 steals, 10 boards, plus-26 in 26 minutes) while working in tandem with Elizabeth Williams (team-high 6 assists) to free up the swing players, most successfully Tiffany Hayes and Brittney Sykes, who shot a combined 12-for-23 from the field (including 5-for-7 on threes).

Despite the resounding road win in Chi-Town, it remains to be seen how much of an adjustment Atlanta (1-1) will make versus a Wings squad that was able to coast for the better part of three quarters in the Dream’s 101-78 season-opening loss. Visiting Atlanta generally held serve for three of the four periods last Sunday, but lost control during a 37-15 second quarter that proved decisive for their Lone Star hosts.

The Dream permitted triple-digit scoring just twice in 2017, both times on the road. Corralling the Wings’ offense will involve defending assignments properly while avoiding the committal of cheap shooting fouls, as was the problem last weekend. Atlanta committed 32 personals on Sunday and granted Dallas an incredible 42 freebie attempts. That’s more than one shot per minute of play, not even counting field goals and other possessions.

By comparison, in the two single-digit road losses for the Wings thus far, Dallas (1-2) was granted just 18 FTAs, compared to Phoenix’s 27, and shot a mere 3-for-7 from the line in Minnesota while the Lynx were 19-for-28. Short-circuiting the Wings’ desire to compile points while the clock is stopped, Minny held the Wings to just 21 first-half points, including just four in the same second quarter that gave Atlanta so much trouble.

Dallas’ fortune was in part due to the bruising interior play of center Liz Cambage (10.0 RPG, WNBA-high 3.0 RPG). But another attributing factor was the ease with which her undersized forwards, Karima Christmas-Kelly and Kayla Thornton (22 combined FT attempts), were able to nab offensive boards and produce second-chance opportunities, for themselves and for leading scorer Skylar Diggins-Smith (18.3 PPG, 6.0 APG). Breland and the Dream forwards have to commit to sealing off the paint and rendering everyone not named Cambage a non-factor on the glass.

Not noted previously in these pregame threads, Dream coach Nicki Collen has followed a preseason suggestion of mine, by starting the experienced Renee Montgomery at the point, presumably for better floor spacing, in place of 2017 All-Star Layshia Clarendon. Monty (1-for-5 3FGs @ CHI) got off to a solid start during the opening quarter in Dallas. But she fizzled and has since struggled to keep the Dream offense functional, once her quick-trigger perimeter jumpshot stops falling. Hopefully, it’s just a matter of acclimation to the new components at Montgomery’s disposal, particularly getting past her halfcourt deference to Hayes and Angel McCoughtry.

As for Clarendon, Collen can help exploit Layshia’s driving and distributive skills by pairing her more frequently in the backcourt with a sharper shooter like reserve guard Maggie Lucas. Sykes has accounted for 27 of the Dream bench’s 52 points thus far, another eight of those points coming from rookie Monique Billings in garbage time versus Chicago. For this four-game homestand, Clarendon will be key to helping Atlanta diversify its second-unit scoring. In the near-term, that should produce a far more competitive, and favorable, outcome versus coach Fred Williams' Wings, who are relying heavily on talented youngsters Kaela Davis and Azura Stevens to boost their bench production.

 

Let’s Go Dream!

~lw3

[Gray Mule]

Liz Cambage seemed to shock the Dream with her size.  Hopefully they have had time to get over this and adjust their thinking.  They sure looked like a different team in their second game.

Being homeless for the second year in a row while their arena is being re made doesn't help.  With new players and an old one back, we look forward to see what our new coach has in store for the year.

GO DREAM !!

[Gray Mule]

Closer this time.  Dallas didn't score 100 this time.  But, that 6'8" center was still too much.  Shooting 28% didn't help either.  Next, we gotta face last year's championship team.  This is not what we wanted to start this new season.  Ah, well.  Atlanta lost in baseball and WNBA today.

GO DREAM !!

[lethalweapon3]

Yeah, it’s usually a pipe Dream to imagine Atlanta beating the defending champion Minnesota Lynx, at home or on the road, in this or any year past or future. But it is fair to speculate, as the teams meet up today at McCamish Pavilion (7:00 PM Eastern, WNBA League Pass only), on just how narrow the final margin might get.

