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2021 Atlanta Dream and WNBA Previews


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This some GOOD stuff from The NEXT @ The IX right here! Spencer Nusbaum's deep dives had me coming up for air several times!

https://thenext.substack.com/p/answering-the-questions-dream-face

 

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(Chennedy) Carter will miss time for the second straight year after she hyperextended her right elbow in last Saturday’s contest against the New York Liberty. Though she will not need surgery, the recovery period will likely stretch through most of June. The injury marks another tough blow for one of the league’s most exciting young stars, and the Dream will be worse off for it. That said, Atlanta is in a much better position to adapt than it was last year. And though one window has closed, another one is about to open.

Who might Spencer be speaking of? Keep reading to find out!

~lw3

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Heeeeeeeere's Layshia!

The former All-Star guard with the Atlanta Dream had to be surprised, as many were, when the New York Liberty put them on waivers back on May 20. Clarendon resurfaced ten days later with coach Cheryl Reeve and the Minnesota Lynx, a club that was reeling without the services of forward Napheesa Collier (quarantine after arriving from overseas) for the first three games of the year. Then, it was Layshia's turn to do the surprising.

Mere hours after signing, Clarendon hit the big shot to help the Lynx (1-4) notch their first win of the season in OT versus another of Layshia's former teams, a Connecticut Sun club that was due for some cooling off. "Difference in the game," Coach Reeve proclaimed, "no doubt about it."

Although the Lynx will be going for awhile without Aerial Powers (strained hammy) at the wing, which opened up the spot for Clarendon, they hope they'll have enough firepower with Layshia and Napheesa back to outlast hi-octane teams like the Atlanta Dream, who pay the Lynx a visit at the Target Center tonight (8 PM Eastern, Facebook) and on Sunday evening (7 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast in ATL).

Tiffany Hayes (44.4 3FG%; 19.5 PPG in last 4 games) cooled off after a hot start to last week, and Tip was likely to win Associated Press Player of the Week honors, until Courtney Williams (55.2 3FG%) came 'round the outside last Saturday in Brooklyn. Beyond her team-highs of 12 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals, C-Will splashed capped off her 31-point outing with one big shot after another to finally succumb the New York Liberty, 90-87 in OT. Coach Mike Petersen's crew (4-2) hopes to extend Atlanta's road record to a stunning 4-0 tonight.

The reportedly month-long absence of Chennedy Carter (hyperextended elbow vs. NYL) is a setback for Atlanta. But unlike 2020, when the then-rookie's absence sent the Dream in a complete tailspin, there shouldn't be a drop-off on that scale, not with two  already ball-dominant wings in Hayes and C-Will. Odyssey Sims will likely take the lion's share of Carter's minutes, but also one should expect an uptick in play from rookie Aari McDonald, who might have fun matchups with the reigning league Rookie of the Year, Crystal Dangerfield, this weekend.

Reinforcement is coming upfront, too. Back from her bout with COVID, Cheyenne Parker has been cleared to return to action. A couple Dream players, like Court and Kalani Brown, know what it's like to return to form after acquiring the illness, so a rusty Dream debut would not be surprising. Still, her addition will be a boon for what has been an anemic frontcourt offense, save for Elizabeth Williams' first decent game in New York last week.

Tianna Hawkins and Shekinna Stricklen have struggled mightily to boost the offense either inside or out. Parker, who broke out last season in Chicago, has built up a knack for driving for inside finishes from the perimeter and sticking outside the paint on occasion for the pick-and-pop. It's an element that should allow Atlanta's wings and guards more room to operate and create effectively.

Better balance upfront this weekend, versus future Hall of Famer Sylvia Fowles and MVP candidate Collier, will give the Dream a puncher's chance. Tip and C-Will may again be there in the clutch to help Atlanta punch through. Whichever scorer is the difference in these games, at this point, no one should be surprised.

 

Let's Go Dream!

~lw3

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The Dream couldn't quite hang on after a promising start on Friday. But, they weren't the folks who caught the biggest L.

You, at this very moment, are already a better WNBA media contributor than the folks at Sportsnet.ca.

 

(Heyyyy, Miss Seimone. She's retired and an assistant for L.A., btw)

~lw3

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There's a Storm a comin'!

It'll sit around Atlanta for a few days. But the good news is, we'll get to see its arrival today, on Bally Sports Southeast!

The "rain"-ing champion Seattle Storm pay College Park a visit, as they'll face the Atlanta Dream tonight (7 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast in ATL), and then again on Friday (Tough Timing! 8 PM Eastern, CBS Sports Network). Ranked second in the WNBA with a 7-2 record, the Storm are often led by Breanna Stewart (22.2 PPG, 2nd in WNBA). But for this week, their shiniest star was the "rain"-ing Western Conference Player of the Week, guard Jewell Loyd (20.7 PPG, 6th in WNBA).

