The Atlanta Dream were waiting to see what their team would look like when Jordin Canada was fully healthy, and it's safe to say nothing but good things have happened so far. The Dream defeated the Connecticut Sun 82-70 for their second straight win, and Canada's play was instrumental in the victory, finishing with 19 points and six assists.
Canada's play comes with scoring a lot of points and getting her teammates involved, but it also involves her hitting the floor at times. After the game, Canada tried to guess how many times she falls on the court every game.
“It varies, but it’s probably somewhere in like the 8-10 range at least,” Canada said. “I try to be aggressive as much as possible and more than half the time I always end up on the floor but that’s just how I play, that’s just how it’s always been. Trying to clean that up a little bit but just have to stay on my feet.”
Canada came into the postgame room with a crown on her head, and head coach Tanisha Wright shared how she earned the award for the game.
“Great point guard play. She kept us super composed out there, attacked, and put pressure on the rim constantly. Her ability to find her teammates, her ability to keep us calm and confident,” Wright said. “She’s a great leader out there. There were plenty of times where I looked and we had a play called and they went with it. I thought defensively she was great.”
It's been a great start to the second half of the season for the Dream, and they've gotten two gritty wins against two good teams.
The Dream execute late in the 4th quarter to defeat the Sun
Tanisha Wright mentioned before the Dream's previous game against the Seattle Storm that finishing games was something that the team needed to get better at, and they must've heard her loud and clear. The Dream held the lead for most of the game, keeping the Sun's key players DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas in check.
The Sun went on a run late in the second half and got a five-point lead, but that didn't bother the Dream. Just like their previous game against the Seattle Storm, the game came down to the final stretch, and the Dream's execution was put to the test.
Allisha Gray pulled up for a jump shot and made it plus the foul, and a minute later Jordin Canada made a layup to tie the game. From there, the Dream scored on almost every one of their next possessions, while locking down on defense and forcing the Sun into some tough shots.
It was Canada and Tina Charles, who finished the game with 22 points and 15 rebounds, that brought the team together at the end and instilled confidence in them to finish strong.
“I think it helps when you have a point guard of [Jordin Canada's] caliber, keeping your team calm,” Wright said. “We had a timeout, [Tina Charles] came to the bench, the [Sun] had taken the lead, and she just said ‘We're fine, we're fine.' Just their ability to come together during those moments and stay composed, and believe that they're fine, and then go out there and continue to execute.”
The Dream will need more of that solid execution to finish the game, and it's obvious they have the players to do so. They'll be back in action on Aug. 21 to face the Phoenix Mercury.
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