The Atlanta Dream lost to the Los Angeles Sparks, 83-78, falling to 16-18 as their playoff push continues.
Earlier this week, the Dream lost forward Nia Coffey to a hand injury for the remainder of the season. With guard and fellow starter Allisha Gray battling an ankle injury, it’s next woman up as the team adjusts the lineup and rotations. “Now, it’s changing again because of injuries…,” head coach Tanisha Wright said pre-game. “(It’s) finding who can perform on any given night and what lineups work best.” Tonight’s new wrinkle: the starters were Danielle Robinson, Rhyne Howard, Aari McDonald, and Cheyenne Parker.
Nneka Ogwumike and Howard trade three-pointers out the gate, which gets the crowd involved early. The Dream are pushing the pace and quickly jump out to a quick eight-point lead, but the Sparks remain resilient. They come back with multiple shots and a swarming defense that force multiple Dream turnovers. Through the strength of Parker, the Dream fight back. Parker goes to her jump shot to make her the leading scorer with 11 points and boost the team’s lead to 3. Atlanta is out in front 20-17 after the first.
The next quarter opens with a steal by McDonald, who also draws a foul on the other end. She follows that up with a shot from the parking lot to increase the lead to six at the eight-minute mark. However, Azura Stevens and the Sparks are having a party from the three-point line, shooting 50% and capitalizing on soft defense. Wright goes to the bench to break the onslaught, and AD Durr responds with six quick points off the bench. By late in the second, the lead is ten. The Sparks continue to attack with 16 points from Stevens and 11 from Jordin Canada, but the Dream keep moving the basketball. Parker is up to 14 points and six rebounds, and Howard is perfect from three-point range. The Dream go up 52-39 into halftime.
The Sparks unleash in the third quarter. They are drawing fouls and double-teaming Howard, cutting off the offense. The Dream cannot find their rhythm and are stagnant on defense. By the four-minute mark, the lead is down to seven. The Dream have only scored six points in the quarter and are shooting under 30%. Ogqumike and the Sparks are shooting at will, destroying the paint by playing bully ball. The only hope for Atlanta is Robinson, who finds lanes under the basket and is effective defensively. With just a minute left, the lead is down to one. Unfortunately, the team could not find anything from anyone else, but somehow still lead 64-62.
As the game continues, the Sparks show no mercy. The game is eventually tied by the time the seven-minute arrives, and Atlanta has no answer for what is to come. Ogwumike, Stevens, and Canada did not invite Atlanta to their bucket brigade. Stevens hits a reverse layup that starts a speedy avalanche of points. As time ticks down and the Dream’s once 16-point lead evaporates, Atlanta is furiously trying to make up the cushion Los Angeles has made. Sadly, down three, Howard tries to make a shot but misses, causing McDonald to foul Layshia Clarendon. Half the arena clears almost instantly as fans painfully realize this game is over. It’s a heartbreaker for the Dream as the Sparks extend their winning streak to six games with an 83-78 win.
“I don’t know where my team went in the second half. We didn’t do anything intentionally. L.A. did an amazing job being intentional. They went to Nneka, and she came through for them. Our two all-stars did not rise to the occasion, and they have to be better,” Wright said after. Wright had a lot of stinging words when answering questions, notating things like terrible shot selection, lackluster defense, and “fussing” with the officials as the things responsible for the poor showing in the second half, but one sentence left the room silent.
“This team has to grow up.”
Wright was passionate as she spoke about the current playoff basketball push and how this level of play does not cut it. Robinson and Parker, who were in the room, sat stone silent as those words were delivered. Robinson finally broke the tension, saying tonight was unacceptable and Atlanta needed to figure it out. For the Dream, there is still some hope. The magic number for the Dream to make the playoffs is down to three games.
They get another chance to get back in the win column as they travel to Indianapolis to play the Indiana Fever on Sunday.
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