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ATLANTA – After winning a nail-biter two nights ago against the Dallas Wings on the road, the Atlanta Dream were back at home to take on the Phoenix Mercury. They were down two starters coming into the game, and it showed in the first two minutes as they went down 10-2. From there, everything changed, and the Dream took an 18-15 lead, and they didn't look back.
The Dream got hot from 3, as they went 8-for-11 in the first quarter, and it continued into the second and third quarters. The lead continued to grow, and at some point, they were leading by 35 points. In the end, the Dream won the game 95-72.
“When we have it really going, we’re a top-level team in the league, but the thing is to do it consistently is the next step,” head coach Karl Smesko said. “That’s really the challenge because these games come up so fast, so we get up against a good team like Phoenix, and you play really well, but there’s another good team two days later. You can’t ever just relax.”
Even without some of their key players, the Dream were able to execute at a high level on both sides of the ball. They had their best half offensively and had their best quarter defensively, all in the same game.
“The last few games, the ball has moved really well, our spacing has been better, there are more players reading,” Smesko said. “You can see the cutting for baskets and stuff like that. This is a new system for them, and I think they’re getting more comfortable within it, and they have a lot more freedom to create scoring opportunities.”
Dream have big offensive output in win vs. Mercury
Maya Caldwell, who has been starting in the place of Rhyne Howard, had a big first quarter for the Dream, scoring 11 points and making all 3 of her 3-pointers.
“My thought process was just to stay locked in any other game,” Caldwell said. “Some nights they don’t go in; tonight they definitely did.”
“She’s putting in the work, I see her every day,” Brionna Jones said. “She’s getting up extra shots. She’s definitely come in prepared and ready. I know if I pass it out there, she’s going to knock it down.”
The Dream have had people in and out of the lineup, but they're still sticking to the system, which has allowed them to continue to play at a high level. They had four players in double digits, and Jordin Canada finished with 11 assists.
“It shows our resiliency, and it’s next person up, no matter who is out,” Jones said. “We’ve done a good job of playing in coach’s system, of he wants us to move the ball and find the open player. We’re moving the ball and we’re playing that way, and I think it’s hard for other teams to guard it.”
Like Smesko said, though you get a good win against a good team, it doesn't mean that it's over that easily. In two days, they'll have to go up against the Washington Mystics, another team who was played well this season. For the Dream, if they can stick to the script, they could have another performance like they did against the Mercury.
