The Atlanta Dream just beat the Indiana Fever for the second time this month. And they did it with their starting point guard running on fumes.
Jordin Canada dropped a double-double on Tuesday night: just 12 points, but 12 assists that kept the Dream’s offense humming all night long. The final score was 113-96. Not bad for someone who spent the last several days feeling awful.
“The last few days I’ve been playing under the weather, not really feeling great,” Canada said after the game. “I knew coming into the game that I had to just be sharp defensively, and then just make sure my teammates were getting involved and just allow the game to come to me.”
Both teams were tight through the first half. Then the Dream came out of the locker room and took control. All five starters finished in double figures. But it was Canada who made everything run. She sees her job the same way every night.
“My job is to make sure that I’m getting everybody involved in knowing that I’m just gonna let the game come to me,” she said.
Defense First, Everything Else Follows
Canada’s offense was important. But her defense is what flipped the game in the second half. She spent time guarding both Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell, and she made life hard for both of them. Three steals helped the Dream turn stops into transition buckets.
“I just tried to use my quickness to my advantage and understanding the tendencies of who I’m guarding,” Canada said. “Knowing that Caitlin Clark wants to go right, knowing that Kelsey Mitchell wants to go left, and just staying solid on defense, and picking and choosing my moments.”
Canada is a veteran guard in this league. She has played on different teams and in different roles. That experience shows in how she decides when to score and when to set up a teammate.
Finding the Balance Takes Time
“I think it’s just something that I’ve learned in my experience over time being in this league, playing with different teams, having different roles, different teammates,” Canada said. “This season, knowing that I need to be a little bit more aggressive offensively, but also knowing I have so many teammates that score and get buckets.”
She said she loves passing the ball. “I love dishing to my teammates and watching them shine.” That mindset doesn’t come naturally for every scorer. But Canada has built it over years of figuring out what her team needs from her on any given night.
The Dream are 9-11 now. They have shown signs of being dangerous when everybody is healthy and in sync. If Canada keeps playing like this, even when she’s sick, Atlanta might be a problem for the rest of the league.
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