How the Atlanta Dream set up a win-and-in regular season finale

If Atlanta lost to the Chicago Sky, their season — one for Canada that was cut in half due to a hand injury throughout the first half of the 2024 campaign — would no longer remain in the hunt for the No. 8 and final spot in the upcoming WNBA playoffs that begin on Sunday. Instead, with an 86-70 win Tuesday night, Atlanta’s playoff destiny is simple: win on Thursday night against the Liberty, and the Dream are in the playoffs. The same is true, regardless of Atlanta’s result on Thursday, if Chicago loses.

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“We’ve got to win,” Canada said. “… However we can get it, good, bad or ugly, it doesn’t matter.”

Canada’s led Dream scorers with 18 points and five assists in the victory in front of a sold-out Gateway Center. Atlanta took advantage of a laboring Chicago (13-26) squad that started Lindsay Allen, Rachel Banham, Michaela Onyenwere, Brianna Turner and Isabelle Harrison for the first time this season.

The Sky were without playmaking guard Chennedy Carter (foot), veteran guard and center Diamond DeShields (ankle) and Elizabeth Williams (knee) as well as rookie sensations Angel Reese (left wrist fracture) and Kamilla Cardoso (shoulder) due to injuries.

The win placed the Dream at No. 8 in WNBA standings with a season finale matchup against the New York Liberty, a team that clinched the top seed in the WNBA playoffs that begin on Sunday.

Despite the absence of the Sky’s key starters, Dream coach Tanisha Wright stressed the importance of Atlanta getting a hot start on offense and defense in the game and maintaining its competitive edge with a postseason berth on the line. Her players echoed that sentiment from the start of the game, holding Chicago to 33.3% shooting in the first quarter, outscoring the Sky in three of the four quarters, out rebounding Chicago (35-29) as well as incorporating a healthy production of bench points (16-3) in the victory.

“I think our understanding of where we’re at and the predicament that we’re in is really driving us right now to play at the level that we’re capable of playing at,” Wright said after the game. “The energy that you start games with kind of fuels you to be able to to push through at times. … We’re not done yet.”

The Dream’s battle for the final spot will continue into Thursday after the Mystics lost to the Liberty, which also kept the Sky in the hunt following Tuesday’s loss.

Here are four takeaways from the Dream’s victory against the Sky heading into their season finale against the Liberty.

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Dream thrived on points in the paint

With the twin towers absent from the Sky’s lineup, it created chances for Atlanta to score around the basket. They converted 6-for-8 shots underneath the basket in the opening frame alone.

Tina Charles capitalized on points with her hook shots in the low block — in addition to her signature midrange jump shot — as well as multiple dribble drives to the rack from Canada, Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard. Chicago had previously won that battle this season.

“All these games have been playoff games for us,” Wright said. “… “Our predicament has not changed for us. … The only way that we can continue to be in the playoff race is if we win, point blank period.”

Jordin Canada, Tina Charles and stars shine

Since the second half of the season began, each game has given Canada an opportunity to build and establish continuity with Atlanta’s stars — Howard, Gray and Charles — and their supporting cast as the franchise’s floor general. But on Tuesday, the two-time WNBA champion played with more of an urgency to score in addition to being a playmaker as she was more aggressive in getting to the rim for free throw opportunities—marking only her third game of the season converting six or more from the charity stripe—and picking her spots for jump shots.

The two-time WNBA All-Defensive first team selection finished one point shy of her season high this season and the first contest where she led Atlanta in scoring.

“Just taking what the defense gives and being confident in shooting, and just seeing where I can attack and when I can pass,” Canada said after the win. “… I had a lot of opportunities to drive the lane and take some open shots and knock them down.”

Atlanta’s three stars stepped up in double figures as Gray and Howard—who entered Tuesday’s game leading the team in points (17.5 per game)—tallied 15 points respectively, and Charles recorded her 20th double-double performance of the season with 16 points and 14 rebounds.

Charles tied WNBA legend Sylvia Fowles for most career double doubles (193) in WNBA history on Tuesday and surpassed 4,000 career rebounds, and became the first player in league history to eclipse 4,000 career rebounds and 7,000 points. While the 35-year-old said she would enjoy a celebratory drink on her recent accomplishment, Charles hasn’t fully taken the moment to fully appreciate the milestones she has exceeded this season due to Atlanta’s postseason aspirations.

“I’ve been chasing her [Fowles] as a player, from my times at UConn, her at LSU to just competitively every time we take the court,” Charles said. “… A lot of people give me credit for giving little tips of knowledge to the young ones. But that’s exactly what Syl would do for me when I came to the league. … Her stature, the heights that she’s reached is the reason why we’re even talking about this.”

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Strong bench production

The majority of Atlanta’s production on the court will come at the play of Canada, Howard, Gray, Charles and more recently Hillmon following the All-Star break. Tuesday marked the 14th time that Atlanta started the five of them.

Prior to entering Tuesday’s game, Atlanta’s starters averaged nearly 34 minutes per game over the past five contests, with Howard averaging 41 and Gray coming in at just over 39 minutes. Even more, three of Atlanta’s last six games have resulted in overtime affairs.

With the absence of Cheyenne Parker-Tyus and Aerial Powers due to injuries, players like Lorela Cubaj and Nia Coffey providing points and quality minutes in the place of Charles and Hillmon as well as Haley Jones and Maya Caldwell for Atlanta’s guards will continue to be important going forward should the Dream make the postseason. Jones, Caldwell, Cubaj and Coffey combined for all of Atlanta’s bench production on Tuesday. 

Jones, who finished with six points and two assists in the contest, missed the second half of the game after injuring her right calf. However, with a second consecutive postseason appearance on the line for Atlanta, Wright said her players have chosen to embrace the mindset of playoff basketball and all of her players staying ready for the moment versus the fatigue of playing additional minutes.

“Everybody’s fighting to be in the hunt [for the playoffs,” Wright said. “Everybody’s fatigue, everybody’s hurt, and everybody’s going through something at this time of the year. … Suck it up and be fortunate enough that you’re in a position to be in the hunt.”

What’s next for the Dream?

Although Atlanta currently sits at No. 8, the Dream remain in a three-way battle for the final spot.

Washington will face the Indiana Fever (20-19), one of four teams — Las Vegas Aces, Minnesota Lynx and Liberty — that have won seven or more games in their last 10. The Sky will end the season facing the Connecticut Sun (27-12) on Thursday.

Atlanta’s matchup against New York will be a glimpse of its first-round playoff series should the Dream secure the final playoff spot. Charles, a New York native and a former Liberty player for six seasons, praised her teammates and said the team will be ready to take the court on Thursday.

“The second half of the season, picking up wins when we needed to, not holding out heads low about injuries or anything that happened in the first half of the season, we locked in on who we need to be on the court,” Charles said. “We’re definitely not naive on who we’re going up against. …I look forward to the matchup and to being home.”