As the regular season nears its end, the Atlanta Dream have a lot to be happy about. With a first-year head coach, they were able to make franchise history while also locking up home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. It's been pretty much a successful season for the team, but it took them some time to get here.
Head coach Karl Smesko shared what he thinks was the biggest improvement the team has made throughout the season, and he noted the chemistry and trust between the entire team.
“I think there just needed to be some trust developed between coaches and players,” Smesko said. “They’re always wanting to know, are you going to be consistent, are you going to follow through with this? Is this really what you want?
“I think there's definitely been a good development that they know the shots we're looking for, they know how we want to do things, and they're making a great effort to make it happen. I think they're seeing some success, but there’s still some improvement to be made and a very short window of time to do it.”
Most of the team has been together longer than just this season, so the chemistry on and off the floor was already there. Adding key players like Brionna Jones, Brittney Griner, and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough was a big help this season, but it was Smesko and his coaching staff that made everything click.
Dream are seeing hard work pay off late in the season
The Dream have had key players step up throughout the season, but they're deep enough to the point that anybody can have a good game. The team has also been able to adapt to any situation, which is what has helped their success this season.
“I think that also we've seen just with injuries, with illness, whatever may have come about with this season, there's always been somebody who's been able to step up,” Hillmon said. “That's what is so great about this team. Obviously, you'll have your usual suspects, but then off the bench, it could be any one of our given nights that night. I think that's what's so impressive about this team. Everybody has been able to really adapt this year.”
With just one regular-season game remaining, the Dream have put themselves in a good position to secure as high as the No. 2 seed in the playoffs, but they're going to need some help. Nonetheless, the Dream will still have home court in the first round of the playoffs.
