After an 86-75 win over the Los Angeles Sparks, the Atlanta Dream are back in second place with a tiny advantage over the Las Vegas Aces. Whether they finish second or third, Atlanta will enter the playoffs in a great position and is well set up to go on a deep playoff run. The season may even end with a 2013 Finals rematch between the Lynx and the Dream.
Karl Smesko has done an outstanding job in his first year as a WNBA head coach. Smesko previously coached in college, most recently as the head coach of the Florida Gulf Coast women’s basketball team, and found success at that level. The WNBA is a different beast, however, especially in the playoffs.
Smesko isn’t the only key piece for the Dream that lacks playoff experience. While almost every player in the top ten in minutes per game has been to the playoffs, quite a few have limited experience. Te-Hina Paopao is the only player in that group who hasn’t been to the playoffs yet. Rhyne Howard and Naz Hillmon played in four playoff games each. Maya Caldwell and Nia Coffey appeared in two postseason contests, and Allisha Gray in ten.
The rest of the roster is well prepared to make up for that lack of finals and championship experience, though.
The Dream have several veterans with championship experience
When the Dream signed Brionna Jones, Brittney Griner, and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough this offseason, they didn’t just get two All-Star-level bigs and a reliable reserve. They also got players who have been on deep playoff runs before.
Griner won a title with the Mercury in 2014 and has played 47 playoff games. Walker-Kimbrough took home the 2019 WNBA Championship with the Washington Mystics. Jones hasn’t won a championship yet, but she played in 38 playoff games during her time with the Sun and went to the finals in 2022.
Adding those three players to Jordin Canada, who won two titles with the Seattle Storm in 2018 and 2020, gives the Dream plenty of veteran experience that will be invaluable once the playoffs come around.
After all, the other top teams in the league are also veteran squads that know exactly what it takes to win. The Lynx went to the finals last year and have one of the most decorated coaches in the league. The Aces won back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023. New York won last season, and Phoenix has two-time champion DeWanna Bonner and 2021 Finals MVP Kahleah Copper on the roster alongside Alyssa Thomas.