2020 Atlanta Dream and WNBA Previews

[lethalweapon3]

"Chicago Sky fans" lol

Sadly, Myisha Hines-Allen won't play along. She went off on the Sparks last night, putting a nice little dent in the Dream's ability to steal the 8-seed. Now the only path for the Dream to get in the Playoffs is: win out, including tonight in the Wubble against the Connecticut Sun (7 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast in ATL, Facebook), and hope the two-game losing streak on back-to-back days this weekend for Hines-Allen's Mystics includes a slip-up versus the New York Liberty on Saturday. Oh, and still hope either the Sky (tonight) or the Libs (Sunday) beat Dallas.

You'll recall the last time these teams met, hopes for a late August run by the Dream were dashed barely three minutes in. Chennedy Carter's first-quarter exit due to an ankle injury in August 10th's 93-82 defeat exacerbated what was already a four-game losing streak. By the time the calendar turned to September, Atlanta had dropped 12 of 13.

But they've been pulling themselves together from that point on. This time, even with Carter getting shelved mid-game with another tweaked ankle, Former Sun star Courtney Williams (20 points, 10 rebounds) and Betnijah Laney (24 points, 10 rebounds) were unrelenting in steering an 18-point third-quarter deficit into a 97-89 victory, the Dream's third in their past four games.

That 52-34 second-half swing was keyed by illustrious defense, as Laney and Blake Dietrick finished with three steals apiece. Atlanta enters today's game with the Sun (10-11), with this month's best Defensive Rating (96.4; WNBA-low 26.7 opp. 3FG% in September), while also playing at the league's highest pace. It may prove to be too late, but for Nicki Collen and her coaching crew, there is no such thing as "too much" when it comes to pressure defense and decent transition opportunities. 

With some rest and treatment, Carter (16.5 PPG, most among active rookies despite a few abbreviated appearances) ought to be able to give it another go tonight. As coach Curt Miller prepares to face his former assistant, it's still up in the air as to whether he'll be able to field the Sun's two starting guards, former Dream player Jasmine Thomas (struggles with plantar fasciitis) and Brianna January (dislocated finger from Saturday).

Both missed Wednesday's wild 100-95 loss to the Mercury, done in by a buzzer-beating shot by the red-hot Skylar Diggins-Smith to end regulation. Already knowing his team will face Courtney Vandersloot and the Sky in the WNBA Playoffs' opening round, Miller may prefer to allow these veteran guards more time to heal up, instead of using this game as elimination-round practice.

Even with Jasz and January in tow, Connecticut has been living not by the three (31.2 team 3FG%, 46.9 eFG%, 76.0 FT%, all next-to-last in WNBA), but by the offensive rebounds (league-high 33.7 O-Reb%), in baited-breath anticipation of so many missed shots. In the afterglow of the absent Jonquel Jones, leading the brigade in the hunt for second-chance and extra-chance possessions are center Brionna Jones (3.0 O-Rebs per game tied-2nd in WNBA), wrecking-ball forward Alyssa Thomas, and second-round rookie Kaila Charles. That trio combined for 15 of the Sun's 21 O-Rebs vs. PHX on Wednesday. 

Pile on, for good measure, All-WNBA First Team candidate DeWanna Bonner (19.9 PPG, 3rd in WNBA, 7.6 RPG; 32-and-10 vs. PHX on Wednesday), and rookie Beatrice Mompremier off the bench, and you've got a team determined to control the outcome by corralling the ball for themselves. While Carter will need to join her backcourt mates in limiting the number of Sun shots that go up in the first place, this is not a game where Dream center Elizabeth Williams (1.4 BPG, 3rd among active WNBA players; 3.5 D-Rebs per game) can afford to settle as a help defender in the paint.

The only team that shoots worse from the free throw line than Connecticut is Atlanta (WNBA-low 75.7 team FT%). Key to the Dream's turnaround on Wednesday versus Chicago was sinking 15 of their 17 charity-stripe attempts. For one of these teams, free throw accuracy could become a deciding factor in a late, tight affair.

The prime objectives tonight: Win. Then, pull for Chicago. If all goes well, we'll watch the Dream Twitter account read, "New York Liberty fans" tomorrow!

 

Let's Go Sky! Let's Go Liberty! Let's Go Dream!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Dream said...

"I'M STILL STANDING! YEAH--YEAH--YEAH!!!"

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

The Dallas Wings are in the Atlanta Dream's corner!

