Dream push Lynx to brink but stumble at closing time

Still, with just under five minutes left in the first half of a contest that turned into a back-and-forth overtime battle featuring three ties and seven lead changes, the Dream found themselves in a situation that felt both familiar and unfamiliar.

They went toe-to-toe with the league’s best but couldn’t deliver the final punch, losing 96-92 inside Gateway Center Arena.

After trailing by as many as 17 points in the first half — a situation the Dream had already overcome in a comeback win over the Storm in May — the Dream battled back to cut the deficit to 5 by halftime.

They took their first lead early in the third quarter and built their largest cushion with 3:50 left in regulation, when Jordin Canada blew past Courtney Williams for a layup to put Atlanta up, 82-75. But against championship-caliber teams like Minnesota — or New York — every decision, every possession, matters.

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

After giving up a late layup to Napheesa Collier with under a minute left in regulation, the Dream needed just one defensive stop to seal the victory. Instead, Canada fouled Collier with 21 seconds remaining, sending the Lynx star to the line. Collier knocked down both free throws to tie the game.

On the final possession, the Dream had a chance to win but Rhyne Howard missed a pullup jumper, sending the game into overtime.

“I got a not foul at the end of the fourth quarter when we just needed to get a stop and just be sound on the defensive end,” Canada said postgame after the loss.

In overtime, Williams hit a clutch jumper to give Minnesota momentum. The Dream then allowed Collier to take over, first by finishing on a transition layup and then burying a tough jumper on the low block. Those possessions shifted control to the Lynx before the final minute turned into a free-throw battle that Minnesota won.

“We’re pretty motivated to be at the top of this league,” Smesko said. “Right now, we’re not quite there.”

Canada agreed: “I feel like we can still grow as a team and still get better,” she said. “We’re right there. I think it just comes down to us being able to focus on the little things and the details. It’s just honestly us finishing games out.”

Here are three takeaways from the Dream’s loss against the Lynx.

Dream’s late-game execution remains a work in progress

Ahead of Friday’s game, Smesko described the matchup with the Lynx a “good test” to gauge how his team stacked up against the league’s elite, praising Minnesota as a franchise already playing at a “championship level.”

Through each week, win or loss, he hasn’t shied away from saying the Dream are still learning on both ends of the floor.

Even during their strong 8-3 start, Smesko emphasized that the Dream’s growth is still unfolding. Despite erasing a 17-point deficit and briefly taking the lead, the Dream couldn’t close the deal, wavering in the final minutes where execution matters most.

At 10-6, only five of their victories have come against teams currently in the league’s top eight. In games against the Liberty and Lynx — the WNBA’s top two teams — the Dream have either squandered a large lead or failed to capitalize late after a comeback.

The Dream outrebounded the Lynx 40-28 in the contest. However, in overtime, the Lynx controlled the boards. They held a 7-3 advantage and did not allow the Dream an offensive rebound.

“Coach talks about … making sure (we’re) rebounding at key moments and not letting them (teams) get second chance points,” Canada said.

However, Smesko attributes that the lack of adequate practice time to the league’s scheduling of games — which plays a part in how fast his team can make necessary adjustments in between games.

“We don’t have everything (offensive and defensive concepts) in yet that we want to get in,” Smesko said. “There’s not a lot of practice time in this league. … I do think that we’ve gotten a lot better over the course of the season. We still have a lot of room to grow. … It’s really exciting to know what is possible with this team.”

Dream find significant success in paint production

Smesko made it a priority to feature Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones more prominently in the offense after the Dream had drifted away from their interior game in recent outings. That adjustment paid off. Atlanta dominated the paint, outscoring the Lynx 52–24 inside, including a 22–8 edge in the second half.

The 10-time All-Star delivered a steady performance with 16 points, seven rebounds, an assist and a block. The three-time All-Star led six Dream players in double figures, finishing with 18 points, eight rebounds and two steals.

“We wanted to definitely look inside (during the game) and we hadn’t been getting our post (players) as involved as we wanted to,” Smesko said. “We wanted to make sure that they were being included. So, we went to BG early. She had a really good game. Bri (Jones) was really physical, getting offensive rebounds, getting second chance points.”

Beyond Griner and Jones, the Dream constantly attacked the rim with Canada, Howard and Gray. Others like Naz Hillmon also made decisive cuts to the basket, generating high-efficiency looks or drawing trips to the free-throw line.

Turnovers, cold shooting stall Dream’s momentum

The Dream committed 16 turnovers in the game including 11 in the first half and seven in the first quarter alone.

Those miscues in the first 10 minutes of action generated 13 points for Minnesota in the opening frame. Although the Dream cleaned things up after halftime with just five second-half turnovers, three came in the fourth quarter, stalling their momentum when it mattered most.

“They (Lynx) were speeding us up (offensively in the first quarter),” Canada said. “Instead of us slowing down and making sure we’re getting good possessions, we were allowing them to score on our turnovers.”

Smesko concurred: “That’s (turnovers) kind of how they got the big lead on us,” he added.

Entering Friday’s matchup, the Dream led the league in made 3-pointers. But against the Lynx, their outside shooting disappeared. They hit a season-low 18.2% from deep, going just 4-of-22 from beyond the arc. But despite the cold shooting night, Smesko noted the team still had a chance to win late, crediting strong performances in other areas for keeping them competitive.

“For us, if you think about it, like we lose in overtime, we shot 4-of-22 from three,” Smesko said. “You have to really do a lot of other things really, really well. If you’re playing the best team in the league, you’re 4-of-22 from three, and you’re still in a position where you have a chance to win the game at the end. … I guess they (these games) come (with) growing pains for a reason because I can feel it right now.”

What’s next for the Dream?

The Dream will return to action Sunday when they face the New York Liberty (11-4) in a rematch at GCA. The Liberty defeated the Dream 86-81 on June 17, overcoming a 17-point second-half deficit at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

But beyond taking another shot at the Liberty, Smesko believes the next big step for the Dream is closing games with confidence and honing in on all of the small details in the process to reach that goal.

“This is a new system,” Smesko said. “It’s a lot of new players. We’re still working it out. … Sometimes the last thing to come together is these end game situations where you have so much trust in your teammates and you know them so well. I think Minnesota showed that tonight at the end. They knew where they wanted to get the ball. They knew the favorite spots of everybody.”

Canada agreed: “I think you’ve seen (growth) in these last two (games) with New York and Minnesota. … I think we’re right there. We’re just missing out on the little details that we need to clean up.”