Naz Hillmon Isn’t Just the Dream’s Spark Plug. She’s the Voice in the Huddle.

The Atlanta Dream are in a rough patch right now. Five straight losses will do that to a team. But if you watch them closely, especially after a tough game, there’s one player who’s not letting anyone hide from the truth.

Naz Hillmon has become the clear vocal leader for the Dream. And it’s not subtle.

After a recent loss to the Toronto Tempo, cameras caught Hillmon in the team huddle. If you could read her lips, she was direct. “Our defense sucked. We gotta be better, let’s go.” No sugarcoating. Then the team broke the huddle and headed to the locker room.

That clip went viral. But for her teammates, it’s just another day. Hillmon has earned that kind of authority. They listen because they trust her.

Before a game against the Golden State Valkyries, Hillmon talked about where she picked up that skill. It goes way back.

“I think I’ve had that role for a while now, even in college, going back to when I was a freshman,” Hillmon said. “My seniors were great, and I really learned from them. I found a way to use my voice in the way that I know how. Since I got to Atlanta, that’s been asked of me. Whether I’m playing 40 minutes or 4 minutes, I always want to be someone the team relies on and knows is going to have input and opinion and also be encouraging.”

Hillmon doesn’t just talk on the court. She’s the same person off it. “I just think that I’m someone who likes to talk on and off the floor, so I just try to use that and pour into those around me.”

Right now, the Dream need that energy more than ever. A five-game losing streak can fracture a group. But Hillmon says the locker room hasn’t cracked.

“Our locker room is still great,” Hillmon said. “We still enjoy each other. We know that we have what it takes to continue to pick up wins. In those last couple of games, it just wasn’t working for us. So we’re just finding a way to get back into the winning column and enjoying each other, enjoying the game and going from there.”

There’s no panic in her voice. Just a sense that this skid is temporary. And with Hillmon setting the tone, the Dream probably believe it too.