Dream 3-3 after home loss

The warnings went out at practice Saturday morning.

The first one came from Atlanta Dream general manager and coach Marynell Meadors, who challenged her players to show that they could handle success.

Dream star Chamique Holdsclaw pulled the alarm later, cautioning her teammates not to let a hot start to the season trick them into thinking they could let up with the struggling New York Liberty in town Sunday.

The message didn’t sink in. The Dream’s 93-81 loss at Philips Arena was their first at home this season. It also squashed any chance the Dream (3-3) had of matching last season’s win total.

“We didn’t go out there and execute,” said Holdsclaw, who led the Dream in scoring with 17 points. “This is a maturation process for our team. We got outmuscled and outhustled. New York played a great game.

“But we have to grow and support each other and execute. We have to maintain our intensity and be able to handle success. We had a great win the other night and [Saturday] we went to practice like we had done something special.”

The Dream’s defense was anything but special Sunday. In fact, it was nonexistent for most of the game. The Liberty shot .574 (35-for-61) from the floor and 9-for-18 from beyond the 3-point line.

They led by as many as 20 points and would have coasted to the finish were it not for a scoring binge fueled by Izi Castro Marques in the final two minutes.

“I saw it coming,” Meadors said. “We didn’t have a good practice [Saturday]. We seemed to be unfocused and had no energy whatsoever, and this team usually has good energy.

“I think we were playing back on our heels most of the game and didn’t have the good defensive effort we’ve had most of the season.”

Aside from a couple of spirited attempts to rally from a double-digit deficit in the third quarter, the Dream simply couldn’t match the Liberty’s energy, efficiency or mettle.

“This is the first time this year we’ve been outscored in the paint,” Meadors said. “We would get the ball into our bigs, and they would pass it out and we wouldn’t make the shots.”

Beyond the missed shots and uncharacteristic defensive lapse, though, was the noticeable difference in effort from Friday night’s win to Sunday’s loss.

“I think we’re the more talented team,” Holdsclaw said. “But talent doesn’t always win, does it?”

The Dream’s shot at redemption comes Tuesday night, when they host Chicago in the third game of their four-game home stand.