Howard: Okay Mitchell, let me ask you this, in your time seeing the Atlanta Dream so far: who is the indispensable member of the Atlanta Dream?
Mitchell Northam: For me, it’s Tiffany Hayes. I think you could make the case that she is the team’s best scorer and best defender, which is really something when you look at their roster. But she leads the team in scoring with 18.9 points per-game and often times is tasked with guarding the other team’s best perimeter scorer. Some of the assignments she’s had this year include Maya Moore, Diana Tuarasi and Skylar Diggins-Smith – and all three of those players struggled at times against Hayes. She’s wicked quick and super tough. She also blocked Brittney Griner once this year, which is no easy task for a guard who is generously listed at 5-foot-10. Hayes will be an all-star again this season, and could become really dangerous if she boosts her three-pointing shooting.
A bonus selection here: Damiris Dantas has broken out in the Dream’s last handful of games, providing a big boost off the bench. This was something Atlanta did not have earlier this season as Dantas battled an ankle injury. Over the Dream’s last three games, all wins, Dantas has come off the bench to chip in an average of 12 points and 4 rebounds per-game.
Howard: Really interesting team. I think that has to be the answer right now, though Angel is still Angel, and Brittney Sykes does so, so much.