Locked On WBB: Atlanta Dream early recap and anticipation

First, they discussed Tina Charles’ impact on the team since her arrival:

“So if you look at the score, you’ll really see the impact Tina Charles had on this game,” Cruse said. “She is the oldest player in Dream history to score 20 points in a game and she did it in her first game. She’s going to score a lot of buckets for Atlanta. And one thing Tanisha Wright talked about after the game was how this opens things up offensively for Atlanta. Just by the threat of Tina Charles and what she does in the post, how she’s able to draw defenders, draw help, and then kind of open things up for Rhyne Howard, Alicia Grey. And that’s very helpful for Atlanta’s offense.

Get 24/7 football coverage with The Equalizer

The Next is partnering with The Equalizer to bring more women’s sports stories to your inbox. Subscribers to The Next receive 50% off their subscription to The Equalizer for 24/7 coverage of women’s football.

Next, they discussed how the Atlanta Dream focused on player development this past offseason, including players who went overseas and those who stayed stateside to participate in Athletes Unlimited and train at home.

“As you know, many players go abroad during the off-season. So, not many players like the NBA can sit on the market, work with the player development coach and staff and really come up with a plan for them to continue to improve. So for (Haley Jones), along with Nia Coffey, those were the two players that stayed in Atlanta for most of the offseason,” Cruse said. “Nia was in Atlanta all offseason, but Haley was in and out. (Jones) worked a lot with the player development coach and also just coordinated with Tanisha, being able to really develop her game so she could prepare for next season. She didn’t go overseas, but she went to Athletes Unlimited.

Add Locked On women’s basketball to your daily routine

At The Next, in addition to written content provided 24/7/365 by our staff, we also host the daily Locked On Women’s Basketball podcast. Join us Monday through Saturday each week to discuss all things WNBA, college basketball, basketball history and much more. Listen wherever you find podcasts or watch on YouTube.

“I think Athletes Unlimited isn’t my favorite setting for players, but I like it for her in that she just needed to get more aggressive. And she really came into the season aggressively. So I think the main thing Atlanta has focused on is allowing her to be more confident, to take those shots, so she can continue to improve her game,” he continued.

Tune in to hear more about Atlanta’s debut and what they’re working on to improve in upcoming games. Be sure to subscribe to the Locked On Women’s Basketball podcast to continue learning about the WNBA, women’s college basketball, basketball history, and much more!