Shorthanded Dallas just outlasted the Liberty in their season finale, raising their final mark to 8-14. The Dream didn't quite get the breaks they needed to make the postseason, mathematically eliminated with New York's loss to the Washington Mystics yesterday. But, if they choose, Atlanta can still play spoiler! WNBA scoring champ Arike Ogunbowale and the Dallas Wings would love for the Dream to send the Mystics (8-13) packing this evening in their Wubble finale (5:00 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast). The question remains: would Atlanta like that, too?

Imagine -- we literally have to imagine -- the WNBA regular season opening up in 2021. Elena Delle Donne, hopefully in full and confident health, would return to the Mystics, along with perhaps Emma Meesseman, Tina Charles and Natasha Cloud. Myisha Hines-Allen (team-high 17.0 PPG, 10th in WNBA), likely this season's Most Improved Player winner, and the most likely reason today's game isn't a winner-advances finale, suits back up to Washington. Now, add a top-4 pick to that mix for legendary WNBA coach Mike Thibault. Can you say, yikes?

Nonetheless, Atlanta's team is Chennedy Carter's moving forward, and it would be great experience for the future star of this team (16.9 PPG, just behind Hines-Allen, just ahead of vastly-improved Dreammate Betnijah Laney's 16.7) to be in position to end an opponent's season. By virtue of Dallas' 2-0 record versus Washington, Brian Agler's Wings hold the tiebreaker. But they'll need the Mystics to lose to get that tie in the standings.

Going forward, Dallas needs quality veteran support more than just another rookie prospect. So don't be surprised to find, like Atlanta did during Thursday evening's win by the Chicago Sky, to see the Wings attending this game. They'll be rooting on former teammate Glory Johnson and company to play as if their own immediate future depended on it.

 

Let's Go Dream!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Clips-Nuggs NBA Game 7 isn't the only elimination game going tonight! It's the WNBA Playobuttoffs, and we've got two first-round winner-moves-on matchups going down in the Wubble (7:00 PM Eastern for (6) Chicago Sky versus (7) Connecticut Sun; 9:30 PM Eastern for (5) Phoenix Mercury versus (8) Washington Mystics).

The Sky are the default "winners" of the WNBA Eastern Conference, but they stumbled into postseason play with key contributors out. Still, Courtney Vandersloot is an assist maven and the Sun will need to have their best defensive guards back in the fold to make the going tough for her.

The Mystics eked ahead of the Dream to secure the final playoff seed, but what of the reward? Diana Taurasi has played in 14 one-game, win-or-go-home elimination games, yet she and her Mercury have only gone home once. Can Most Improved Player finalist Myisha Hines-Allen and 2019 WNBA Finals MVP Emma Meesseman help craft a different narrative for Washington?

 

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Four teams enter; two teams leave! WNBA Playobuttoffs action continues tonight on The Deuce, with the (5) Phoenix Mercury taking on the (4) Minnesota Lynx (7:00 PM Eastern, ESPN 2), followed by the (6) Connecticut Sun facing the (3) Los Angeles Sparks (9:00 PM Eastern, ESPN 2).

Shey "Playoff P" Peddy's wondrous buzzer-beater (off a stunning drive 'n dish from Skylar Diggins-Smith) saved Phoenix's bacon on Tuesday night, dethroning the defending champs and advancing the Merc to meet 2020's WNBA Coach of the Year, the Lynx's Cheryl Reeve, and the 2019 and 2020 Rookies of the Year, Napheesa Collier and Crystal Dangerfield. Before you assume that veteran experience will prevail for Phoenix, know that Minnesota's got center Sylvia Fowles back in the fold, and Brittney Griner won't be walking through that door.

In the WNBA semifinals last season, the Sun blazed past coach Derek Fisher's Sparks in a 3-0 sweep, leading to tumult not only involving the longtime and eventually ousted GM, but also Fisher and his strained relationship with franchise star Candace Parker (3rd in 2020 MVP balloting), who got benched in the closing minutes of an elimination game. Rest assured, that won't happen this season. But if the Sparks slip up and lose to a Jonquel Jones-less Sun team, fires won't just be raging along the California mountainsides. Magic Johnson's got his eye on this outcome.

 

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Simple and plainy... give me the Laney!

~lw3

[Dnice]

Oh well, congrats to the Storm, I thought Angel would get off the schnide, but nothing yet... I saw she had 2 of the top scoring performances in Finals history.