The Atlanta Dream have hit a roadblock over the past few games, but they're trying to find some momentum before the start of the All-Star break. They do have some things working against their favor, as Brionna Jones, and most recently Angel Reese, have been sidelined with injuries. Nonetheless, they still have enough talent to stay competitive.
The losses have all come with the Dream not shooting the ball well, while also having lapses on defense. Those two things combined don't lead to good things, and it's hurt the Dream during this stretch of the season.
Outside of that, there is another thing that needs improvement on the team, and it's the bench production. Coming into the season, there were a lot of new faces that the Dream would have to work with on the second unit, but they believed the talent would speak for itself. Outside of just a few games, they haven't helped the Dream much, and it's led to the starters playing extended minutes.
Once the starters play more and more as the season continues, there's no doubt that legs get tired, and then they might start losing their firepower.
The Dream's bench has to step up immediately
Head coach Karl Smesko noted that the Dream's bench is very young, and most of them are first- and second-year players. They recently brought back Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, who is a proven veteran in the league, and also played for the Dream last season. They also have Aaliyah Nye, who recently came back from an injury and has won a championship.
Te-Hina Paopao's minutes have fluctuated this season, but she's shown that she can be a reliable shooter on the court. Madina Okot and Isobel Borlase have played well in spurts, but if they can become more consistent, good things may start happening for the bench as a whole.
If the Dream want to be serious championship contenders, it's going to take more than what the starters are giving for them to make a run. The bench will have to find a way to get things going sooner rather than later, or the team might continue to slide down the standings. With all the talent they have on the team, it wouldn't be the best outcome.
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