With per week remaining within the common season, the Atlanta Dream are enjoying with as a lot confidence as any group within the WNBA.
Atlanta (27-14) has gained three straight and 12 of 15 total forward of its second dwelling matchup in three days with the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday at Faculty Park, Ga.
Getting into Thursday, the Dream led the Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix Mercury by a half-game for the No. 2 seed. Atlanta bolstered its odds of securing the spot on Wednesday, overcoming an early 10-point deficit to beat the Sparks 86-75. Brionna Jones totaled 16 factors and 13 rebounds within the win.
For first-year head coach and WNBA Coach of the Yr candidate Karl Smesko, the 2025 marketing campaign has gone in addition to he might’ve hoped. The Dream breezed previous final 12 months’s win complete of 15 and can enter the postseason as a respectable title contender. For now, it is about ending out the common season on a powerful be aware.
“It was a superb win for us,” Smesko stated on Wednesday. “We had a very good second quarter, and we had been higher defensively. Clearly, it was a tricky begin, however we stored our composure; we knew there was a variety of time left. … Los Angeles is competing actually arduous proper now; they need that final playoff spot. It was very nice for us to have the ability to get the win.”
Allisha Grey’s 18.6 factors per sport lead the surging Dream, whereas Rhyne Howard follows with 16.9.
Los Angeles (19-21) has alternated wins and losses throughout its final 12 video games and is in determined want of a victory. The Sparks will enter Friday trailing the Indiana Fever by 1 1/2 video games for the eighth and closing postseason spot with 4 video games remaining.
Dearica Hamby went for 21 factors and Kelsey Plum added 18 on Wednesday for the Sparks, who’re at risk of lacking their fifth consecutive postseason.
“Whenever you’re enjoying a group like Atlanta, particularly on the street, you may’t dig your self a gap. It’s important to play fairly good,” Plum stated. “It is simply a kind of issues the place you watch the movie, study, make changes after which get the chance to play once more Friday. It is uncommon to have the ability to play a group back-to-back. It is an incredible alternative for us.”
Plum leads Los Angeles in scoring at 19.9, whereas Hamby chips in 18.3 factors and eight rebounds per contest.
–Subject Degree Media
