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The Atlanta Dream have dealt with injuries all season, and it didn't get better after Cheyenne Parker-Tyus was ruled out for the remainder of the regular season with a left ankle injury. Parker-Tyus went down at the 4:47 mark in the first quarter against the Connecticut Sun on Aug. 18, holding her ankle. She laid on the floor for a while until a stoppage, and a few Dream assistants came to help her.
Parker-Tyus was an important part to the Dream, helping the second unit and also coming in as a starter if need be. The Dream players know how much Parker-Tyus means to the team, but she's still been having an impact when she's not even playing.
Nia Coffey spoke to the media before the Dream's game against the Dallas Wings and shared a few words about Parker-Tyus' contributions on and off the court.
“When I think of CP, she’s always in a good mood. No matter if she’s going through a very hard time or we’re going through a hard time as a team, she’s always positive, she’s always looking at the positive side and the silver lining. She has that next-play mentality, so I just take that from her,” Coffey said. “She’s very much a leader in our locker room right now. Her enthusiasm and her cheering, that rubs off on us, so we really appreciate that from her.”
Dream head coach Tanisha Wright was asked about how the team will prepare for life without Parker-Tyus for the rest of the season, and she gave a shout-out to the second unit and how they've played lately.
“I think all of our bench players have done a good job of stepping in at times and giving us solid play,” Wright said. “We have to continue to do that, we’re going to need everybody as we move forward.”
The Dream will miss Cheyenne Parker-Tyus' impact on the court
Cheyenne Parker-Tyus was a solid player for the Dream this season. At the beginning of the year, she was in the starting lineup for 11 games, but head coach Tanisha Wright moved her to come off the bench, and it helped the second unit. She averaged 9.6 points and five rebounds per game while on the floor.
With Parker-Tyus missing the rest of the season, the Dream will have to continue to lean on frontcourt players such as Tina Charles, Naz Hillmon, Lorela Cubaj, and Laeticia Amihere, who have been major contributors to the team this season. The Dream are currently fighting for the final playoff spot, and are sitting in the ninth seed, right behind the Chicago Sky.
Nia Coffey knows the importance of these games down the stretch, and they know what they have to do to get into the postseason.
“We’re fighting everyday, period. We’re tied right now with three other teams and every game counts, and we have the opportunity to play those teams that we’re fighting against, so it’s in our control. We’re doing everything we can do each and every day to prepare.”
“We have to come out with an energy and an attitude that we’re going to leave it all out on the court, and we’re going to play as hard as we can,” Wright said. “Not just play hard, but have a high level of execution on both ends of the floor. If you do that, it’ll always give us a chance.”
