The class of the Eastern Conference will clash for the final time in the regular season on Saturday afternoon when the Atlanta Dream host the New York Liberty in College Park, Ga.
Atlanta (23-13) has won eight of its last 10 games and leads New York (22-14) by a game atop the East standings. The defending WNBA champion Liberty won two of the first three meetings.
The Dream are coming off an impressive 75-73 home win over the league-leading Minnesota Lynx on Thursday, continuing one of the league’s best turnarounds under Coach of the Year candidate Karl Smesko. The first-year coach has transformed a team with six consecutive losing seasons into a contender.
“For us, it’s about playing every single possession at a championship level,” Smesko said. “If we’re going to try and make a run and win a championship, every possession is going to have to be that valuable to us.
“… There are definitely times where I think we’re competing at another level defensively right now, but there are times on offense where we decide to take our breaks and movement stops. Against teams this good, you can’t have wasted possessions.”
Atlanta allows just 77.4 points per game, tied for second fewest in the league entering the weekend. Allisha Gray, who led the way with 27 points Thursday, paces the Dream with 18.8 points per game, followed by Rhyne Howard’s 16.5.
New York has dropped four of its last six, including a 91-85 setback on Thursday to the 26-loss Chicago Sky. Leading by three points entering the fourth, the Liberty went the final six minutes without a made field goal en route to a disappointing home loss.
“Anyone can beat anyone in this league. Anyone can with this championship; it’s wide open,” New York coach Sandy Brondello said. “But our inconsistencies are mind-boggling at times, because we play so great. We’re riding this really big wave of highs and lows, but we have an opportunity to go into Atlanta now and beat them, which is a big game for us.”
Sabrina Ionescu paces New York with 19.0 points per game, while injured star Breanna Stewart adds 18.3. Stewart, who suffered a right knee bone bruise on July 26, is targeting a return by next week.
–Field Level Media
