3 Causes The Atlanta Dream Will Be A Nightmare In The Playoffs And Can Win The Championship
LAS VEGAS — Atlanta is likely to be the WNBA’s least-discussed reliable championship risk, however make no mistake, the Dream will likely be a postseason nightmare.
Simply ask the defending champion Las Vegas Aces.
Led by Angel Reese’s twenty third double-double of the season, the Dream (22-13) went into Las Vegas and defeated the Aces, 97-82, on Tuesday.
Reese scored 21 factors and grabbed 10 rebounds, whereas Rhyne Howard led the staff with 23 factors. Allisha Grey added 21 factors, whereas Jordin Canada chipped in with 17 factors and 5 assists.
Ms. Double-Double 👏
With 21 factors, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists, Angel Reese is your Albert Participant of the Recreation! pic.twitter.com/Xg5uPOMBPx
— Atlanta Dream (@AtlantaDream) August 19, 2026
Atlanta’s win, coupled with New York’s loss to Chicago, allowed the Dream to leapfrog the Liberty for sole possession of fifth place within the standings. They’re now one sport again of fourth place behind the Aces (24-13).
„They’ve three-level scorers,“ Las Vegas‘ four-time MVP A’ja Wilson stated. „Clearly, they’ve large guards, after which you have got posts that may actually transfer and unfold the ground. I imply, they have been taking pictures 50% from the three and from the ground at half. While you’re capable of create these attractiveness and get nice seems to be for one another, whether or not it is simply display screen, whether or not it is simply duck-ins or taking part in within the paint, after which kicking out for 3, that makes it exhausting. It makes it exhausting to cease since you bought to choose your poison in a way.
„So I believe that is what makes them an excellent staff for them to type of contend for a championship.“
LACK OF ATTENTION
The Dream’s relative lack of consideration just isn’t basketball-related, however extra so a star-power and media-storyline difficulty.
As an alternative, the league-wide narratives typically revolve round Las Vegas and its championship pedigree. There’s Indiana with Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell on the court docket, whereas pundits like to clamor about Sophie Cunningham off of it.
Minnesota has been setting the league’s commonplace with rookie Olivia Miles stealing the highlight this season, whereas New York will at all times be a marquee franchise so long as Breanna Stewart is taking part in.
Backside line: Atlanta doesn’t generate the identical day by day nationwide dialog.
Regardless, postseason basketball doesn’t care about dialog.
„We do not actually care about what different folks say or the place their projections are, who their large three is,“ Canada stated. „We’re simply centered on us and making an attempt to verify we do what we have to do to, one, get into the playoffs, and (two), simply attempt to play the very best model of basketball that we will.
„Individuals are going to have their opinions, individuals are going to say quite a lot of issues, however we do not take note of that.“
Atlanta has scoring, a number of creators, dimension, rebounding, defensive versatility and sufficient depth to outlive a postseason grind. And we’re not speaking a few staff merely able to delivering an upset within the playoffs; this squad is constructed effectively sufficient to beat a number of completely different types of opponents.
They will not be the favourite to win the WNBA championship, however listed below are three explanation why they’ll:
94-FOOT GAME
It is their steadiness that makes the Dream harmful, as they common 90.3 factors per sport, fourth-best within the WNBA, whereas permitting solely 85.7, additionally fourth-best. The flexibility to win at each ends of the court docket – as they did Tuesday – turns into important in a playoff collection, the place one-dimensional groups are simpler to scheme in opposition to.
And it is a staff that boasts a group of two-way expertise, led by its Huge Three: Grey, Howard and Reese, all 2026 All-Star reserves. Grey offers Atlanta a main scorer and game-closer; Howard provides one other high-level perimeter creator; and Reese modifications video games by rebounding, physicality and protection. When she’s wholesome, Brionna Jones provides inside scoring and physicality, whereas Canada and Naz Hillmon give coach Karl Smesko extra lineup flexibility.
