Lyttle rebounds from big blow

By Pierce W. Huff

For the AJC

It was a sight that most Dream players, coaches and fans will never forget.

On the evening of July 3, forward Sancho Lyttle was knocked out and remained motionless on the floor of Philips Arena. She remained down for about one minute after taking an elbow to the left cheek from Chicago Sky center Sylvia Fowles late in what would be a six-point Atlanta loss.

Atlanta Dream assistant coach Carol Ross said she thought Lyttle was dead when she didn’t move after 30 seconds, because, Ross said, “After 30 seconds you expect to see some movement.” Dream coach Marynell Meadors said she never had a player knocked out like Lyttle in her more that 35 years of coaching.

It could have been worse. Lyttle suffered a severe concussion, sitting out for 13 days and two games. But as she has slowly worked her way back to form, so have the Dream.

With Lyttle back to former self, the Dream (18-9) have a four-game winning streak and reclaimed first place in the Eastern Conference going into Tuesday night's game with visiting Washington (15-10).

The Dream leads Indiana (16-9) by one game in the WNBA's Eastern Conference. Washington is two games out, one game ahead of New York (14-11). The top four teams in each conference advance to the playoffs.

Lyttle, a 6-foot-4 power forward, has been one of the keys to the Dream’s success by both dominating the boards and scoring in the post. She averages 13.8 points and her 10.2 rebounds per game leads the team.

When Lyttle is out of the lineup or not playing up to par the Dream suffers, and that's just what happened after her concussion. The team was 1-1 with her out of the lineup but stumbled through a four-game losing streak when she returned.

Lyttle's recollection of the shot from Fowles is vivid.

“I think it really caught me off guard,” Lyttle said. “I felt it and I felt myself going down.”

Once she regained consciousness, Lyttle feared for the worst.

“I was hoping and praying that nothing was broken,” she said.

Just two years ago while she was with Houston, Lyttle said she suffered a fractured sinus and missed three months after being elbowed by Lisa Leslie during the offseason. But when Lyttle learned that nothing was broken this time, it was just a matter of her returning to the lineup when she gradually felt better.

“The two weeks I was out, it was hard because when I was practicing and bending over, I was getting dizzy,” she said. “After that, I kind of worked myself into the lineup.”

Lyttle returned July 16 and responded with 10 points and four rebounds in 20 minutes in the Dream’s 89-70 loss at Indiana. She started and scored 12 points and had 11 rebounds in the Dream’s 96-80 loss at Connecticut on July 17.

But once the team's win streak began July 25, Lyttle has been back to pre-concussion form, averaging 13 points and nine rebounds. She said she’s 100 percent back to where she was before the injury.

Meadors also can tell that Lyttle has made a complete return.

“I think she has gotten over the fear of being hit again,” Meadors said.

Ross said it makes a big difference for the Dream when Lyttle is healthy.

“She can guard anybody on the floor,” Ross said. “When you take her out, that’s 10 rebounds off the court. And she can score points.”

It’s tough playing in the post and fighting for rebounds, but now that she is back, Lyttle is not backing down. And more importantly, she knows that tough shots come with the territory.

“I’m a post player,” she said.