1-0 for the Atlanta Dream.
Editor’s note: This is the first post from new Peachtree Hoops contributor Horace Shivers III. We’re excited to have him on the staff and help with our coverage of the Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Dream.
LOS ANGELES — The Atlanta Dream won their season-opener as they secured a solid win against the Los Angeles Sparks, ending the game with a score of 92-81. It’s a great start to the season for the Dream as they look to return back to the playoffs. Last season marked the first time in five years the team made the playoffs.
From the opening whistle, the Dream set a vigorous pace, utilizing their dynamic offense to pull away from the Sparks in the fourth quarter. The former number pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft, Rhyne Howard, was a significant contributor, scoring 25 points while going 9-for-16 from the field while connecting on three of her three-pointers. After she had a rough first half, Howard knew she had to stay aggressive and take more control in the second half.
“I continue to stay aggressive after I felt like I had a rough first half, but I continued to stay confident and stick to what I know would eventually work. But on the other hand we had TC taking care of business. I didn’t have a lot of pressure on me, and I didn’t have to try and force the issue and try to take the game over, but in the second half it started to fall a little bit more for me,” said Howard.
TC — as in veteran and eight-time WNBA All-Star, three-time Olympic Gold Medalist, 2012 WNBA MVP Tina Charles — had a double-double last night for the Dream as she had 21 points and 12 rebounds. Charles signed with the team this year as a free agent and has been known throughout her career for double-doubles. Charles is 20 double-doubles away from becoming the all-time leader in WNBA history. The Dream signed her because of ability to score and rebound.
“Tina’s ability to score and rebound the basketball at an elite level immediately helps this basketball team,” said Dream general manager and executive vice president Dan Padover said. “Tina is a former MVP and Gold Medalist with a ton of big game experience that I know will aid us throughout the course of the WNBA season”.
Charles was excited about getting the double-double, but she is more excited about being back in the league.
“Personally, it wasn’t about the stat line — it was more about the opportunity to get back in the league. And not just be back in the league but to be in the league with the woman I’m with now. Tanisha has always got the best out of me when we were teammates in New York. And just to be here with Rhyne, Allisha Gray and Cheyenne Parker-Tyus as they are just great players with a great team and atmosphere,” said Charles.
In regard to the game’s pace, it was set by the team’s aggressive defense, which thwarted many of the Sparks’ attempts to take control of the game. The team coach, head coach Tanisha Wright praised the defensive work in the postgame, stating, “I’m really happy that we were able to come in and get a win. LA is always a team that plays us super tough and aggressive. They took us out of a lot of our stuff early, but we continue to fight for three quarters. And the fourth quarter we did a real good job of finding what we need to find on the offensive end as well as getting multiple stops as well. I was happy with the game”, said Coach Wright.
The inside-outside game of Charles and Howard was very important. The duo combined for 46 points in the win.
“They did exactly what they are capable of doing, playing 30-plus minutes as Tina is a dominant inside force, and Rhyne is, what I have said over and over, is that she is a generational talent with a great skillset. I thought what was really good for her is she mixed in a lot of attacking with her three-point shot and she got a lot of mid range shots as well, which is good,” said Coach Wright.