Fouls were a problem in Atlanta Dream’s loss to Dallas Wings: Three Takeaways

This was not how the Atlanta Dream wanted their bounceback season to start.

In the season-opener for Nicki Collen’s side, the Dream got thumped in Dallas, falling 101-78 to the Wings.

Collen said before the season that she wanted the Dream to lead the league in pace and defense. On Sunday, the Dream out-shot the Wings 73-64, but only connected on 35 percent of their field goal attempts. On the defensive end, Atlanta couldn’t contain Skylar Diggins-Smith and Liz Cambage, who combined for 46 points.

Here’s a few takeaways from the game when thinking about the Dream going forward:

Fouls were a problem

The Dream played fast and aggressive — which was by Collen’s design — but often times they were undisciplined. Atlanta racked up 32 fouls, and each starter finished with at least four fouls. This threw off Collen’s rotation as she had to make some unplanned substitutions at key moments in the game.

“We couldn’t go with a natural rotation with (several players in) foul trouble. It was really hard to get into a rhythm of timing of subs,” Collen told The Crush SportsTalk. “… Every time I turned around I had an assistant telling me, ‘Oh, she’s got three, oh, she’s got four.’ … I definitely think that affected the rotation.”

One game in, the Dream are in the top five in the league in overall pace, offensive pace, defensive pace and defensive rating. So, it appears that the Dream are on the right track for Collen’s goals, but the number of fouls, turnovers (14) and missed shots has to change.

Can Sykes and McCoughtry play together?

High Post Hoops asked this question to Collen and Angel McCoughtry during training camp. Here’s what they said.

Collen: “I think that any combination can coexist. I think Brittney is a really good three-point shooter. She doesn’t shoot a ton of them, but I think she can create spacing for Angel. I think we’ll have size on both wings when (they’re both in). I look at those five guards as really like, having five starters for three positions.”

McCoughtry: “Absolutely. Of course we can. That’ll make it even better. I think with just our aggression and the way we play, she’s like a tiger out there. She wants it and that’s how I grew up playing. When you see someone playing who just wants it every possession with so much energy. She’s going to have so many accolades and accomplish so much. The sky is the limit for her. I’m excited to see where here career is going to be… I’m looking forward to playing with Sykes. I haven’t had the chance to play with her and it was really exciting watching her last year.”

It’s a question that many wondered coming into this season, because last year — while McCoughtry was on a WNBA hiatus — Brittney Sykes stepped in and performed well. She was named to the league’s all-rookie team and averaged nearly 14 points per-game.

But Sykes and McCoughtry play similar positions and have comparable playing styles, leading some to think that they may not exactly fit together in an efficient offense.

On Sunday, we got our first small taste of how their on-court relationship might work. Sykes and McCoughtry shared the court for six minutes and 41 seconds against Dallas. Over that stretch, Sykes scored six points, McCoughtry scored two, and neither assisted each other on baskets.

While Sykes and McCoughtry were on the floor together, Dallas outscored Atlanta 18-8.

The sample size is small, and this was literally the first time Sykes and McCoughtry had played a WNBA game together, so, the jury is still out on if this will be a successful tandem.

A change at guard

Another interesting note in the lineup was that Renee Montgomery got the start at point guard over Layshia Clarendon.

Clarendon made her first all-star game last season, averaging 10.7 points, 6.6 assists and 3.8 rebounds per-game for the Dream. Montgomery was signed as a free agent this offseason after winning her second WNBA title with the Lynx.

Montgomery came off the bench in the Dream’s first preseason game, but started the second and the regular season opener. Montgomery also came off the bench in the majority of the games she played with the Lynx last year, starting just 12 out of 34, while Clarendon started 33 of 34 games last season.

“We’re still exploring for where we want to go. Renee has such a command, that when you go to your bench, playing with some of the younger players, I just felt it was very comforting to me to bring her in with the second unit,” Collen told High Post Hoops after the Dream’s first preseason game. “They’re all rookies playing for me… We’re still developing what those roles are. What I know is that I have two unselfish point guards that no matter what direction I go, we’re going to get good bench play.”

Montgomery finished with 14 points and four assists while Clarendon had six points and two assists. How Collen balances the playing time of both going  forward will be something to keep an eye on.

Notes:

• McCoughtry scored her 5,000^th career WNBA point in this game, moving her to 18^th on the all-time scoring list. She needs 11 points to pass Taj McWilliams-Franklin for 17^th all-time.
• Atlanta’s top draft pick, Monique Billings, did not score in 10 minutes of play. She attempted one shot and grabbed two rebounds.
• The Dream were the worst in the WNBA last season in making three-pointers, connecting on just 29 percent of them. They were actually worse than that on Sunday, making 27.8 percent of their shots from behind the arc.
• On Wednesday, the Dream will travel to Chicago to take on the Sky in a game that tips off at noon (eastern).