Dream still have to ‘get a little better’ in late-game situations

The Dream have put together a top 3 offense through their first few games this season. But they’ve had some defensive lapses

Both of their matchups against the Fever on Tuesday and Thursday came down to the final minute of the game.

On Tuesday night, a pair of free throws and block from Nia Coffey sealed the Dream’s 91-90.

Thursday night, the Fever pressured the Dream on the perimeter, wearing down their guards as they attacked the rim.

“I don’t feel like we match up well with them,” Fever coach Stephanie White said. “I mean, they’re tough to handle. Obviously, they’ve got a lot of Olympians. They’re quick and skilled on the perimeter. They’re big and strong and tough on the interior. They’re experienced.

“So, I feel like we have to use our versatility to combat some of that size that they have, and we have to use our depth to be able to try to wear down their really great guards.”

It didn’t help that the Dream’s interior presence was limited with All-Star center Brittney Griner in foul trouble for much of the game. She eventually fouled out with 3:38 to play in the game.

Despite that, the Dream held the Fever within one or two possessions until the final 36 seconds of the game. But they struggled to execute the little things to stop the Fever without fouling in the final seconds.

“I think we have a lot of really good players,” Smesko said. “And sometimes at the end they’re able to do some things, when really, we just need to work together and utilize everybody in the fourth quarter, where there’s more screening, more movement.

“When we’re screening and moving and cutting, our offense looks really good, and then when we’re kind of standing around watching one person with the ball, I mean, that’s tough. So, our players understand that. They’ve been good at listening. We’re going to be able to watch this, and we’ll have a better understanding on how to be better in these close games.”

The Dream haven’t had much time to completely dissect the film. The quick turnaround between games, coupled with the minimal practice time has been an adjustment for Smesko after making the move from the college ranks.

But even without the practice time, the Dream know that they will have to clean up the little things if they want to meet their expectations.

“I think it just comes down to possessions,” Dream forward Brionna Jones, who had 15 points and 11 rebounds, said. I think throughout the game, it’s not just the last few minutes of the game, it’s little things that we can clean up. Every possession matters in this game when you’re playing any team, any night."