Loyd matched her season-high with 25 points on Sunday, but Seattle was unable to clip visiting Dallas' wings in a 68-67 defeat. In the wilder and woolier match two days before, Loyd's buzzer-beating triple, also to end the day with 25 points, averted a second overtime to beat those pesky Wings. There were so many huge shots made in The W over the past week-and-a-half, maybe beginning with Courtney Williams' late scores to escape from New York with a Dream win.

Stewie is likely to move back atop the MVP Ladder once Jonquel Jones and Connecticut (3-0 last week to move to 8-2) finally cool off. But Breanna now has dogged competition for the 2021 honor from her own teammate. Loyd is the sole WNBA player in the top-ten for per-game points, assists, and steals. Is this a bad time to mention, Sue Bird is still rolling right along?

We'll have to wait and see whether a cross-continental flight will zap some of the competitiveness of Seattle, the league's last unbeaten team on the road (2-0 in away games). The Storm is weathering along without Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, their offseason pickup from the Lynx and second-year forward who will sit out this season while pregnant. Offseason acquisitions Candice Dupree and Katie Lou Samuelson have been underwhelming in the early going, leading to nights where the Storm are getting beaten on the boards despite the presence of Stewart (9.3 RPG, 3rd in WNBA).

The big lightning strike came on the sideline, as former Storm glue-girl Noelle Quinn, groomed as a future coach in her brief retirement from her playing days, has assumed the duties of Dan Hughes. Having coached the second-most games in league history, and winning the third-most, Hughes skipped out on attending the 2020 Wubble with the team. In 2021, he looked around, and decided in this early stage of the season that the time was as right as any to exit and pass the baton. Gary Kloppenburg, interim coach for the 2020 title run, remains on board as a lead assistant.

Atlanta has only had 3 home games thus far (tied w/ DAL and LAS for the fewest; 1-2 record), and this 3-game homestand that last through Sunday with the Mystics in town should help the Dream catch up, although admittedly there's another basketball team still playing that draws attention away from the goings-on at Gateway Center.

The Dream could neither get the necessary shots to fall, particularly inside, in Sunday's rematch with Minnesota, nor could they put up a good defensive fight and get stops against a deepening Lynx team in a 100-80 loss in Minneapolis. They had to fly cross-country, too, ahead of today's game. But we will have to see if home is where the heart is for Mike Petersen's ballclub.

Tiffany Hayes remained strong on Sunday with a team-high 21 points against the Lynx, and for now she shares top-billing with Courtney Williams for Atlanta (4-4). Tip and C-Will each average a team-high 18.1 PPG, Hayes' offensive firepower coming more from her surprisingly sound perimeter shooting (4-for-5 3FGs @ MIN on Sunday), the latter Dream player more from her ability to extend possessions and create extra-chance points (2.3 O-Rebs per game, aiding ATL's league-high 11.3 per contest).

Atlanta still is not getting the steady interior punch they need out of Elizabeth Williams and Tianna Hawkins, the latter of whom returned to the starting lineup on Sunday but hardly made it through ten minutes of play, with no shots and one rebound. Cheyenne Parker (2-for-3 3FGs @ MIN) will soon assume the starting role at the 4-spot, in her return from COVID, as Hawkins continues to drag.

The imbalance is becoming more evident as rookie guard Aari McDonald, getting many of the minutes reserved for the injured Chennedy Carter, had the best run in her young career last week (15 bench points in both Lynx games; 6-for-6 FTs on Sunday). Joining Hayes and E-Will with foul trouble on Sunday made it tougher for Aari to contribute more.

Ultimately, two combined shots and six total boards out of the PF and C starters in a 40 minute contest, in a league loaded with frontcourt superstars like Stewart, will not get the job done in the long run, much less today. C-Will and sixth-woman forward Monique Billings have been the Dream's top defensive rebounders, and for Atlanta to dip into the playoffs in 2021, that ranking will have to change, if not soon, then eventually. Is there a GM in the house?

 

Let's Go Dream!

~lw3

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How we never got a 30 For 30 on her mercurial flash, we'll never know. But for her conditioning struggles and unresolved off-court issues, she could still be giving Atlanta the kind of fan-pop we reserve these days for star guards like Trae in the NBA. Sad situation! IUPG, as always. But, hearts out to her alleged victims.

