The Atlanta Dream are a young team still figuring it out as they go. As guard Allisha Gray explained pre-game, the team is adapting. Forward Nia Coffey also added that the team has a core group back, but it’s a learning curve with so many new pieces. Much of that was displayed Friday night as the team hosted the 7-3 New York Liberty.
From the beginning, the Liberty played with a sense of urgency, using their speed to score quickly and to churn out a stifling defense that forced 12 missed shots in the first quarter alone. Despite the best efforts of Gray, Rhyne Howard, and Danielle Robinson, the Dream struggled to keep up. The score was 28-20 at the end of the first quarter, signaling that it would be an uphill battle.
The barrage of points continued well into the second quarter, led by Liberty center Jonquel Jones. The Liberty stretched the floor, forcing the Dream to cover a lot of ground. Moreover, the speed at which the Liberty facilitated ball movement, anchored by Sabrina Ionescu and Courtney Vandersloot, overpowered the Dream and often left them a step behind. Add in a lack of offensive production from the team’s bench, and the Dream were in trouble quickly. They went into the half down 59-40.
The Dream attempted to come back at the half with some fire, led by energy from Robinson, but even with contributions from Howard (24 points), Gray (17 points), and several buckets from center Cheyenne Parker, the lead continued to grow. If the game wasn’t over, it was all but done in the third quarter with a 88-67 lead. To that point, efforts from Betnijah Laney (19 points, a season-high), Jones (17 points), and Breanna Stewart (13 points) drowned out any hope the Dream had of a comeback.
The fourth quarter mercifully came and went, stretching the lead to 30 points and ending with a final score of 110-80. The Liberty shot 49% from the field, had six players in double digits, and completed an astounding 17 three-pointers.
However, the fourth quarter was not without consequences. With under five minutes remaining, forward Laeticia Amihere was removed from the game after taking a substantial hit to the face from Liberty center Stefanie Dolson. Amihere remained down for several minutes. The play was reviewed, and Dolson was assessed a flagrant 1 foul. The home crowd was unhappy with the ruling, and head coach Tanisha Wright echoed their sentiments in the post-game presser.
“We’re expected to play at a high leve every single night. These athletes (on both sides) put in a lot of work to perfect their craft, and the officials need to be able to rise to the occasion. They should be held to same standard.”
Tanisha Wright, Head Coach, Atlanta Dream
“They are going to fine me for this,” Wright continued, “but I’m challenging them to rise their standards.” Throughout the press conference, the disappointment in the room was nearly palpable. Wright was visibly frustrated by the effort from her team, and she opened with a statement addressing where the team fell short, but it was apparent this particular play struck a chord, and she used her platform as head coach to voice her thoughts.
The Dream will have a few days to regroup as they travel to Washington, D.C., to play the Washington Mystics on June 28.
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