Atlanta Dream First Half Recap
The 26th WNBA season began on May 6th. The Atlanta Dream began their 15th year as a franchise, looking
The Dream ended the first half with a mark of 10-22, placing them in the sixth and final playoff spot. This is above where the Dream were expected to be at this point. Atlanta is top 5 in the W in rebounds and steals per game, and those extra possessions are helping them stay in games and remain afloat in the standings.
A big part of the Dream’s success can be attributed to stellar rookie and #1 overall pick, Rhyne Howard. Howard has seamlessly transitioned into the W, leading the team in scoring at 15.1 points per game. Howard has brought backcourt offensive punch and at 6’2’, she is a matchup nightmare every game. In just her fourth career game, se scored 33 points on 9=18 field goals (3-8 from three) and 12-17 from the free throw line. Howard was named WNBA Player of the Week during the week of May 9-15 and
PLAYER OF THE WEEK‼️
— Atlanta Dream (@AtlantaDream) May 16, 2022
Rhyne Howard is your @WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week🔥#DoItForTheDream pic.twitter.com/FwEeoJPzbR
Veteran presence has also helped Atlanta stay in the playoff hunt. New veterans Asia (AD) Durr and Erica Wheeler—two players with individually unique journeys to the WNBA–have joined the squad and bolstered two key areas: backcourt and bench scoring. Durr is third on the team at 12.1 points and Wheeler leads the bench at 9.7 points per game.
The Dream do have a couple areas of focus that need to be addressed in order to further fortify their playoff position. Atlanta has the most turnovers and dishes out the fewest assists per game–both at 17.0 a contest. Having a one-to-one ratio in shared baskets and possessions ending without a shot is a big way for close games to slip away at the end. That young star-studded backcourt of Howard and Aari McDonald are going to have to lead the way in creating efficient opportunities for themselves and their teammates.
And that wraps up the first half of the Atlanta Dream. We look forward to the remaining games and playoff push in 2022.