by James Bowman, AtlantaDream.net

This week’s Bowman Beat starts out with a game that makes me glad that I have a subscription to WNBA Live Access.  Even though our beloved Dream fell short, it was one of those games where transcendent talent was on display.  If you can watch that game and still think women’s basketball is boring, make arrangements with your local funeral home, because nothing will ever excite you again.

Chicago Sky 100, Atlanta Dream 96 (OT)

The Dream headed to Chicago on Wednesday afternoon for the Sky’s kids game.  Atlanta won the last matchup with the Sky from a McCoughtry buzzer-beater, but this time they’d have to beat Chicago at Allstate Arena in front of a sellout crowd of screaming kids.

Against this backdrop the Dream took the early lead but Elena Delle Donne scored Chicago’s first six points – a sign of what was to come.  The Sky started to elevate the tempo and get back on defense more quickly to stop the Dream’s transition game and Atlanta’s first quarter lead was gone by the second quarter.   Angel McCoughtry would have 14 points by halftime, but Delle Donne would have 19 and the Sky led 40-34 at the half.

Chicago would push the lead to 17 points in the third quarter before Atlanta began getting the ball inside in the fourth.  Sancho Lyttle and Erika de Souza combined for 13 fourth-quarter points and with 3:16 left in regulation Matee Ajavon hit a pair of free throws to give Atlanta its first lead since the second quarter, 81-80.  For the rest of regulation the game would see-saw, and a drive by McCoughtry with 8.3 seconds left tied the game at 86-86.  Delle Donne had 37 points during regulation, but with 2.9 seconds left and possession she turned the ball over to Sancho Lyttle.  Lyttle raced to the Dream basket, but wasn’t fast enough, and her prayer from 19 feet didn’t fall in.

It was time for free basketball.  Overtime.

After a Chicago basket, neither team could score until 1:41 left in the first overtime.  Delle Donne got to the free throw line and hit two free throws – her 12^th and 13^th of the game – and she had not missed any of the free throws that she had taken.  The Dream was down by six with 25.1 seconds left, 94-88 after another pair of free throws by Delle Donne, giving her 41 points for the night and a 15-for-15 free throw performance.

But Atlanta hadn’t thrown in the towel.  Erica Wheeler hit a three-pointer with 17.5 left to close the gap to 94-91.  From this point on, it would be the Dream sending Chicago to the free throw line, praying for misses, and looking to score quickly on the follow up possession.

Unfortunately for Atlanta, Chicago knew who should have the ball.  They kept getting the ball to Delle Donne, who kept hitting free throws.   Even with a 3-pointer by McCoughtry to close to score to 98-96 with  8.4 seconds left, Delle Donne would have the ball and Atlanta would have to foul her.

She hit the first shot for her 18^th free throw without a miss, a WNBA record.  She then extended the WNBA record to 19 free throws without a miss during a game, scoring her 45 point of the game and Chicago’s final point, as she carried the Sky on her back to a 100-96 overtime victory.

Delle Donne’s 45 points were the sixth most points ever scored in a WNBA game.  Her 19 free throws without a miss were a record, and she had 11 rebounds to go with it. Three other Sky figures scored in double figures, led by Cappie Pondexter with 19.

The hullabaloo over Delle Donne’s amazing game overshadowed Angel McCoughtry’s performance of 34 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists.  Every starter for the Dream scored in double figures.  Sancho Lyttle had 15 points and 10 rebounds, Erika de Souza was one rebound short of a double-double with 11 points, 9 rebounds and Matee Ajavon had six assists to go with her 10 points.

Atlanta Dream 72, Washington Mystics 69

The Washington Mystics would return to Atlanta after the Dream stole a close game on their home court on June 12^th winning 64-61.  Would the Mystics return the favor?

The Dream’s Erika de Souza would have her hands full holding off Mystics post players Stefanie Dolson and Emma Meesseman, but it was Sancho Lyttle establishing herself as a force with three offensive rebounds in the first quarter.  The Mystics had the inside track on the lane in scoring and Mystics draft pick Ally Mallot made a first quarter appearance with two baskets (and two personal fouls).  Angel McCoughtry found herself in foul trouble as well with two fouls and the Mystics held a 24-18 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Lyttle would be required to put in a lot of work – her rebounding kept Atlanta in the game.  Atlanta was shooting under 30 percent, but could make enough out of those extra chances provided by players like Lyttle to stay in the game.  McCoughtry and de Souza were burdened by foul troubles and the Dream neither went into the bench nor found anyone who could beat Washington off the dribble.  The half’s 36-31 score in favor of the Mystics hid the truth of a Dream looking for production.

De Souza and McCoughtry would pick up their fourth fouls quickly into the third quarter but Washington could not take advantage.  The Dream found a 13-0 run with Matee Ajavon and Angel McCoughtry taking the game into their own hands and the Dream led 48-40 with 2:21 left in the third.   Washington could not get plays off, suffering two 24-second violations and the Dream found energy through strong defensive play leading 52-43 at the end of thirty minutes.

With Washington shooting late, the advantage seemed to be with the Dream as they scored the first nine points of the fourth quarter and built a 61-43 lead.  But the Mystics answered back with a pair of threes and a jumper from Emma Meesseman, closing the lead back to 10 and forcing a Dream timeout with 5:38 left.  Meesseman would score eight of her 14 points in the fourth quarter and a jumper with 1:19 left closed the gap to just three points, 67-64.  Atlanta would win it on the free throw line, hitting five of their next six attempts and only Ivory Latta’s last-second shot 3-pointer at the end of the game kept the final score close.

