‘I don’t have the answers’: Atlanta Dream’s slide continues in front of record home crowd

The move from the Dream’s usual 3,500-seat arena in College Park was driven by overwhelming ticket demand.

“Atlanta has done a tremendous job of showing out for the Dream over these last few years,” Dream head coach Tanisha Wright told the media pregame. “… It’s fun to be in this type of atmosphere, so for me, I just enjoy the game of basketball.”

However, despite the electrifying crowd, Atlanta’s performance on both ends of the floor failed to match the fervor in the stands.

The Next, a 24/7/365 women’s basketball newsroom

The Next: A basketball newsroom brought to you by The IX. 24/7/365 women’s basketball coverage, written, edited and photographed by our young, diverse staff and dedicated to breaking news, analysis, historical deep dives and projections about the game we love.

The Dream never led, struggling to contain Indiana’s high-powered transition offense. The Fever scored 35 points in the first quarter alone, giving them an early 10-point lead. It was much of the same from there. Indiana rookie guard Caitlin Clark knocked down a deep step-back three over Atlanta forward/guard Haley Jones, widening Atlanta’s deficit to 19 points with 6:15 left in the second quarter en route to a 91-79 loss.

Forward NaLyssa Smith, guard Kelsey Mitchell and Clark combined to score 55 of the Fever’s 91 points on 56% shooting from the field. For the Dream, only center Tina Charles shot at least 40% from the field among the eight players to play at least 10 minutes. In comparison, seven of Indiana’s eight rotation players reached that threshold.

The Dream fell to 6-8 and have lost four of their last five games. After Friday’s loss, Wright expressed frustration and uncertainty about her team’s outlook. “I promise you if I had answers, I’d tell you. I don’t have the answers,” she said. “I know it’s my job to figure out how to get this team to play together.”

The loss leaves the Dream searching for solutions as they strive to regain momentum with a tough stretch ahead. They have struggled offensively throughout the season, ranking last in the 12-team WNBA in points per game and 10th in offensive rating.

This task is more challenging with the absence of star wing Rhyne Howard. Howard sustained an ankle injury on June 19 when she stepped on Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams‘ foot in the third quarter of the Dream’s loss to the Lynx. She needed assistance to get to the locker room and did not return to the game. 

According to ESPN’s Michael Voepel, Howard will be out indefinitely. In her place, Atlanta big Cheyenne Parker-Tyus was reinserted into the starting lineup after three games on the bench, and Nia Coffey was shuffled back from power forward to small forward.

Despite Howard’s injury, Parker-Tyus continues to see her minutes fluctuate. She played just 10 minutes on Friday and did not return in the second half after allowing Indiana to score 11 points on 4-for-7 shooting while she was the primary defender, according to The Next’s hand-tracked data.

Her absence in the second half raised questions, to which Wright responded pointedly, “You saw the game. What did you think?”

Order ‘Rare Gems’ and save 30%

Howard Megdal, founder and editor of The Next and The IX, released his latest book on May 7, 2024. This deeply reported story follows four connected generations of women’s basketball pioneers, from Elvera “Peps” Neuman to Cheryl Reeve and from Lindsay Whalen to Sylvia Fowles and Paige Bueckers.

If you enjoy his coverage of women’s basketball every Wednesday at The IX, you will love “Rare Gems: How Four Generations of Women Paved the Way for the WNBA.” Click the link below to order and enter MEGDAL30 at checkout.

With Parker-Tyus on the bench, Wright turned to third-year reserve forward Naz Hillmon for a spark. Hillmon led the team with nine rebounds, including four offensive boards. She also contributed seven points and recorded a team-best plus-minus (-2) in the loss.

“We still have quite a bit of time to figure some things out,” Hillmon told reporters postgame. “It’s a buy-in top to bottom that we [must] get to. I know everyone sees the talent, but it’s not just going to take talent. It takes focus, it takes the energy, and that’s what we have to show up [with] every single game.

“Nobody is gonna feel sorry for us. They’re not gonna take off a possession and say, ‘Oh, I’m sorry. Rhyne Howard’s not here.’ It’s just not going to happen, so we can’t do it.”

Charles shared a similar sentiment: “Personally, I dwell on effort and toughness. No coach should have to coach your effort — that’s the main thing. You’re here at this level in the W, [so] that should be coming along with who you are.”

After already struggling to eclipse 70 points with Howard, one of the league’s most gifted scorers, in the lineup, the Dream’s challenges may only become more pronounced in the weeks ahead.

California here you come ☀️

Can’t decide what to do this sunny season? How about an all-expenses paid weekend trip for two to LA to watch both the LA Sparks and Angel City FC next month? Problem solved.

Complete with sweet swag from our friends at Birdies, take in some WNBA action in premium seats when the LA Sparks host the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces on July 5th. 

• Then catch Angel City vs. the reigning NWSL champs, Gotham FC, on July 6th in style before the Olympic break. In addition to two premium tickets which include warm up field passes, the winners will also walk away with jerseys.

Be part of the women’s sports movement and enter to win today.