The Dream let a 17-point lead slip away in the second half of Tuesday’s 86-81 loss against the New York Liberty.
A win would have catapulted the Dream into the Commissioner’s Cup final, but the disappointing defeat leaves the team looking at what could have been.
Here are some takeaways from the Dream’s loss:
Dream struggle with turnovers, transition defense
In the first half, the Dream (8-4) committed only three turnovers, while taking advantage of 11 points off New York’s seven miscues. It also helped that the Dream shot 44% (8-of-18) on 3-pointers and had 10 assists on 14 made field goals.
As the Dream built the 17-point lead within the first seven minutes of the third quarter, ball movement and great spacing remained the sources of their offensive efficiency.
But the Liberty increased their pressure on the Dream’s screening in pick-and-roll action, causing deflections as well as creating six steals in the second half. New York capitalized on the Dream’s miscues, scoring 12 points off the 10 turnovers as well as 7 fast-break points.
“They got more aggressive in their ball-screen defense coverage,” Dream coach Karl Smesko said. “That’s on me. They really pressured and they were getting a hand on a ball here and there. … Unfortunately, the turnovers oftentimes led to transition (points). … We should have some better answers for that.”
Lack of ball movement hurts Dream in second half
As the Liberty chipped away at the Dream’s lead, the ball movement began to halt in multiple possessions and their pace began to slow down — catalysts for success in the Dream’s efficiency.
This resulted in fewer offensive rebounds for second-chance opportunities, more difficult shots, along with New York gaining steam offensively with each possession.
“The ball stopped moving as much,” Smesko said. “… You have to finish these games. You get the lead by moving (the ball) and having great spacing. It’s a common problem for a lot of (WNBA) teams, you get the lead and you’re thinking clock and you can’t be thinking clock.
“You got to make sure that you keep scoring. … We were trying to hold on (to the lead) rather than finish it off. … We’re one of the better teams when we all play together.”
In addition to Sabrina Ionescu’s 34 points, Breanna Stewart finished with 23 points including a team-high 9 points in the fourth quarter, along with Jonquel Jones notching her 28th double-double of her New York career with 10 points and 10 rebounds, after missing the Liberty’s last two games because of an ankle injury.
Paopao embraces the moment
Te-Hina Paopao was a bright spot in the Dream’s loss. The rookie point guard made another of her “big bruhs” proud in her performance Tuesday, finishing with another 16-point outing on 6-of-8 shots from the floor and 4-of-5 on 3-pointers in the first half off the bench.
The former South Carolina star also contributed 16 points in the Dream’s 89-56 win Sunday against the Washington Mystics.
“Little bruh trying to be like big bruh, trying to fit in,” Dream guard Rhyne Howard said of Paopao.
Tuesday’s performance marked Paopao’s third game this season where she’s finished with 10 or more points.
“She’s coming in playing like she’s been here before,” Howard added. “... We’re counting on her to come in and make those plays that she’s making. We have all the confidence (in her), and we’re on her to continue to make (3-point shots). … Just her to be out there and handling herself as a point guard in this league, I know it is tough, but she’s making us proud.”
What’s next for the Dream?
Although the Dream failed to earn a berth in the Commissioner’s Cup title game, their performance showed that they are one of the best teams in the league through the first month of the season, with room to grow as the season unfolds.
“That’s going to be a good learning experience for us,” Smesko said.
Howard concurred: “I think we’ll take a lot from this (loss). … I think that this will be huge for us in the upcoming games, and we’ll see them again soon. Hopefully, we have a different outcome.”
The Dream will face the Washington Mystics (5-7) on Friday at Gateway Center Arena. Washington is ninth in the WNBA standings. Friday’s contest will mark the third time that the two teams have met in the regular season.
The most recent matchup took place Sunday, when the Dream defeated the Mystics 89-56 at CareFirst Arena.
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