Atlanta’s defensive ranking has been 15.0 factors higher with Reese on the ground, in keeping with HoopsJunkie.com. That makes the Dream unusually troublesome to assault. They will defend the perimeter, swap actions, rebound missed pictures after which punish opponents earlier than their protection will get organized.
Tuesday, they compelled the Aces to commit a season-high tying 17 turnovers – 5 by Wilson.
„We now have all the pieces we’d like; we have now all of the items,“ Canada stated. „I believe after we simply put it collectively and play a whole 40 minutes, and we’re taking part in the best way we’re imagined to be taking part in – I believe we’re the very best staff within the league, palms down.“
GRAY MATTER
Nike was on to one thing once they launched a special-edition shoe referred to as „Slept On“ on Aug. 15 for Grey.
At 31, the four-time All-Star is having arguably the quietest celebrity season within the league. The Dream guard went into Tuesday’s sport averaging a career-high 19.7 factors, together with 3.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals.
And proper now, she loves flying underneath the radar.
„I am simply on the market taking part in my sport,“ Grey stated. „I imply, I am persevering with to do the identical factor that I am doing. Not having the noise round me does not hassle me. I imply, it is truly chill, retains the eye off me, and it is simply … go on the market and play free. I am having an excellent season up to now, and I am having enjoyable.“
One other day, one other Allisha Grey bucket pic.twitter.com/KIUHpFmExC
— Atlanta Dream (@AtlantaDream) August 19, 2026
Grey doesn’t produce her numbers within the high-usage, ball-dominant method related to a number of the league’s largest stars. As an alternative, her largest flex is she will rating throughout the circulation, defend, play off the ball and infrequently wants the offense to cease so she will manufacture numbers. It is what makes her so beneficial, and a part of what makes her simple to miss.
However with practically 20 factors per sport, her two-way worth and legit late-game shot-making are a giant purpose the Dream could make a deep run. The management and camaraderie she gives is even larger.
„She exhibits up for us each single evening,“ Reese stated. „The consistency that she continues to provide, the sisterhood that she pulls for me, at all times being there for me, having my again by all the pieces. Once I missed that shot within the Fever sport, her and Rhy have been the primary two proper there as a result of they know in follow every single day these are the issues I work on. These are issues that I end, they usually know the way exhausting I’m on myself.
„So with the ability to have sisters within the locker room and folks round you that simply pour into you a lot. I imply, clearly she’s an excellent participant, however even a greater individual.“
OH, CANADA
Simply as underrated because the Dream have been, Canada has handled that almost all of her profession. But you will not discover many athletes who work as exhausting because the 31-year-old Los Angeles native.
That is somebody who entered the league in 2018 and rapidly realized how you can contribute alongside established stars quite than needing an offense constructed round her. She grew to become a two-time WNBA champion with the Storm, taking part in behind Sue Fowl, whereas growing her identification by point-of-attack protection, tempo, ball stress and playmaking.
As the ground basic, she’s the glue who creates possessions at each ends, establishing teammates offensively and producing steals defensively.
JC IS ACTIVE pic.twitter.com/Djywiadt64
— Atlanta Dream (@AtlantaDream) August 19, 2026
She’s already established a Dream single-season report with assists (227 earlier than Tuesday), proof that her impression goes significantly deeper than her scoring common. Canada has additionally produced a number of double-digit-assist performances, together with video games of 12 and a career-high 14 assists.
However probably the most neglected half is her protection. At 5-foot-6, Canada can change video games together with her palms, anticipation and skill to stress the ball.
„Jordin’s been nice,“ coach Smesko stated. „She pushes a tempo for us, she’s an excellent defender and competes on the defensive finish each possession. She offers you full effort in each sport. She had an excellent first half of the season, and began just a little sluggish within the second half, however got here out of it not too long ago.
„She’s simply been enormous for us this 12 months. She’s been an All-Star-level level guard, and hopefully she’ll be taking part in her finest on the finish of the 12 months.“
W.G. Ramirez is a veteran sports activities author from Las Vegas and a Workers Author at Ballislife.com. Observe him on X at @WillieGRamirez.
