ATLANTA — The Atlanta Dream are starting to look like the team everyone expected them to be. On Thursday night, they beat the Toronto Tempo 94-87, and the box score tells you exactly how they did it.
Five players finished in double digits. Rhyne Howard hit five threes. Allisha Gray got to the line seven times and made every free throw. Madina Okot dropped 16 in the first half alone. And the Tempo just never had an answer.
After the game, Howard put it about as plainly as you can.
“We brought back a hefty amount of players in free agency,” Howard said. “I think being able to settle in and move the ball and make it hard for teams to just guard two or three players, what do you do? If all five of our starters scored in double digits, or you have multiple players going to double digits, it’s hard to lose.”
Chemistry carries over from last season
Howard pointed to the continuity the Dream built in the offseason. They kept most of their core together, and that trust shows on the floor. Nobody is forcing shots. The ball moves. Defenses have to pick their poison.
“I think being able to have threats everywhere, it’s harder,” Howard said. “Because if you leave one, somebody else is gonna be open, you’re gonna pay the price every time.”
Opponents have been paying that price for a few games now. And it’s not just the starters. Jordin Canada has handed out double-digit assists in back-to-back games, running the offense like a point guard who knows exactly where everyone wants the ball.
“She’s been playing great,” coach Karl Smesko said. “She’s been getting into the paint, distributing a ball, and if you don’t stop her, she’s looking for an opportunity to get to the rim and finish. She’s had a great season, but the last three games in particular have been exceptional.”
Canada’s playmaking opens up everything else. Howard works the perimeter. Gray attacks the rim or steps back for a jumper. Angel Reese does the dirty work inside, cleaning up misses and fighting for position. It’s a blend that doesn’t leave much room for a defense to breathe.
In the first half, Okot set the tone. The Dream threw her in and told her to go score. She did, and Howard noticed.
“We throw her in, and we say, ‘Go get a bucket,’” Howard said. “I think being able to have another big like her on the floor, it helps us, because you still can’t leave anybody to go double, and she’s been doing a really good job of finishing before they even get there.”
Smesko summed it up pretty simply after the game.
“We have really good offensive players, and when they share the ball and move it, and we get out in transition, I think we’re as good as anybody in the league.”
Right now, it’s hard to argue. The Dream are making teams choose their fate, and so far, nobody has picked right.
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