The Lynx (2-2) got off to a hair-raising start in its banner-raising debut back home, succumbing to a buzzer-beating, off-balance shot by the Sparks’ Chelsea Gray to fall 77-76 to Los Angeles. Since then, coach Cheryl Reeve’s bunch went on a four-game, seven-day trek that concludes today in Atlanta, and is should surprise no one that fatigue is already setting in.

After enduring the wrath of Elizabeth Cambage in Saturday’s ugly-but-in-a-good-way 78-70 loss to Dallas, Elizabeth Williams and the Dream (1-2) may catch a break today. Reigning league and Finals MVP Sylvia Fowles posted Minnesota’s first-ever 20-20 game (points and rebounds, natch; also 5 steals) versus Cambage’s Wings less than a week ago, and she shot a perfect 8-for-8 from the field in D.C. on Sunday. But an ankle injury slowed Fowles’ roll during the Lynx’s topsy-turvy 90-78 defeat at the hands of the Mystics, and she is listed as questionable to play in this evening’s contest.

The setback for Fowles (WNBA-high 12.8 RPG) was a factor in Minnesota squandering the 26-9 lead they gained during the opening quarter, finding itself down 46-39 by halftime. The skill level of the Lynx’s bench was thinned following the departure of veteran players, like Atlanta’s Renee Montgomery during free agency. The combination of a shallow roster and wear-and-tear showed up when the Mystics’ young bench corps of Ariel Atkins, Natasha Cloud, and Myisha Hines-Allen (combined 18-for-30 FGs, including 6-for-13 on threes) thrashed the Lynx, starters and reserves alike.

Minnesota’s incoming condition provides another test for Brittney Sykes and the Dream’s bench, who managed just 3-for-18 shooting on an Atlanta team that could muster just 28.2 FG% on the day in the first game of its four-game homestand. Fowles’ potential absence will open things up in the middle, but the Dream failed to focus on finishing even its open buckets around the rim. Reeves would turn to veteran Lynetta Kizer and backup Temi Fagbenle to fill in a sizable gap. The Lynx have matchups upcoming this weekend versus conference rival Phoenix and in L.A.  So Reeves can't afford to take many chances with Big Syl on the court today, if her center's ankle is indeed bothersome.

On Saturday, Atlanta (WNBA-worst 47.4% opponent FT attempt rate; way ahead of second-worst Phoenix’s 36.0%) again found itself failing to avoid fouling to keep a contest close, granting Dallas 12 more free throws (on 14 more attempts). The sustained eminence of local legend Maya Moore (15.3 PPG) is to be expected anytime she gets to play back home in the ATL. But Maya has struggled to this point from the field (37.3 FG%), and must not be bailed out where she, much like Skylar Diggins-Smith (11-for-13 FTs @ ATL) this past Saturday, can make hay at the charity stripe to offset subpar shooting.

Jessica Breland and Elizabeth Williams (combined 11 O-Rebs vs. DAL) continued to stay active around the offensive glass for the poor-shooting Dream (WNBA-low 44.6 TS%). The more that Breland (8.7 RPG, T-5^th in WNBA) and E-Dub can pressure the Lynx defense, the more Moore (6.3 RPG) will be needed to help Rebekkah Brunson (8.5 RPG) and the Lynx backups inside. That could help keep Minnesota on their heels defensively for 40 minutes, enough to make this particular Lynx-Dream matchup, perhaps for once, an entertaining battle for four quarters.

 

Let’s Go Dream!

~lw3

[Gray Mule]

WOW!! Dream wins !!  For the 1st time in what must seem forever, the Atlanta Dream win a game against last year's WNBA championship team.  Angel hit the winning shot, a three, with 1.5 seconds remaining for a two point lead.  Moore missed as the clock ran out.

This gives the Dream a 2-2 record for the season.  For all the Squawk fans who think watching grass grow or paint drying is more exciting than WNBA basketball, all this rain must be exciting to you as all this makes the grass grow.  Gee!

GO DREAM !!

[lethalweapon3]

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

It’s the Battle of the Lynx Beaters! If you thought the Atlanta Dream snapping a nine-game head-to-head losing string versus the reigning WNBA champion Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night was a big deal, try on the 13-game losing streak versus Minny ended Friday by this afternoon’s visitors, the Phoenix Mercury (3:00 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast in ATL), for size.

