If the Dream want to reach the WNBA Finals for the second consecutive year, they have to match the intensity of their opponent. So far, they have struggled to do so on a consistent basis. After losing the first three games of the season, the Dream finally got a win on June 14 against the New York Liberty. They looked to keep the momentum going against the Minnesota Lynx last Friday, but thanks to 25 points from Seimone August, Minnesota defeated the Dream 96-85 in Minneapolis. The Lynx took control of the game early in the third quarter, as they went on a 13-0 run. Lindsey Whalen scored five points during the run and ended her day with 16 points. Former Collins Hill standout Maya Moore scored 13 points while Rebekkah Brunson had 18 points and 14 rebounds to earn her fifth straight double-double.
For the Dream, Angel McCoughtry scored a game-high 27 points while Erika de Souza added 18.
The Dream looked to get revenge as they played the Lynx again last Sunday, but this time they played at Philips Arena. However, Minnesota was able to able to earn its fifth win of the season by defeating the Dream 77-64. It was a homecoming for Moore and she was happy to be back in Atlanta, scoring 12 points and grabbing 18 rebounds in the win.
“It’s just really exciting to be back in Georgia where I have so many good basketball memories,” Moore said to the AJC after the game.
The Dream got off to a rocky start to the game, being down as much as 23 points early in the first half, but they cut it down to 10 points with 2:30 remaining. That would be the closest they would get to the Lynx and part of the reason they could not make a comeback is they shot 30 percent from the field and only connected on two three-pointers on 18 attempts.
“We had open looks, we had open looks, we had open looks,” coach Marynell Meadors said to the AJC. “We just couldn’t get it to fall.”
Lindsey Harding led the Dream with 14 points while McCoughtry added 10. Erika Souza got a double-double in the loss, scoring 10 points and 12 rebounds.
AFTERNOON DELIGHT …
One of the problems the Dream has had in the early stages of the season is they could not hold on to leads. They looked to stop that trend against the Chicago Sky, a game that was played this past Tuesday at Philips Arena with a noon tip-off. The Dream jumped to a 12-point halftime lead, but Chicago went on an 11-0 run late in the third quarter. The Dream was not going to let another game slip away and they were able to come away with a 71-68 win over the Sky.
The Dream was up by one with 1:30 left in the game after de Souza scored two of her 12 points. They were able to go up by four on their next possession after Harding scored on a layup and added a free throw. Chicago would score on the next drive but Harding was able to add another point on a free throw to seal the win for the Dream.
“This is the WNBA. There are great teams, and they are going to make their runs,” Harding said. “We just have to stop their runs and make ones of our own.”
McCoughtry scored 14 points in the win while Harding added 11. The Dream’s record as of Wednesday is 2-5 and they are in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. Their next game is on Friday when they take on the Phoenix Mercury at Philips and that game will be the third game of the five-game homestand.
In roster news, the Dream signed center Courtney Paris last week. Paris was in training camp with the Los Angeles Sparks, but was cut before the season began. She will take the place of Sancho Lyttle who will be competing for Spain’s national team in EuroBasket Women 2011. Lyttle will return for the July 9 game against Chicago.
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