The Dream have been on a tear this season, and they were on a collision course with a destiny named A'ja Wilson. Wilson has led the Aces on a resurgence that nobody saw coming after they slipped out of the playoff picture entirely, if only for a moment. Since they hit the bottom of the well, they've bounced back, tearing through the roof to go 11-1 in August with one game left in the month: Atlanta.
When these teams met on Wednesday night in the Peach State, ATL held the number two seed, while Las Vegas possessed the third. The game would determine who would hold sole control of the runner-up spot to the Minnesota Lynx, who nobody will be catching by the end of the season.
As if the run the Aces didn't make things tough enough, the Dream hadn't beaten them since May 31, 2024—they've lost four straight times to Becky Hammon's ball club. In order to change that, they'd need to bring their best, and they needed the home crowd behind them. They certainly tried their best, but faltered, and they didn't get the latter either, and that was very upsetting to Rhyne Howard.
Rhyne Howard said it's hard to compete when the home fans aren't on your side.
— No Cap Space WBB (@NoCapSpaceWBB) August 28, 2025
"You wanna come see Gamecocks, we have Gamecocks on our roster. " pic.twitter.com/EWvBUp2KJQ
The Dream have a right to be upset by a disloyal fanbase
To be clear, there's no excuse for poor play when you're a professional. The game was close at halftime, and the Dream showed up for three of the four quarters, but they allowed a 21-6 third quarter, and that was what lost them the game.
1st quarter - 19-16 Dream
2nd quarter - 23-24 Aces
3rd quarter - 21-6 Aces
4th quarter - 27-20 Dream
Excuses aren't really what make a champion, so it's fair to criticize Howard for expressing this sentiment publicly after a loss in a game they had a fair shot to win. The crowd doesn't play, and half of your games are on the road, so despite being in your building, you should be used to playing through adverse circumstances.
At the same time, it's not outrageous to be bothered by your crowd in your building chanting "MVP" for the opposing player, especially when she never played for Atlanta and never went to college in the state. South Carolina may not be too far away, but they aren't playing in SC.
Unfortunately for most of the league, A'ja is one of the most popular players in the sport, so she's going to have fans in a lot of places. That's not going to matter to Rhyne and the rest of the women on that team, though. They've poured their whole essence into this team, and the result has been a tremendous season with a real shot at a title.
The least they could ask for is consistent support from their fans. They are still human, and humans have emotions. They're allowed that. Hopefully, it's a learning experience for all. One where the fans who really rock with Atlanta try to show up more consistently with such a good team to root for, and the Dream figures out that rain, sleet, or snow, you have to be ready to go.