Locked On Women’s Basketball: Atlanta Dream coach Karl Smesko joins the show, explains WNBA vision

They discussed the hiring process and how Smesko was recruited by the Dream, touching on what drew him to the WNBA and Atlanta in particular:

“I think it got to the point where I was ready for a new challenge, one” Smesko explained. “Two, I’ve always been a big fan of the [WNBA], and been very intrigued by the W, and it’s something that if an opportunity were to open up in the W, that it would have been something that I would have considered. So I mean, this whole process was I heard from a search firm, and they asked if I would be interested in speaking to somebody. They didn’t even tell me which team, just told me it was in the W … then I got a chance to talk to Dan on the phone, and then all of a sudden, it was in person, and we connected really well. We had the same vision for the future and how to build a championship level team. … So I was hoping that officially, an offer would would come, and it did. And I just thought, who knows if I’d ever get another opportunity of doing something like this. Atlanta is a great city, a great organization, getting a chance to join the W at a time where the W is exploding in popularity, I just, I really just couldn’t pass it up.”

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Then, they talked about Smesko’s coaching style and how he’s approaching the adjustment to the professional league. At FGCU, Smesko’s Eagles were known for their high-flying, fast-paced style and their prowess from beyond the arc. As for Smesko’s approach with the Dream:

“We don’t want to limit our players in terms of what they can do at a highly efficient rate,” Smesko said. “… all three point shots aren’t equal, all shots around the rim aren’t equal, same with mid-range. Some mid-range shots can probably be done with a high level of efficiency. One thing that doesn’t change is you have to maximize points per possession. And one thing with Atlanta, you know, they were last in the W in points per possession, so we do have to generate higher quality shot opportunities where we can get a higher return on each possession. So that’s going to take a lot of people playing together. We’re going to have to utilize our talent and the skill sets of our players in ways where it makes it easier for them to be efficient. But yeah, I mean, similar philosophy in that we’re trying to win and we’re trying to get the most points for possession.”

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“If you want to play great basketball, there’s a lot to it,” Smesko continued. “But with the players that we have, we’re going to want to push the tempo. We’re going to want to create maximum space on the floor. We’re going to want the ball to move, and then we’re going to want to work together to create advantages and then understand how to move once we create an advantage, to extend that advantage and hopefully capitalize on it. You know, we have some really talented players in Atlanta, and … I think one thing about the W is the margins aren’t great … so small improvements can make a big impact in terms of winning. And I think this will be a little different for me … you have about two weeks to get a team ready, so this is just going to be a process of progress throughout the season … if you break the season down into four quarters, like 11 games a quarter, you want to see progress through each segment there and continue to improve so that you’re the best at the end of the season. And I think we have the talent if we learn how to play together and create space and utilize that space properly, I think we have a chance to be much improved this year.”

Tune in to hear more from Smesko about his plans for Atlanta, how he’s adjusted to the new league so far and more. Make sure to subscribe to the Locked On Women’s Basketball podcast to keep learning about the WNBA, women’s college basketball, basketball history and much more!