Key adjustments the Atlanta Dream must make after loss to New York Liberty

But even before the game began, Liberty coach Sandy Brondello decided to start rookie Leonie Fiebich over Courtney Vandersloot, marking the veteran guard’s first time coming off the bench since 2017. Although New York entered Sunday’s game leading the league in 3-pointers made and with Sabrina Ionescu ranking fifth in the category, one of Brondello’s goals was for New York to get a hot start from beyond the arc. 

That aligned with her decision to start the German forward, who converted a team-high 43.3% from long range in the regular season. Fiebich buried two 3-pointers within the first five minutes of the contest as part of an all-around scoring attack from a Liberty team that didn’t miss its first shot attempt until 2:33 remaining in the first quarter. 

“We had one goal today and that was to win,” Fiebich said on the broadcast following the Liberty’s victory.

But Fiebich’s career-high 21-point performance was only part of the Liberty’s offensive arsenal that brought forward Atlanta’s struggles in its defensive rotations, along with the Dream’s difficulty to find consistent scoring opportunities in halfcourt situations due to New York’s size and aggressiveness.

“[Fiebich] shot the ball really well,” Wright said after Sunday’s loss. “A lot of those opportunities came in transition and from us being in scramble mode [defensively]. Their physicality really bothered us. They punched us in the mouth. … Now, we have to respond.”

Atlanta is no stranger to adversity. The Dream spent the last three weeks of the season fighting for their playoff lives, earning the final spot in a win over the same team they took the floor against on Sunday. However, the stakes are higher and Atlanta finds itself back in a familiar win or go home position.

If the Dream seek Game 3 in Atlanta on Thursday, it starts with them answering the bell on Tuesday. Atlanta must play in sync with each other, wreak havoc on passing lanes, be alert on all defensive rotations. The stars and supporting cast must show up early and find ways to score against a stifling Liberty defense that will seek to further limit Atlanta’s fast-pace playing style.

Here are four takeaways from the Dream’s loss to the Liberty in Game 1.

Preventing Liberty’s three pointers, transition play

In Sunday’s game, the Liberty finished 8-for-23 from beyond the arc with Fiebich leading the way with four made 3-pointers while Ionescu added three — slightly above her 2.8 regular season average — and Liberty forward Breanna Stewart knocked in one. But beyond New York’s fertile ground from deep, the Liberty found success in transition multiple times in the contest by pushing pace between passes and getting to the rim before Atlanta could get back on defense.

“We have to do a better job of keeping people in front of us … keeping our pressure on them … understanding that we have to return the physicality they gave us,” Wright said. 

Finding consistent scoring threats beyond Tina Charles

Tina Charles was the first Dream player to hit double figures early in the second quarter and one of only two players to finish the game with double-digit point production. During the first half, New York’s ability to get back in transition, switch on defense and play the passing lanes suffocated Atlanta’s ability to score in halfcourt settings.

Even more, Dream guards Rhyne Howard — who finished with 10 points — and Jordin Canada didn’t pick up their first points of the game until the third quarter. Howard credited the team’s ability to space the floor more in the second half that resulted in her scoring success. 

However, while New York will expect Atlanta to make adjustments, the Liberty’s defensive philosophy likely won’t change. Meaning, it will be imperative for other players (guard Allisha Gray and forward Naz Hillmon) not named Charles, along with bench players — who produced 22 points with many of them coming in the final period — to step up when their numbers are called.

“When you’re not able to run things smoothly [offensively], it affects how many shots you’re going to get off,” Wright said. “We held the ball a lot and didn’t get shots off until 5-4-3-2-1 [on shot clock]. Part of that is our pace. We have to do better with our pace in the half court.”

Starters not playing in the final period

Down 20 to start the fourth quarter, Wright decided to pull the Dream’s starting five and allowed the second unit to play the remainder of the game. There were moments in the regular season where Atlanta often made fierce second half rallies to make the game interesting, force overtime or win those contests.

But on Sunday, Hillmon and Canada played less than 20 minutes while Charles was limited to a little over 24 minutes. Gray and Howard were the only two players who played more than 26 minutes. 

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What’s next for the Dream?

Experience is the greatest teacher in life. Through the adversity of the 2024 season, the Dream learned how to navigate the storm and fight back when their backs were against the wall.

Tuesday’s matchup against the Liberty will be no different. If Atlanta wins, the Dream live to fight another two days, setting up a win-or-go-home Game 3 in front of hometown fans at Gateway Center Arena.

But to get back home, the Dream must fulfill the mission and remind themselves why they “packed their bags” on their quest to secure a spot in the postseason.

“They [Liberty] punched us,” Charles said. “They’ve been wanting to get into a championship. … It’s just about our toughness … grit. … We have to adjust and that’s the beauty of it. It’s a playoff series.”