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HomeBasketballWNBA: Can the Atlanta Dream construct on robust end to 2024 season?

WNBA: Can the Atlanta Dream construct on robust end to 2024 season?

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Can a group end 10 video games under .500, by some means make the playoffs, get swept within the first spherical and, but, nonetheless be ok with themselves?

That may be the place the Atlanta Dream are at.

After a largely nightmarish season, the Dream seemingly saved their greatest for final. When it mattered most, they gained three-straight video games—matching their longest profitable streak of the season—and claimed the No. 8 seed. Following a flat Recreation 1 efficiency towards the New York Liberty, the Dream performed to their potential in Recreation 2, maximizing their strengths—difficult the top-ranked Liberty offense with linked protection whereas pushing the tempo, shifting within the half courtroom and placing stress on the rim to check New York’s top-three protection—in methods they’d did not do persistently all through the season. If not for a powerhouse efficiency from Sabrina Ionescu, Atlanta could have pressured a decisive Recreation 3 down South.

As an alternative, the group can not less than take pleasure of their remaining efficiency of the season. Though, it stays price exploring why it took do-or-die circumstances for that model of the Dream to emerge. Was Recreation 2 consultant of a group lastly realizing what it takes to compete recreation in and recreation out within the highest-level girls’s basketball league on the earth? Or, what it simply one other tease from a group that has underachieved?

What went proper for Atlanta?

Atlanta Dream v New York Liberty

Tina Charles.
Photograph by Bruce Bennett/Getty Photographs

TC x ATL

There have been causes for skepticism in regards to the Dream’s addition of Tina Charles. Since departing the Liberty after the 2019 season, she’d struggled to suit her recreation inside different franchises’ methods and cultures.

In Atlanta, nonetheless, she discovered one other WNBA residence. Charles served as a stabilizing pressure for the Dream, reliably handing over double-doubles as she performed in 39 video games at age 35. And he or she even bought higher because the season progressed, averaging 17 factors and 11.8 rebounds per recreation after the Olympic break. Throughout that point, she additionally inked her identify into the the WNBA file books, ascending to first all-time in rebounds and double-doubles and second all-time in factors.

Even when her submit ups, hook pictures and elbow jumpers will not be the best substances for an environment friendly offense in immediately’s WNBA, they nonetheless work effectively sufficient, particularly for a group that would wrestle to generate straightforward scores.

Canada in Georgia

A fast have a look at Jordin Canada’s stats counsel she had a good season, as her averages and percentages dipped after a profession 12 months for the Los Angeles Sparks final season. But, the information doesn’t seize the transformative impression Canada had within the 20 regular-season video games she performed for the Dream. She imposed order on the too-often wayward group, commanding the offense and spearheading the protection.

On offense, the lightning-quick Canada persistently broke the paint, after which she sped to the basket or collapsed the protection and located an open teammate. Oftentimes, that teammate was Rhyne Howard, who demonstrably benefitted from Canada’s creation. Incessantly pressured into robust 3s when Canada was sidelined, Howard loved extra favorable spot-up triples when sharing the courtroom with Canada. The pairing was Atlanta’s greatest two-player lineup, a promising indicator for the long run.

Defensively, she was dogged on the level of assault, scrambling over screens to stay along with her task. That effort earned her greater than her fair proportion of offensive fouls drawn, as she usually induced whistles for opponents’ unlawful screens. By all the time doing the little issues, she was a defensive chief, modeling the type of defensive attentiveness the whole roster must undertake for Atlanta to succeed in their organizational ambitions.

What went incorrect for Atlanta?

Dallas Wings v Atlanta Dream

Haley Jones.
Photograph by Paras Griffin/Getty Photographs

Insufficient depth

Whereas dropping a mixed 30 video games of Canada and Howard because of accidents can clarify Atlanta’s underperformance, the absence of enough replacements exacerbated the results of their missed time, particularly that of Canada. With out Canada, Haley Jones was overextended as a place to begin guard, as Crystal Dangerfield and Destanni Henderson supplied solely quick, ineffectual stints.

Further accidents to Cheyenne Parker-Tyus and Aerial Powers additional sapped Atlanta’s depth. Each gamers additionally underperformed earlier than being sidelined. Parker-Tyus was struggling to copy her first-time All-Star effort of 2023, largely as a result of she and Charles had been an ill-aligned frontcourt pairing. The Dream had been outscored by a team-worst -4.2 factors per recreation in her minutes, a mark that Powers matched. Restricted to 17 video games, Powers’ high-energy boom-or-bust play didn’t present the off-the-bench consistency the Dream wanted.