The Dream only won by three points, but won the offensive rebounding battle 15-5.  Angel McCoughtry led all Atlanta players with 18 points, and Matee Ajavon’s 17 points were a season high.  Sancho Lyttle had 12 points, 10 rebounds and 5 steals.

Four players for Washington scored in double figures, led by ex-Dream player Ivory Latta with 18 points.  Starter Kara Lawson was the only starter not scoring in double figures with just three points in 25 minutes played.

Michael Cooper on only playing seven players in the victory:  “What I think is now we’ve got to get our rotation and our chemistry down. I think I’ve watered us down a little too much to get too many people minutes and I think what we have been doing is starting out good, then I’ll come with four people and our energy goes down. So I’m just looking for some consistency and I think that is important for us to be consistent in our play on both offense and defense.

Mike Thibault opening statement:  “They outplayed us particularly in the third quarter. The difference in the game was offensive rebound points and turnovers. It seems like a broken record for me against them. They got 72 points and 42 of them came off of offensive boards and our turnovers.”

WNBA Tidbits                                                                          

* All four of Atlanta’s wins this season have been by three points or less.

* Tiffany Hayes and Aneika Henry’s Azerbaijan team made it to the 3×3 quarterfinals of the 2015 European Games.  Both players will be back in time for the next game against Seattle on July 5th, but the Dream will have to drop two players from the roster.

* The San Antonio Stars won their first game of the season with a win over the visiting Phoenix Mercury, 76-71.

* Connecticut is off to a 7-1 start in the Eastern Conference, their best start since going 8-1 in their first nine games of 2008.  In the Western Conference, the Tulsa Shock is off to an 8-1 start.  Meanwhile, Los Angeles is still looking for its first win at 0-7.

Atlanta Dream info

* Angel McCoughtry has four technical fouls so far this season, leading all WNBA players.   “Angel is an All-Star player in this league, and she can voice her opinion,” Cooper said.  “She knows it’s coming out of her paycheck.”

This week’s games

Sunday, July 5^th at 3:00 pm:  Seattle Storm @ Atlanta Dream, Philips Arena

After nine days off, the Dream return to action as Seattle comes to visit in their only regular season game at Philips Arena this season.   It’s part of a Storm three-day road trip where Seattle visits Minnesota, Atlanta, and Indiana in order.

Seattle has been a punching bag in the Western Conference and its only wins so far come against the winless Sparks.  Their woes come from the fact that they are the weakest rebounding team in the WNBA.  As of this writing, the Storm only has 5.2 offensive rebounds per game.  (Los Angeles, the second worst team, has 7.4 offensive boards per game.)

The Storm needs help in a lot of places.  The #1 and #3 draft picks in the WNBA Draft, Jewell Loyd and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, are two of the worst shooters on the team.  Sue Bird sat out Sunday’s game against the Tulsa Shock, but Seattle came close to winning that game with rookies Jewell Loyd and Ramu Tokashiki having 21 points each.

But before Dream fans plan their celebration next Sunday, they should remember that even with Tiffany Hayes and Aneika Henry returning it will have been nine days since Atlanta played.  No WNBA team in 2014 had such a long layoff between games.  The Storm might be hoping to catch a rusty Atlanta unawares.   Any team with Sue Bird as point guard is going to be a tough matchup, but hopefully Atlanta will dominate on the glass and get the home win.

Power Rankings

1. Tulsa Shock (8-1): You have to have some respect for the Shock. After being the laughing stock of the league their first few years in Tulsa, they are now on the top.
2. Minnesota Lynx (7-2): The Lynx lead the league in “stomp wins” – they have five wins of nine points or more against teams that are under .500.
3. Chicago Sky (5-4): Elena Delle Donne is clearly the front runner in the MVP race.  But how long can she really carry this team?  Loss against the Mystics should trouble Pokey Chatman.
4. Connecticut Sun (7-1): A key to the Sun’s brightness? The Sun is 4-0 on the road.
5. Washington Mystics (6-3): Emma Meesseman is the player that Alex Bentley will be fighting for that Most Improved Player award.
6. Phoenix Mercury (3-5): Hung in there while Brittney Griner was suspended, which really is all anyone could have asked for.
7. New York Liberty (5-4): Epiphanny Prince will soon be back with the Liberty, so we’ll see if Trader Bill Laimbeer got a dream or a dud in the Pondexter/Prince trade.
8. Atlanta Dream (4-6): All four of the Dream’s wins are by three points or less.  Having Hayes and Henry back should give Atlanta a chance to get a big win somewhere.
9. Indiana Fever (3-6):  The Fever is the worst team in the paint in the WNBA.
10. Seattle Storm (2-7): The Storm has had to play the Shock twice, the Sun once, and the Lynx twice.  This would explain their offensive woes.
11. San Antonio Stars (2-6): The Stars have won two straight games!  It might be a race for that fourth playoff spot in the West late in the season.
12. Los Angeles Sparks (0-7): Remember when Carol Ross got fired because the Sparks front office hated the direction the team was taking?  I’d love to be a fly on the wall in Penny Toler’s office.