Lynx-Mercury was supposed to be a contested annual rivalry, particularly once Phoenix tanked to grab center sensation Brittney Griner (20.8 PPG, 5^th in WNBA; 2.3 BPG, tied with Atlanta’s Jessica Breland for 2^nd) and their Western Conference rivals were virtually handed reigning MVP Sylvia Fowles (who did play versus the Dream at mid-week despite ankle injury questions). But coach Sandy Brondello’s crew was facing the prospect of extending not only their losing skid against the Lynx to 14 (last win was back in 2014), but also their active losing streak against any team to four as they arrive at McCamish Pavilion.

Griner (21 points, 9 rebounds @ MIN) finally became a factor on the boards on Friday after several lapses in prior games, and Diana Taurasi (29 points, 6 assists) became unconscious in the final quarter. Having added Dream forward Sancho Lyttle and returned DeWanna Bonner (24 points @ MIN) to the roster, Phoenix’s team defense was finally better on more than just paper, holding the Lynx without a field goal for the final five minutes of their 95-85 win.

The question coming into this afternoon’s affair is whether fatigue will set in, for a Mercury defense that had been getting torched by All-Star-caliber guards (29 points by Seattle’s Jewell Loyd; 23 points and 9 dimes by LA’s Chelsea Gray; 30 points by Washington’s Kristi Toliver) in the prior seven days. Taurasi’s late-game brilliance helped obscure Lynx reserve Tanisha Wright’s 5-for-6 shooting from the field, and the Lynx’s 50 percent perimeter shooting. But the Merc is playing their third contest in the middle of a ridiculous seven-games-in-14-days stretch, and it’s up to the Dream (2-2) to figure out a way to exploit their momentary rest advantage as they initiate a similar run of their own (7 games between today and June 16).

The league's all-time leading scorer, Princess Diana is going to need help keeping up with Atlanta’s Tiffany Hayes (team-high 20 points versus MIN, 8-for-8 FTs), whose dish out of a double-team to Angel McCoughtry for Tuesday's game-clinching corner three was magnificent. The Dream were still in a reverie from the perimeter against the Lynx (3-for-17 team 3FGs before Angel’s thrilling game-winner), but it will help Atlanta’s cause tremendously if Hayes, Renee Montgomery, and sixth-woman Brittney Sykes can get it going from the outside.

Strong backcourt scoring from the outside and at mid-range will draw Griner out of the paint, putting vets Lyttle and Bonner into overdrive and opening cracks of daylight for drives from McCoughtry, Hayes, and backup point guard Layshia Clarendon. Elizabeth Williams will again have her hands full guarding Griner, but with the Mercury pivot’s propensity for hanging around the top of the key, Williams may not need much help.

Dream coach Nicki Collen should be able to deploy a reasonably rested Imani McGee-Stafford whenever Phoenix’s size advantage needs to be negated. Or, Collen can switch Williams with Breland (8.3 RPG; 2.3 SPG, tied with Angel for 1^st in WNBA), who has quickly assumed the energetic defensive role at the 4-spot once handled with aplomb by Sancho.

Phoenix’ depth can be tepid offensively (combined bench scoring @ MIN, 13 points, although 4-for-4 on threes), particularly if they’re not getting much from guard Leilani Mitchell or backup big Camille Little. Sykes and Clarendon must step up their game in their limited minutes for Atlanta (12 bench points vs. MIN) while getting frontcourt partners McGee-Stafford and rookie Monique Billings involved in the action.

If Atlanta can do with Taurasi (95.0 FT%) and Griner (80.6 FT%) what they did versus Maya Moore (0 free throw attempts on Tuesday) by keeping them off the line, and if they can defend the perimeter and secure second-chance rebounding opportunities when Griner strays away from the paint as a help-defender, late-game heroics for the Dream may not be necessary to notch their second home win of the season.

Let’s Go Dream!

~lw3

[Gray Mule]

DRAT!  DRAT!  DRAT!

Dream just can't do it.  Not yet.  They may grow into this and become what we want them to be.  But, they are not there yet.  We can only hope.  We seem to always have a height dis advantage.

GO DREAM !!

[Gray Mule]

Note:  Atlanta missed 8 free throws.  Lost game by 7 points.  Go figure...