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The Atlanta Dream are fighting down the stretch of the WNBA for a playoff spot, and the stakes are higher than ever with seven games remaining on the schedule. The Dream have been up and down this entire season but they've finally been able to see some consistent wins since the Olympic break. Nonetheless, it hasn't been enough to get them in the eighth spot, but it's been enough to keep them in range.
The Chicago Sky currently hold the eighth spot in the playoffs, and both them and the Dream have the same record, with the Sky having the tiebreaker. The Dream are also hoping that the two teams below them, the Washington Mystics and Dallas Wings, don't jump them in the standings.
There are several things that need to happen for the Dream to make the playoffs, and here are just a few things to look out for as the season is rapidly coming to a close at the end of the month.
The Dream's guard trio continues to build chemistry
When the Dream came back from the Olympic break, their guard trio of Jordin Canada, Rhyne Howard, and Allisha Gray were able to be on the floor together for the first time this season. This proved to be a major step for the team, as they went on a three-game winning streak, and got some good performances from all three of them.
Canada has been able to run the offense and get other players on the court involved, alleviating the pressure of Howard and Gray having to create their own shots. Howard and Gray can both now play within the offense, coming off of pin-downs and screens to get open looks are creating opportunities for others on the team. It's important that all three of them continue to play off of each other to help the offense flow better. On defense, Gray and Howard are capable of guarding the opposing team's best guards and wings every night, and they've been doing good with that task as of late.
Tina Charles continues dominant stretch
Tina Charles has also been a player who has had a nice stretch of games since coming back from the Olympic break. She's been breaking records too, with the biggest one moving up to No. 2 on the all-time scoring list. In her game against the Seattle Storm, she became the first player in Dream history to record a triple-double. Charles is still showing that she has longevity in the league, and all she wants to do is win games.
Charles' rebounding has stuck out as of late, and she's grabbing 10+ boards almost every game, making it hard for opposing teams to get second-chance points. On offense, she's been efficient inside the paint and also on the perimeter, helping to space the floor and give the team more options to work with.
More bench production
With Cheyenne Parker-Tyus and Aerial Powers out of the rotation with injuries, head coach Tanisha Wright has had to go deep into her bench to get production. Nia Coffey, Maya Caldwell, Haley Jones, Lorela Cubaj, and Laetecia Amihere have been trying to keep the Dream afloat, but they'll need to go a little bit more to help out the starters. If Parker-Tyus and Powers can come back before the end of the season, it will bode well for the second unit.
Help from other teams
Not only do the Dream need to keep winning, but they need to hope the other teams surrounding them keep losing. The Chicago Sky and Dream currently have the same record, but the Sky has the tiebreaker. The Washington Mystics are one game behind the Dream, and the Dallas Wings are two games behind. If any one of those teams suddenly gets hot and the Dream can't keep up, they'll be in danger of not getting the last spot.
Luckily for the Dream, most of their remaining games are against those three teams (one against Wings and Sky, two against Mystics), so it'll be important for them to handle business and get those wins.
