Atlanta Dream continues to struggle despite record home crowd

The move from the Dream’s usual 3,500-seat arena to College Park was driven by overwhelming demand for tickets.

“Atlanta has done a tremendous job defending the Dream over the last few years,” Dream head coach Tanisha Wright told the media before the game. “…It’s fun to be in that type of atmosphere, so for me, I just enjoy basketball.”

However, despite the electrifying crowd, Atlanta’s performance on both ends of the court did not match the fervor in the stands.

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The Dream never led, struggling to contain Indiana’s high-powered transition offense. The Fever scored 35 points in the first quarter alone, giving them a 10-point lead. From there it was pretty much the same. Indiana rookie guard Caitlin Clark nailed a deep step-back three against Atlanta forward/guard Haley Jones, widening Atlanta’s deficit to 19 points with 6:15 left in the second quarter en route towards a 91-79 defeat.

Forward NaLyssa Smith, guard Kelsey Mitchell and Clark combined to score 55 of the Fever’s 91 points on 56 percent shooting from the field. For the Dream, only center Tina Charles shot at least 40% from the field among the eight players to play at least 10 minutes. By comparison, seven of Indiana’s eight rotation players hit that threshold.

The Dream fell to 6-8 and have lost four of their last five games. After Friday’s loss, Wright expressed frustration and uncertainty about his team’s prospects. “I promise you, if I had any answers, I would tell you. I don’t have the answers,” she said. “I know it’s my job to figure out how to get this team to play together.”

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The loss leaves the Dream searching for solutions as they work to regain their momentum with a tough stretch ahead. They struggled offensively throughout the season, ranking last in the 12-team WNBA in points per game and 10th in offensive rating.

That task is made more difficult due to the absence of star wing Rhyne Howard. Howard injured her ankle on June 19 when she stepped on the foot of Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams in the third quarter of the Dream’s loss to the Lynx. She needed help to get to the locker room and did not return to the game.

According to ESPN’s Michael Voepel, Howard will be out indefinitely. In her place, Atlanta great Cheyenne Parker-Tyus was reinserted into the starting lineup after three games on the bench, and Nia Coffey was shuffled from power forward to small forward.

Despite Howard’s injury, Parker-Tyus continues to see his minutes fluctuate. She played only 10 minutes Friday and did not return in the second half after allowing Indiana to score 11 points on 4-for-7 shooting while she was the primary defender, according to data manually recorded by The Next.

His absence in the second half raised questions, to which Wright answered clearly: “You saw the game. What did you think?”

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With Parker-Tyus on the bench, Wright turned to third-year reserve forward Naz Hillmon for a spark. Hillmon led the team with nine rebounds, including four offensive rebounds. She also contributed seven points and recorded a team-best plus-minus (-2) in the loss.

“We still have quite a bit of time to figure some things out,” Hillmon told reporters after the game. “It’s a top-to-bottom buy-in that we (must) achieve. I know everyone sees talent, but it doesn’t just take talent. You need concentration, energy, and that’s what we have to show in every match.

“No one will feel sorry for us. They’re not going to take away a possession and say, “Oh, I’m sorry.” Rhyne Howard isn’t here. It’s just not going to happen, so we can’t do it.

Charles shared a similar sentiment: “Personally, I focus on effort and tenacity. No coach should have to coach your efforts – that’s the bottom line. You’re here at this level in the W, (so) it should fit who you are.

Having already struggled to eclipse 70 points with Howard, one of the league’s most gifted scorers, in the lineup, the Dream’s challenges may become even more pronounced in the weeks to come.

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