The Atlanta Dream are back for the second half of the season, but some of the players and coaches spent their break in Paris for the Olympics. Rhyne Howard was a part of Team USA women's 3×3 basketball team, and Laeticia Amihere played for Canada. Howard brought back a bronze medal for Team USA.
Dream head coach Tanisha Wright served as a scout for Team USA's women's basketball team and helped them win gold against France. Wright spoke to ClutchPoints before the Dream's home game against the Seattle Storm and talked about what she learned during the Olympic run that could help her team finish the season strong.
“Just the work that you have to put in, that you have to continuously put in day in and day out,” Wright said. “Trying to put people in the best position to be successful, especially when you see a team like [Team USA], there’s so many great players and you’re trying to work around and try to figure out how to [maximize] each of them. It’s just the chess game of it all and how mentally sharp you have to be during those times.”
The Dream will be starting the second half of the season strong, and are looking to find themselves in the playoffs for the second year in a row.
The Dream are looking to start the second half of the season strong
The Atlanta Dream went into the break with a 7-17 record, something they probably didn't expect when the season started. Unfortunately, they've been hit with injuries to some of their key players, but they've also been inconsistent at times. Rhyne Howard missed some time with a left ankle injury, and Jordin Canada didn't start the season healthy, missing the first 14 games. Canada returned, but she was once again injured, breaking her right finger.
The Dream will have both Howard and Rhyne back healthy for the second part of the season, which should bode well for a team that who's guard play is their strength. Howard is the go-to scorer for the Dream and is also a solid defender who you can put on the opposing team's best player.
Canada has shown throughout her career that she can score at a high level and also get her teammates involved. The one thing that the Dream struggled with was finishing games, and Wright thinks that will be a major focus after the break.
“I think we have to have a better focus down the stretch where we need to be able to execute, both offensively and defensively so that we can finish games off,” Wright said. “I think that's the biggest thing, but I think from watching practices and just the feedback that I've gotten from both players and coaches that they had a great break, they focused on small things, getting better at those things, and really spending time with each other.”
The Dream still have a good chance to make the playoffs, but they're going to need some help from the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever.
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