Wings are suddenly staring down a lineup gamble ahead of Dream matchup

Getting off to a strong start will be crucial.
Golden State Valkyries v Dallas Wings
Golden State Valkyries v Dallas Wings | Tim Heitman/GettyImages

The Wings are coming off one of their biggest wins of the season after putting a hurtin' on the New York Liberty, but a physically larger test is up next. The Atlanta Dream are coming to town, and their front line boasts a 6'9" Brittney Griner and 6'3" Brionna Jones. The matchup may force Coach Chris Koclanes to play puppet master again after just pulling some fresh strings to get last night's victory.

Li Yueru started at center for 11 straight games, but came off the bench against a Breanna Stewart-less Liberty team. Haley Jones got the start next to Luisa Geiselsoder, and it's easy to see why after the hot streak she'd been on recently. After the game, Koclanes spoke about what he liked about Jones playing with the starters and whether he would make that the new trend.

His point is well-taken. The Dream have a large frontcourt and they use their size well. Staying with a smaller lineup has its benefits, but it has risks when facing such a tall task, too. His decision could end up being the difference between a fast start and a slow one that forces one of the worst teams in the league to climb uphill against one of the best.

Li Yueru should be re-inserted into the starting lineup

Yueru may not be as fleet of foot as Jones, but she doesn't slow the Wings down that much. She gets up and down the floor better than you think, so if energy and a fast pace are what Koclanes is looking for, he should still be able to get it to some extent.

There's no doubt that Haley specializes in that area, and like the coach said, she adds a playmaker to the floor, but rebounding should be emphasized against Atlanta. Even if she isn't grabbing the board herself, she can use her 6'7" frame to keep Griner off the boards, hoping her team will gang rebound to finish off defensive possessions.

The Wings didn't have to worry about as much size against New York without Stewie in the lineup, so they were able to grab rebounds to kick off their fast breaks. If Griner and Jones are swallowing offensive boards all night like Kirby, things can get frustrating, and frustration can lead to mistakes.

One of the most disheartening plays for a defense is seeing your hard work negated by an offensive board, leading to a putback. With Yueru and Geiselsoder playing side by side, they should be able to stop the Dream from eating off those plays. Li has been putting in work to improve her post presence offensively, too, so maybe she could even get Griner in foul trouble.

If he stays with Jones and Geiselsoder, the tallest player on the floor for his team is 6'4". They'll be dominated in the paint early. You could always hope that you can frustrate them on the offensive end by running them ragged, but offense has been inconsistent for this team most of the season, so that's a bigger risk. One that they don't have to take.