Like the season, a long fight came up just short.
For three-plus quarters, the Atlanta Dream fought toe-to-toe against the top offense in the WNBA. It was truly a valiant effort for a team that struggled on offense all season long. But in the end, the Dream lost steam in the fourth quarter and were eliminated from championship contention 91-82 and 2-0 in the opening series of the playoffs.
Allisha Gray paced the Dream with 26 big points on 10-for-16 shooting. Rhyne Howard added 19 points on 8-for-15 shooting and a couple of highlight-worthy blocks on defense.
The Dream led 28-19 after one quarter, 48-43 after two, and were within a point of the New York Liberty after three quarters. But after a late Liberty barrage, led by Sabrina Ionescu and her 36-point night, the Dream couldn’t keep pace down the stretch of the game.
Last season, the Dream similarly fell to the Dallas Wings 2-0 in the first round series after breaking a streak of six seasons without playoff basketball. But the journey to the postseason was much rockier this year — in fact, it was a metaphorical rollercoaster ride.
The Atlanta Dream continually clawed back from the brink this entire summer. They suffered major injuries to Rhyne Howard and Jordin Canada. The team entered the Olympic and All-Star Weekend break on a 8-game losing streak. They were outside of the top-8 in the standings for the majority of the season without even a first-round pick to show for their efforts.
But through it all, the Dream hung together and found the final playoff spot available on the final day of the regular season. So, through that specter, the mood after the game was relatively jovial for a team that just had their season ended in a two-game sweep.
“I’m extremely proud of this team,” remarked head coach Tanisha Wright. “The way they first came out tonight, and throughout the year — their character really came out this year. Despite the injuries, they kept fighting, kept plugging.”
“I think they took to heart the last game, and how physical New York was with them, and really put on a show tonight,” she continued. “So again, proud, just super proud as a coach with the performance that they’ve displayed all year and the perseverance and the character.”
“Post-Olympic break was the most fun that we had,” said Rhyne Howard. “And you could clearly see that we enjoyed being together, we enjoyed coming out and fighting with each other every game. We obviously wish it would’ve happened sooner.”
“I would say challenging, because like I said, we had to overcome a lot,” said Allisha Gray about the struggles during the year. “But it’s just the fact that we’re able to put our head down and overcome the challenges. But it wasn’t easy, it was definitely a challenge.”
The Dream will have no first-round pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft — that selection goes to the Wings from the Gray trade two offseasons ago. They do, however, have a second and third round selection along with the rights of players from last seasons’ draft such as Nyadiew Puoch.
But, with the Golden State Valkyries entering the WNBA, an expansion draft will be held that will put at risk the unprotected players on the roster contracted for next season to be sent westward to the new team.
Still, the Dream along with the rest of the WNBA brought forth the most exciting season in league history. And they look to build upon that success in the years forward.