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Your Day in Women’s Basketball, May 28: Dream guards too much for Wings’ defense to handle

By James Hyman

PALMETTO, FLORIDA - JULY 29: Chennedy Carter #3 of the Atlanta Dream dribbles across the court during the first half of a game against the Las Vegas Aces at Feld Entertainment Center on July 29, 2020 in Palmetto, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
PALMETTO, FLORIDA - JULY 29: Chennedy Carter #3 of the Atlanta Dream dribbles across the court during the first half of a game against the Las Vegas Aces at Feld Entertainment Center on July 29, 2020 in Palmetto, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) /
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Offense prevails Thursday night in Atlanta

Neither the Wings or Dream are known for their defensive prowess, both having defensive ratings above 100, and Dallas second to last in the league in front of only the Los Angeles Sparks. However, both squads are top 5 in offensive output, which was on full display last night.

Both teams were successful at all three levels, and foul shots were plentiful with 30+ attempts from both sides by the end of the game. The headline for Dallas is the very legitimate most improved player campaign out of Marina Mabrey. The third-year guard out of Notre Dame is averaging 19 points, 6 boards, and 4 assists so far this season on insane efficiency from the field and three-point range, which almost doubles her volume output from last season.

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In last night’s game Mabrey scored a team high 24 (tied with Arike Ogunbowale), but head coach Vickie Johnson seems to have an aversion to getting her younger players in-game experience. Awak Kuier got seven minutes and scored 1 point in her WNBA debut. Charli Collier only played 10 minutes despite starting the game. Dana Evans mustered just three minutes and Chelsea Dungee did not even get in the game. I am sure there is a reason for the slow acclimation to professional play, but for a team that does not have the highest expectations, it could make sense to prepare for the future.

Atlanta’s trio of guards led them to a 101-95 win, with Tiffany Hayes, Courtney Williams and Chennedy Carter scoring 26, 14, and 21 respectively. It is the third straight win for the Dream, and they couldn’t care less about the other team’s stats as long as they walk away with a W.

An excellent response from one of the bigger trash-talkers in the league, who will take her team-first mentality into tomorrow’s matchup against the New York Liberty.

College hoops on the horizon

Just because school is out for the summer does not mean that there is not news on the college scene. Mohegan Sun will be hosting the Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase in December with a stacked pair of games. UConn will take on Louisville and Baylor will go up against Michigan with offseason storylines for each team looming prior to tip-off.

Besides the loaded freshman classes for UConn and Louisville, the Cardinals have brought in a handful of talented transfers. More intriguing is the identity of the Baylor team under Nicki Collen after so many years of Kim Mulkey basketball. The Wolverines will be looking for revenge from the Sweet 16 loss to the Lady Bears that eliminated them from this year’s NCAA tournament.

Tonight’s WNBA slate:

7:00pm – Washington Mystics @ Connecticut Sun (Facebook)

8:00pm – Los Angeles Sparks @ Chicago Sky (CBS Sports Network)

10:00pm – Minnesota Lynx @ Seattle Storm (CBS Sports Network)

10:30pm – Indiana Fever @ Las Vegas Ages (Twitter)

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