Oh, and TMZ, baby, she's NOT a "Star." It's 2021, have your headline-makers try to keep up.

https://www.wlky.com/article/former-louisville-cardinal-shoni-schimmel-charged-with-felony-assault-in-oregon/36723326

~lw3

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It's pure scoreboard-watching today, unless you've got League Pass to check out the Washington Mystics' broadcast. The Atlanta Dream will be on the hunt for their fourth road win of the season, hoping to double-dip on the Mystics in their house (7 PM Eastern, NBC Sports Washington in DC).

What you don't wanna get caught up in right now, this early in the season, is standings-watching. Seattle (11-2) and Las Vegas (9-3), as we've long predicted, is the cream rising to the top, winners of four straight. Connecticut (8-3) is hanging on while Jonquel Jones addresses international duties. Holding down the WNBA dregs is a thoroughly lost Indiana team (1-12) whose eight-game skid includes seven by double-digits.

And then, there's the eight remaining teams in between, all within 1.5 games of each other entering today's action. A 6-5 record has you in 4th place, while a 4-6 record has you tied for next-to-last place. Ah, sweet parity!

Sunday's resounding 101-78 win in College Park moved the Dream up to 5-6, still ahead of most reasonable expectations at this juncture for a team regrouping under a new coaching regime while missing ace guard Chennedy Carter (elbow). Odyssey Sims (20 points, 8-for-14 FGs) joined Tip Hayes and Court Williams as a trio of Dreamgirls scoring 18 or more, the five Atlanta players in double-figs more than enough to wear down the Mystics.

That loss dropped Washington, who is still without Elena Delle Donne or a timetable for Emma Meesseman's arrival, to 4-6. Their best active player, center Tina Charles, is on a well-excused absence tonight, as a movie the New York native produced ("Game Changer") is premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival (man, alive, do I miss film festivals.)

Erica McCall will likely get the call for more time from coach Mike Thibault, and Theresa Plaisance (2-for-4 3FGs) is always a stretchy thorn in Atlanta's side. If Atlanta can get another modicum of two-way production out of Elizabeth Williams (5 assists vs. WAS on Sunday) and the thawing Tianna Hawkins (2-for-5 3FGs vs, WAS) as Cheyenne Parker, now starting, gets up to speed, there should again be enough balance by the Dream to keep the Mystics off-balance, even if they don't get as hot from the perimeter (13-for-29 team 3FGs) again tonight. Keeping turnovers and fouls low once more, will also help a bunch.

With so many players on other teams out due to injury and overseas commitments, coach Mike Petersen's club can continue to get a jump on foes even while Carter is on the mend. Whatever you do, Atlanta, don't look at the standings!

 

Let's Go Dream!

~lw3

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1 hour ago, lethalweapon3 said:

What you don't wanna get caught up in right now,

Well…. :battingeyelashes: I’m kind of having all I can handle with the other series but WHY NOT! 

 

1 hour ago, lethalweapon3 said:

(man, alive, do I miss film festivals.)

 

I want to go to Cannes one day.

 

Nice preview!

GO DREAM!

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Appetizer! If you can find it.

I have no idea where "Bally Sports Southeast EXTRA" is (maybe one of these five-digit channels on my dial, beside the SEC Alternate channels I seek out during football season). But if you're not heading to College Park, you might be able to catch the Atlanta Dream try to win their second-straight home game at Gateway Center Arena (7 PM Eastern). Operative word: "try".

The Dream were on their way to pulling off a home-and-home sweep of the Mystics in Washington last Thursday, The Styx erased several leads and were clinging to one with to minutes to spare when Tiffany Hayes went down. The Dream's leading scorer this season, Hayes suffered an MCL tear and will miss at least the next 4-6 weeks.

Atlanta, who had as big as a 12-point lead in the third quarter, almost pulled off the comeback without Hayes. But in a situation that can only be described as Atlanta Sports, following a three-pointer from Odyssey Sims to trim the lead to 94-93 with five minutes left. Crystal Bradford was whistled for a technical prior to the fouled Natasha Cloud's free throws.  Cloud missed 1 of 2, but Aari McDonald's split-second last-dash heave came up short.

Beyond Hayes, the Dream had been missing guard Chennedy Carter (elbow), but she is listed as probable to return to action tonight. While there's never a great time for an MCL tear, the good news is Atlanta has but seven games in the schedule before a month-long Olympic break kicks in. Tip will be missed, but by the time she returns, the playoff run for this season won't necessarily be sunk.

Napheesa Collier and the Lynx (also 5-7) are in town tonight. They blew out the Dream, 100-80, in their prior meeting up in Minneapolis. But the game two days before that one was a nail-biter, 86-84 in favor of the home team Lynx.