A down 12 months from Nia Coffey added to Atlanta’s depth points. After capturing higher than 40 p.c from 3 final season, the traditionally inconsistent shooter noticed her proportion plummet to 27.3 p.c in 2024. These capturing woes resulted in a discount of her minutes, stopping her from boosting Atlanta along with her nonetheless strong defensive playmaking.

Insufficient growth

A scarcity of growth additionally contributed to Atlanta’s lack of depth. As famous above, Jones usually appeared overwhelmed when serving because the group’s level guard. As soon as Canada returned, she didn’t have a job, seeing solely 8.4 minutes per recreation after the Olympic break. The group’s imaginative and prescient for the highly-regarded prospect they chose No. 6 general within the 2023 WNBA Draft is unclear. Is she greatest suited as a main ball handler? Can she develop as an off-the-ball menace on offense? Can she sharpen her concentrate on protection?

The identical applies to Laeticia Amihere, chosen No. 8 general within the 2023 draft. Weaponized as a flexible expertise underneath Daybreak Staley at South Carolina, Amihere has largely been glued to the bench in Atlanta, and when she has been given scant minutes, she usually appears afraid to make a mistake, quite than assured in her skills to make performs.

What’s subsequent for the Dream?

Atlanta Dream v New York Liberty - Game Two

Tanisha Wright.
Photograph by Sarah Stier/Getty Photographs

The Wright coach?

Apparently, WNBA groups suppose its trendy to fireplace coaches. If this mindset is, in reality, infectious, how does Tanisha Wright survive into 2025?

Nevertheless, in distinction to the hasty strikes made in Los Angeles and Chicago, the Atlanta brass has given Wright three season to show her squad right into a bona fide playoff group. Even because the Dream have made two-straight postseason appearances, the Wright period appears like a disappointment. The group’s personnel—with previous, current and, hopefully, future All-Stars—suggests it must be greater than first-round fodder that flounders underneath .500 within the common season. Moreover, it’s exhausting to inform if group is aware of Wright’s voice. Based mostly on Recreation 1 of the primary spherical, not a lot. Recreation 2, in distinction, suggests Wright’s directions nonetheless resonate.

Ought to Wright be given an extended runaway, permitting the Dream’s present core to proceed to slowly however steadily develop right into a group with a strong cultural basis? Or, is a recent perspective wanted, with a brand new head coach providing different methods and motivations that higher match Atlanta’s personnel?

Who’s staying within the ATL?

The Dream’s core of Howard, Canada and Allisha Grey is underneath contract by way of the 2025 season. Naz Hillmon, who emerged on the group’s fifth starter, is also on a assured contract for subsequent season.

The most important free company query entails Charles. The way forward for the 13-year vet who will flip 36 earlier than subsequent season might be tied to Wright’s. All through the season, Charles expressed appreciation for the chance to renew her WNBA profession in Atlanta, emphasizing the significance of Wright’s perception in her.

The choice on Charles, in flip, may inform the destiny of Parker-Tyus, who is also an unrestricted free agent. As famous above, Charles and Parker-Tyus proved a poor froncourt paring. That Parker-Tyus by no means has developed a constant sufficient 3-point shot additionally would possibly encourage Atlanta to search for an enormous—both a starter or reserve—who may enable the group to experiment with five-out lineups, which, as Beckett Harrison lately detailed, are the very best avenues to attaining an environment friendly offense, one thing that has eluded Atlanta.

The Dream ought to dangle on to reserved free brokers Maya Caldwell and Lorela Cubaj, each of whom are above-average end-of-roster choices. Caldwell flashes as a recreation changer, coming off the bench with a fearlessness on offense and aggression on protection. Cubaj understands her function as a dirty-work massive who successfully cleans the glass, runs the ground and, often, unleashes some sick submit strikes.

In any other case, the group must be open to re-envisioning its bench choices, with explicit consideration to buying extra ball dealing with and capturing. Fairly presumably, the futures of Jones and Amihere will not be in Atlanta. May these gamers be exchanged for younger gamers in comparable conditions on different groups? For example, may the Dream goal the Indiana Fever’s Grace Berger, Seattle Storm’s Nika Mühl or Dallas Wings’ Lou Lopez Sénéchal?

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