COLLEGE PARK — The Atlanta Dream walked into Tuesday night’s game against the Seattle Storm having lost five straight. That kind of skid can mess with a team’s head. But by halftime, the Dream had forced 14 turnovers and built a 55-38 lead. They won 89-78. It wasn’t complicated: they went back to playing defense.
“This past week, we’ve been very intentional about getting back to Atlanta Dream basketball and doing what works best for us,” point guard Jordin Canada said. “We know when we come out aggressive on the defensive end, that initiates our offense. So as much as we can get stops and get out in transition, that’s when we’re at our best.”
The Storm finished with 21 turnovers. Most of them came because the Dream’s ball screen defense was locked in. Head coach Karl Smesko joked afterward that he probably said “ball screen defense” 500 times over the last three days. The first two screens Seattle ran? They gave up buckets. Then things clicked.
“I think over the last three days, I probably said ball screen defense 500 times,” Smesko said. “The first two ball screens tonight we gave up points, and then it got better after that, and we communicated a little better. There were only a couple more mistakes with it in the first half, and I think that’s one of the reasons that we forced some turnovers, and then we got out in transition.”
Allisha Gray went right at Seattle’s bigs
Gray dropped a game-high 22 points. She was aggressive from the jump, attacking the rim whenever she saw an opening. That approach got her to the free throw line seven times, the most of anyone on the floor. She said she was just taking what the defense gave her.
“Just taking advantage of what was given to me,” Gray said. “I felt like just being aggressive, getting to the basket, that’s what the game was giving me. So my biggest thing is just to continue doing that.”
She started the game going at Seattle’s bigger players and never let up. For a team that had lost five in a row, having a scorer who can create her own shot like that is a big deal. Gray is the kind of player who can carry an offense when the sets break down, and Tuesday night she did exactly that.
Angel Reese’s ankle is the big question now
The Dream head into the All-Star break feeling better about themselves. But there’s a concern hanging over everything. Late in the game, Angel Reese went down with an ankle injury. She was grabbing at it and didn’t get back up quickly. Smesko said the team was still evaluating her when he talked to reporters.
“I’m sure she’s getting it evaluated and trying to get it checked out right now, but nobody has given me an update of any severity or where we are with that,” Smesko said.
The Dream haven’t said anything official about the severity. Reese has been a key piece for them this season, and losing her for any stretch would be tough. For now, the team is just hoping it’s not serious.
The one thing Atlanta knows: when they play defense like they did Tuesday, they’re a lot harder to beat. Now they just have to do it again after the break. No more five-game skids.
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