The Atlanta Dream will be heading to the playoffs for the fourth straight season, but this time has a different aura surrounding it. Everyone seems to be playing some of their best basketball at the right time, and the confidence in the team seems higher than ever. It’s still uncertain who they’ll be playing in the first round, but whoever is in their way is going to have a tough time advancing.
Last year, things ended on a sour note for the Dream despite having one of the best seasons in franchise
history. After the season, they felt like they needed somebody who could take them to the next level, and that’s where Angel Reese entered the picture.
So far this season, Reese has done it all for the Dream, scoring at will, rebounding at a high level, and playing some of the best defense in the league which has led her to become a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year. It’s not only what she’s doing on the court, but the belief that she has in the team is unreal.
“I believe we’re going to go all the way,” Reese said. “Obviously, it’s gonna be a lot of chatter on the outside, but as long as we continue to focus on what’s in our locker room, that’s all that matters.”
She’s definitely not the only person in the locker room that believes that, but it’s different when you actually show it on the court.
The Dream have definitely been showing it.
Outside of Reese’s spectacular season, Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray have stayed consistent in their games, and they’re arguably playing better than they did last year. Howard continues to knock down 3-pointers at a high level and stamp herself as one of the best defensive wings in the league. The stats prove it, as she broke the record for most 3-pointers made in a season, and she currently leads the league in steals per game.
As for Gray, she had an All-WNBA season last year, but even head coach Karl Smesko believes she’s playing better this time around. She has a knack for getting to the basket and creating contact, while also being a solid defender on the other end.
Reese, Howard and Gray are already three players to stop all at once, and if one of them happens to be off one night, the others step up. That’s a tough situation to be in for the opposing team, and that’s not all they have to worry about in the postseason as well. The Dream have one of the younger cores in the league, and they added a veteran in DeWanna Bonner who knows what it takes to win a championship.
Just through her handful of games with the team, her presence on the court seems to be making a difference, whether she’s hitting a 3-pointer, making plays for others, or communicating with everybody. Those are the small things that will go a long way for the Dream as they embark on a playoff run.
It’s also hard not to talk about the other players on the team who have continued to make an impact throughout the year and could go off at any moment. Jordin Canada is the general who has been the table setter for the team at point guard, and she should be on an All-Defensive team at the end of the year, as she’s second in the league in steals per game. Naz Hillmon has been the vocal leader for the team all season, while also doing the dirty work in any way they need it.
The bench has had some good moments over the past few games, and the Dream are going to need them if they want a real chance at making a run. They have all the moving parts of being a team that should be feared come playoff time, and it’ll be interesting to see if they can make a run to the championship.