Dream coach Mike Petersen has had six days to help shore up Atlanta's defensive efforts (104.5 team D-Rating, 11th in WNBA, ahead of 1-14 Indiana). If it pays dividends tonight, especially upfront versus Collier, sharpshooter Rachel Banham (WNBA-high 51.3 3FG%) and center Sylvia Fowles (WNBA-best 63.3 FG% and 2.3 SPG), then the Dream will put up a palatable finish before tonight's ECF opener in Milwaukee.

Hayes stole five Mystakes in D.C. last Thursday, but C-Will and Sims (team-highs of 22 points, 7 assists) added a trio of steals apiece, too. Atlanta will need to convert turnovers into buckets in transition, and they ought to have Carter back to make it happen.

One more sidenote:

https://www.wnba.com/vote/howto/

Both Courtney Williams and Hayes, despite her latest injury, have been worthy candidates for the All-Star Game, which will return to Vegas on July 14, billed pretty much as "Team USA Olympians" versus "Others". Atlanta's leading scorer in Hayes' absence and their top rebounder and dime-dropper (16.9 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 3.9 APG), C-Will would make for a formidable "Other". Voting is good through end-of-day on Sunday.

 

Let's Go Dream!

~lw3

 

 

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I figured it out ex post facto, that when the schedule says "Bally Whatever EXTRA" of "Bally Whatever Plus", that just means a team is second-priority (i.e., to the Hawks or Bravos live), and they air the game on tape delay like the NBA Western Conference Playoffs back in the 1980s.

The Dream are all the way live today (7 PM Eastern, Bally Sports South) on Pride Night, as they'll host former teammate Betnijah Laney (19.4 PPG, 6th in WNBA), Sabrina Ionescu (6.2 APG, 3rd in WNBA) and the New York Liberty at Gateway Center in CPK.

After failing to hang on against Minnesota in an 87-85 home loss Wednesday, Atlanta has fallen to next-to-last in the standings with a 5-8 record. But the Dream are still just a game behind 8-seed New York (7-8) for what would be the final WNBA Playoffs spot. And if you've seen how thoroughly lost Indiana has been lately, there are no worries about slipping to dead-last anytime soon. The Libs are the most frequent turnover-producers in the league (WNBA-high 20.8 team TO%, +3.8 TO/game differential) , so a little more pressure defense and transition offense could make all the difference today.

 

Let's Go Dream!

~lw3

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26 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Atlanta has fallen to next-to-last in the standings with a 5-8 record.

:resent: dang that stinks hopefully they get back on track with this one tonight. Love the coloring for the LGBTQ 🏳️‍⚧️ btw nice touch.

GO DREAM!

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These ladies must be trippin’! After Tuesday’s bounce-back home win over the Liberty, the Atlanta Dream have hit the road for the next week-plus. They’ll stop at the home bases of the WNBA’s top three clubs, with the defending-champ Seattle Storm (10 PM Eastern tonight, Twitter), the Las Vegas Aces and the Connecticut Sun (now with star Jonquel Jones back from international duty, and Brionna Jones surging as her All-Star twin tower) serving as the cream of the league’s crop.

Dealing with Breanna Stewart, Liz Cambage and A’ja Wilson, and The Jones Girls while crisscrossing the country over the next eight days is, indeed, a tall order. Forwards Cheyenne Parker, Tianna Hawkins and Mo Billings will need to be strong interior defensive presences to take pressure off of still-dormant pivot Elizabeth Williams (0-for-6 FGs vs. NYL on Tuesday).

Not all has gone well for Seattle (12-4), who have dropped two straight including Sunday’s OT loss in Vegas after holding a seven-point lead over the Aces through three quarters. That loss dropped new coach Noelle Quinn’s team behind Las Vegas at the top of the WNBA table.

Up front, Mercedes Russell has overtaken starting duties full-time as offseason acquisition Candice Dupree has struggled mightily. Russell’s rim-protecting presence frees up Stewart (WNBA-high 9.0 Defensive RPG; 21.8 PPG and 1.9 BPG, both 2nd in WNBA) to clean up the boards, as she did during a two-game, double-digit sweep of the Dream in ATL in mid-June. Stewart is well in the running to win her second MVP trophy, and Jewell Loyd (18.6 PPG, 3rd among WNBA guards) is not far behind.

Atlanta has enjoyed the hustle plays of Crystal Bradford, who set her career-bests with 14 points and seven rebounds to trump New York by a 73-69 score in College Park. At the wing, Courtney Williams, a worthy first-time All-Star, has been her usual spectacular self in fighting for rebounds amongst the trees (6.7 RPG, 1st among WNBA non-frontcourt players).

