The Atlanta Dream just dropped their fifth straight game, an 88-83 loss to the Golden State Valkyries. That’s three meetings in two weeks between these teams, and the Valkyries have won every single one.
So you’d expect a team on a five-game losing streak to sound defeated. Maybe a little panicked. Not the Dream.
Angel Reese isn’t buying the narrative that her team is spiraling. In fact, she’s sending a warning to the rest of the league.
“We have 5 games going into All-Star, and any team in front of us should be scared because we’re ready,” Reese said. “Adversity builds character in the locker room, having tough conversations, taking accountability for things and figuring it out.”
The Dream have been ice cold from the floor during this stretch. Against the Valkyries, they shot 31% from the field in the fourth quarter and just 17% from three. Missed open looks, missed free throws. The kind of stuff that usually makes a team start pointing fingers.
Reese isn’t worried about that either.
“We haven’t shot great, not just from the free throw line, but for our field goals too,” she said. “We just have to get back to the drawing board and figure out what works because we know how good we are when we’re able to make those easy free throws.”
Defense held up until it didn’t
The Dream actually played solid defense for most of the game. But a few late breakdowns let Golden State get out in transition and hit clutch shots. Coach Karl Smesko credited the Valkyries for their spacing and ball movement once Atlanta got caught in scrambles.
“Once you get in scrambles, you’re just hoping they miss and you get the rebound,” Smesko said. “They got an open shot, and they knocked it down. I give them a lot of credit for that.”
One reason the Dream aren’t panicking? They’ve been here before. Around this same point last season, Atlanta had a similar record. Reese wasn’t on that team, but she understands this stretch is where seasons get defined.
“The 2nd quarter of the season is like the hardest season right before you go into All-Star because it leaves you a feel of what it’s going to feel like after that,” Reese said. “A lot of teams relax, they get comfortable, but we’re figuring it out, and we’re going to figure it out.”
The Dream have almost a full week before their next game, July 9 against the Seattle Storm — a team that already beat them during this losing streak. Smesko sees the break as an opportunity to reset.
“We got 5 games until the break,” Smesko said. “I expect us to play really well. I think a couple of days just getting in the gym, getting some shots up and cleaning up a couple things offensively will go a long way.”
Leave a Comment