Just when the Atlanta Dream were getting healthy, the team suffered an injury to one of their key players in the frontcourt. Cheyenne Parker-Tyus went down at the 4:47 mark in the first quarter against the Connecticut Sun, holding her ankle. Parker-Tyus stayed laid on the floor for a while until a stoppage, and a few Dream assistants came to help her.
Once Parker-Tyus was off the court, she was carted to the locker room in a wheelchair.
The Dream announced in the second quarter that Parker-Tyus was ruled out for the remainder of the game with a lower leg injury.
The Dream's injury-riddled season continues
![Atlanta Dream forward Cheyenne Parker (32) goes to the basket against Chicago Sky forward Ruthy Hebard (24) during the first half of a WNBA game at Wintrust Arena.](https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Cheyenne-Parker-Tyus.jpg)
The Atlanta Dream have dealt with injuries all season, and the second half looked promising with most of them returning.
The Dream had unfortunate injuries during the first half of the season, with one of them being their star player, Rhyne Howard. She suffered an ankle injury that left her out indefinitely, but she returned in the last game before the All-Star and Olympic break, and she also participated in the Paris Olympics for the women's Team USA 3×3 basketball team.
Jordin Canada missed the first 14 games of the season, and once she returned she got injured again. Both Howard and Canada can score in bunches, and having them back healthy for the Dream was good, especially as they try to make a run in the second half of the season.
Before their game against the Seattle Storm, Allisha Gray mentioned to reporters how she was excited to have both Howard and Canada back in the lineup.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment the whole season,” Gray said to ClutchPoints. “It's crazy because one would come and then one would go out, so it's nice to have everybody back. I’m very happy for people to see what type of team we are when everybody’s healthy.”
Parker-Tyus has been a solid player for the Dream this season. She initially was in the starting lineup for 11 games, but head coach Tanisha Wright moved her to come off the bench later in the season, and it has helped the second unit. She's currently averaging 9.6 points and five rebounds per game.
If Parker-Tyus misses some time, the Dream will still have solid frontcourt options to lean on such as Tina Charles and Naz Hillmon, who have been major contributors to the team this season. The Dream are currently fifth in the Eastern Conference standings, are looking to keep up with the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever for the fourth spot.
Health has played a major part in the Drean being where they are right now, and if they can stay relatively healthy for this last stretch of the season, they can set themselves up for success.