Entering the final week of the WNBA regular season, the Atlanta Dream are exactly where they want to be.
Under first-year head coach Karl Smesko, Atlanta (26-14) has set a franchise record for wins in a single season. With a postseason spot intact, the Dream will look to ride the momentum against the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday in College Park, Ga.
After winning nine of 12 games in August, the Dream picked up where they left off on Monday, pulling away for a 93-76 victory over the host Connecticut Sun. Atlanta trailed by six at halftime before outscoring the Sun 51-28 in the second half, pulling into a tie with the Las Vegas Aces for the league’s second-best record.
“Obviously, you’d like to play well the entire game and have a good lead and be able to finish a game that way, but I thought this was good,” Smesko said. “I think the more pressure possessions you can have going into the playoffs are important.”
Winners in four of their last five, the Dream are led in scoring by Allisha Gray’s 18.6 points per game, followed by Rhyne Howard’s 16.8.
Los Angeles (19-20) is vying to sneak into the postseason picture, but will need a late push to capture one of the last remaining spots. The Sparks sit 1 1/2 games behind the Seattle Storm and Indiana Fever, who currently occupy the final two playoff spots.
Los Angeles has won consecutive games, including a 91-85 victory over the Storm on Monday, picking up ground in the league standings.
The Sparks will play two consecutive crucial games in College Park, but the team isn’t thinking about anything other than a third straight win on Wednesday.
“It’s one at a time, it’s been one at a time the whole season,” Los Angeles head coach Lynne Roberts said. “We’ve got Atlanta and then Atlanta, but we’re focused on Game 1 with them. They’re a very good team but we’ve got a one-game season right now.”
Kelsey Plum paces the Sparks with 19.9 points per game, while Dearica Hamby adds 18.2 and a team-leading 7.9 rebounds per game. Hamby had 27 points and 11 boards against the Storm.
The Sparks and Dream haven’t played since May 27, an 88-82 Atlanta victory.
–Field Level Media
