Peachtree Hoops: Catching up with the Atlanta Dream

[Hawksquawk]

Photo by David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images

Who to look for in this upcoming 2024 Atlanta Dream season.

You may be fooled into thinking this is an Atlanta Hawks-specific blog, but we here at Peachtree Hoops are looking to change that notion.

With the WNBA schedule soon to tip off — possibly one of the most anticipated seasons ever for the league with a recent influx of exciting talent — it’s time to take a look at the hometown team: the Atlanta Dream.

2023 Season (And Earlier) Recap

2023 represented a huge step forward for the franchise. After a tumultuous few seasons that saw former lottery pick Chennedy Carter unceremoniously shipped out following a reported locker room altercation, the organization underwent a full rebuild.

Back in 2021, a year that saw three head coaches take the mantel from preseason to season’s end, current head coach Tanisha Wright was hired. As an added boost to the restart, the Dream earned the number three overall pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft.

A later trade then moved the Dream to the number one spot, a spot where they drafted 2022 Rookie of the Year Rhyne Howard. And in Howard’s second season, she led the Dream to a 19-21 record and a first-round matchup with the Dallas Wings this past season.

Behind three All-Star selections, the Dream have forged an identity as a long and active defensive team with a couple of star wing playmakers that can take over offensively when needed. Ultimately, their shortcomings at the point guard position aided in last season’s demise — a two-game sweep at the hands of the Wings. But with a minor roster shakeup in the offseason, the Dream are once again looking to vault toward the top echelon of the league in 2024.

2024 Season Preview

Core Contributors:

Rhyne Howard: The 2022 number one overall pick, 2022 Rookie of the Year, and two-time All-Star again looks to lead the Dream to the postseason as the de facto face of the franchise. In just her second season, she averaged 17.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game on 39% shooting from the field and 35% shooting from three (52% true shooting percentage).

Howard has all the talent in the world: movement shooting, pull up self-creation, and the ability to guard multiple positions primarily at the 3. If she can take another step in her development, the sky is the limit for her and the team.

Allisha Gray: Gray came over from the Dallas Wings in a trade before the 2023 season, and her immediate impact was felt in a big way. A shooting guard who can play the point in a pinch, her constant hustle is equally seen in her ability to get to the rim in halfcourt and in pestering opposing guards with staunch on-ball defense. Gray averaged a career-best 17.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in her first All-Star season in 2023.

Cheyenne Parker-Tyus (formerly Parker): Parker-Tyus was the second Dream player to notch her first All-Star selection in 2023 along with Gray. With an array of dizzying post moves and the ability to stretch the floor beyond the three-point line, Parker-Tyus’ scoring adds dynamism all over the court.

She moved from the 4 to the 5 virtually full-time this past season, pouring in 15.0 points on an efficient 55% true shooting percentage and pulled down 6.7 rebounds per game. At 6-foot-4, Parker-Tyus provides much needed size and toughness for a somewhat undersized Dream frontcourt.

(Virtual) Roster Locks:

Jordin Canada: Canada is a former two-time All-Defensive Team player entering her age-28 season in the WNBA. The Dream acquired her via trade with Los Angeles after a breakout season where she averaged 13.3 points, 6.0 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. An injury to her right hand may sideline her to begin the season, however.

Nia Coffey: Coffey flashes two-way impact every minute she’s in the game. The closest thing to a pure ‘3-and-D’ player on the roster, she shot over 40% from three last season and recorded over a block per game in just 22 minutes of action per contest. Coffey is likely to start at the 4 with the departure of Monique Billings.

Aerial Powers: Aerial Powers is a 5-foot-11 wing that was signed as a free agent this offseason after last playing for the Minnesota Lynx. She’ll likely slot into an AD Durr-type of role as a microwave scorer off the bench.

Tina Charles: One of the greatest players in league history is making her return with the Dream this year to mentor the young group. Charles is second all-time in rebounds and fourth in points in an WNBA career, but she still wants to prove she can get it done at center in her age-35 season. This will be her 13th season in the league after sitting out last season, and she will most likely operate as a veteran voice in the locker room.

Haley Jones: Jones is a tall, imposing point guard drafted sixth overall in 2023 out of Stanford. She uses her 6-foot frame to slither into the paint and create shots at the rim, and she unsurprisingly provides length and tenacity on the other end as well. While the outside shooting has yet to come along, there are still layers of promise in her game.

Naz Hillmon: What Hillmon may lack in size for her position, she makes up for it and more in heart and hustle. The 6-foot-2 forward is a menace on the glass and finishes in the paint at a high clip.

Laeticia Amihere: Amihere is yet another Gamecock on this roster. A defensive Swiss Army knife, she’s slowly growing into her offensive potential with more and more reps on the ball.

(Seemingly) battling for the final guard position:

• Destanni Henderson
• Crystal Dangerfield

With Canada possibly not ready for the opening game on May 15 against the Los Angeles Sparks, the Dream may opt to carry one or both of the above names to pair with Haley Jones at the point to begin the season.

Henderson is a third-year player out of South Carolina known for her sticky guard defense. She seems to fit the identity of the team being built here but is only on an unguaranteed training camp contract at the moment.

Crystal Dangerfield was recently acquired from the Dallas Wings with a 2025 third-round pick. The four-year veteran is a sure-handed point guard who has already been with four different teams in her short time in the league.

Training camp invites:

• Lorela Cubaj
• Khadijiah Cave
• Khaalia Hillsman

These three bigs are competing for what looks to be the third center spot behind Parker-Tyus and Charles. Cubaj had a short spell with the Dream a season ago and spent her college career at nearby Georgia Tech, where she left as arguably the greatest player in program history.

Major Departures:

• Monique Billings
• Asia (AD) Durr
• Danielle Robinson
• Aari McDonald

Billings had been the longest tenured Dream and the only holdover from the Nicki Collen regime (as well as the most recent playoff appearance for Atlanta). Billings signed a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Sparks this offseason. Asia (AD) Durr, a wing who provided scoring and ball handling off the bench, was released from their restricted rights earlier this spring by mutual consent.

McDonald, a defensive specialist who has slowly improved her long range shooting, was traded to the Sparks in the offseason. Robinson, a 12-year veteran of the WNBA, suffered through injury issues in 2023 and is currently a free agent. Robinson and McDonald combined for 36 starts at point guard for Atlanta last season, but that tandem couldn’t quite produce at the level needed to place the Dream amongst the WNBA elite.

Overseas in 2024:

• Iliana Rupert
• Nyadiew Puoch
• Isobel Borlase
• Matilde Villa

Rupert, sister of NBA player Rayan Rupert, is a French international player with size and shooting at the center position. She plans on staying overseas in the lead up to the 2024 Olympics.

In the 2024 WNBA Draft, the Dream spent all three of their draft picks on players who have overseas commitments for the upcoming season (and therefore won’t be rostered until 2025 at the earliest). Puoch and Borlase both come from Australia’s Women’s National Basketball League, a country and a league where the women’s game also proves to be very popular.

A plea for Dream-focused writers

If you have any interest in writing for Peachtree Hoops about the Atlanta Dream, please don’t hesitate to inquire myself about a position with us. We are currently looking for talented and passionate writers to expand our coverage of the hometown WNBA team. Please reach out to me either on my Twitter/X account (link) or by direct email with any questions or interest in joining the team.

View the full article