But the remaining foes on Atlanta’s schedule, leading into the All-Star and Olympic break, features the top-four WNBA teams in defensive rebounding percentage (this includes lowly Indiana, who visit the ATL in nine days.) Traditional frontcourt rebounding will be essential if the Dream (6-9) intend to sneak out of this road trip with at least one victory.

It’s uncertain that when the curtain comes back up on the Dream next month, which players will still be on the roster. But the likelihood is strong that not much, if anything, is going to change, which leads to a burning question… Who’s minding the store?

Since placing center Kalani Brown on waivers back on May 28, Atlanta has not made a single transaction to fill, or upgrade, the roster. In that time, all 11 of their WNBA counterparts have engaged in a literal bloodletting of lower-tier WNBA talent.

Notably, the Fever cut ties with 2020’s #3-overall pick Lauren Cox, the Chicago Sky already sent their two 2021 first-round rookies, Shyla Heal and Stephanie Watts, and second-rounder Natasha Mack into the ether, while the Liberty and Minnesota Lynx parted ways with veterans Kiah Stokes and Rachel Banham, respectively.

These clubs are picking players up off of waivers, too, often in cases of “hardship” due to so many absences stemming from either injury or Olympic-related assignments. The Dream have made no moves corresponding with either Brown’s release or the mid-June MCL sprain that has sidelined scoring leader Tiffany Hayes through the Break.

New team president Suzanne Abair appears to be engaged in more high-level PR promotion activities, while her managing partner, VP Renee Montgomery, obviously has her hands full with multi-faceted and unexpected engagements of her own. If there is a concerted effort to field someone to initiate or handle trade calls and player personnel matters (Atlanta native and new basketball ops director Brooklyn Cartwright?), fans have yet to see it.

On the other hand, what’s the rush? The Trade Deadline doesn’t arrive until August 21, by which time we’ll know for sure whether Atlanta needs to orient itself toward a rebuild in 2022, instead of a late playoff dash.

From this fan’s POV, it just feels as though the roster could use a boost to compensate, at least in the short-term, for the short-staffing brought about by the loss of Hayes and the persistent struggles of bigs E-Will and Shekinna Stricklen. Hopefully, the team brass has some players in mind, perhaps more now that 7-day contract pickups like former Dream forward Cierra Burdick, picked up this week by Seattle, are an option. More hopefully, the leadership has the currently overworked players, and interim coach Mike Petersen, in mind, as the team trudges toward the Break.

 

Let’s Go Dream!

~lw3

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Indeed she is a star. Congrats to C-Will!

While you'd be right to perceive his commentary (shared in AJC's Q&A with Courtney) as pre-Trade Deadline subterfuge, Trader Bill Laimbeer voiced his support for a second Dream star to make her way to Vegas. For the All-Star Game, that is!

https://www.ajc.com/sports/qa-courtney-williams-on-all-star-bid-finding-a-home-with-the-dream/7O6IB423YFG2DMACPGRHIZZPSY/

Quote

“I couldn’t vote for Tiffany Hayes, the No. 10 scorer in the league. We were not allowed to,” Las Vegas Aces coach Bill Laimbeer said June 30. “The social-media people picked who the coaches could vote for. They said, ‘That’s too bad, that’s what we’re going to give you.’ We know more about this league than any of the talking heads or the general public. It’s unfortunate. There are some players who aren’t selected and should be. Tiffany Hayes is the poster child for that one.”

As for Courtney and Tiffany's current coach, there was no mincing of words about his support for Courtney's candidacy.

Quote

“I know this: If they played an All-Star game and Courtney wasn’t in it, they should’ve canceled it,” Dream interim coach Mike Petersen said. “She’s played great all year long, and it’s shocking to me that this is her first time. This is so well-deserved, and I am sure she will play well and represent us well. It’s hard to do this in this league.”

 

~lw3

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1 hour ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Indeed she is a star. Congrats to C-Will!

While you'd be right to perceive his commentary (shared in AJC's Q&A with Courtney) as pre-Trade Deadline subterfuge, Trader Bill Laimbeer voiced his support for a second Dream star to make her way to Vegas. For the All-Star Game, that is!

https://www.ajc.com/sports/qa-courtney-williams-on-all-star-bid-finding-a-home-with-the-dream/7O6IB423YFG2DMACPGRHIZZPSY/

As for Courtney and Tiffany's current coach, there was no mincing of words about his support for Courtney's candidacy.

 

~lw3

Congrats Courtney! Love the unis too! 

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