FanPost

The Atlanta Dream's Lynx nightmare

It was over before it even began last night. Atlanta's first three possessions ended in a shot clock violation, a bad pass, and a travelling call; added to a foul on a Lynx possession. By the end of the quarter, the Dream had 8 fouls, 11 rebounds, 4 made shots (all by Damiris Dantas or Reneeka Hodges, former Lynx players), 9 missed shots (plus 2 blocked shots), another bad pass, a stolen ball, a 3-second violation, and a technical foul. The score was 26-9.

Angel McCoughtry tried valiantly to rally the troops, and the Dream came out hot in each of the final three quarters, but the Lynx just absorbed the blows, adjusted and ended up further ahead after the next two queaters, and were only outscored by 3 in the fourth. Like the first Storm home game, and the Stars game when Jia Perkins and Kayla McBride were out, this became a scrimmage. The benches and youngsters played long minutes and the stars rested, which was a big help to the Lynx with a game tomorrow and a depleted bench.

Anna Cruz was not at the game last night, although Seimone Augustus was on the bench in street clothes. Recent 7-day contract signer Shae Kelley was there, although she saw no action until the final four minutes. Damiris Dantas received a big cheer when she was announced in the starting lineups, as well as smaller ones when she scored. Reshanda Gray was not quite so warmly welcomed, as she seemed to bear a grudge against Minnesota, accruing 4 fouls and technical during the game. She also seemed unsure of her assignments on offense, with other players trying to direct her to the proper spot. Hopefully, the added playing time will help her to learn the scheme faster.

For some unknown reason, Renee Montgomery switched numbers between games, which caused me some confusion as there was no "21" on the roster in the program, but it was evidenced on the scoreboard, and I tried to figure out who the new starter was. Maya Moore played a little longer than she might have, as the coaches were trying to get her her 20 points, but she missed five or six in a row late in the game. She finally hit for 21, and got to sit out the rest of the game. This is necessary as the Lynx are playing 3 games in 4 days for some other unknown reason. But getting through tests like this will only make them stronger, right?

I sure expected a better game out of Atlanta, after their poor outing against San Antonio, and their history over the last several seasons. But 19 turnovers, 22 fouls, 6 blocked shots, and 4 technicals are difficult to overcome. Angel McCoughtry, Sidney Carter, Damiris Dantas, and Tiffany Hayes played well for the Dream, as well as Aneika Henry for the most part.

Shoni Schimmel made two amazing no-look passes in the second half, and had 10 assists, but could not find the basket herself. She went 0-5 and most were wide open looks from long-range. I was too tired to attend the Q&A she participated in after the game. Once again, the Lynx scheduled Native American Heritage Night for the Dream game. There weren't quite as many Shoni jerseys tonight, but a nice large turnout for her. I was surprised to see Delisha Milton-Jones enter the game, since she was not included on their roster on the program.

I have seen no updates on Anna Cruz' ankle, so it was concerning to not see her on the bench with Seimone. We may need to pick another guard up, and there are a lot of us who would be happy to see Jennifer O'Neill back, although Tan White's name is brought up as well.

Sylvia Fowles had another decent game, and Ashja Jones played well again. Tricia Liston paced the squad with 32 minutes off of the bench, and had her most comfortable game of the year. Lindsay Whalen got off to a good start, and Rebekkah Brunson had another solid game on the boards.

The home stand is over and the Lynx are on the road now. Let's eee how it goes today against Tulsa. (Still no word on when the Cheryl Reeve bobblehead night will occur.)