Despite committing 17 turnovers, shooting just 4-of-21 from beyond the arc and missing two-time All-Star Rhyne Howard, the Dream still found themselves one possession from their 12th win of the season Thursday night at against the Seattle Storm at Gateway Center Arena.
Jordin Canada turned in her best performance of the year, controlling the offense with poise. Brionna Jones recorded her eighth double-double of the season, continuing her All-Star campaign and anchoring the interior. Allisha Gray added a double-double of her own, and together, the trio kept the Dream in control down the stretch.
The Dream held a 79-75 lead within the final minute. But that’s when Seattle’s Skylar Diggins changed everything. After grabbing a key offensive rebound, she kicked the ball out to Erica Wheeler, who buried a critical 3-pointer. On the next possession, Diggins exploited a switch on a high ball screen off of Canada, beat Jones off the dribble and finished at the rim to give the Storm an 80-79 lead.
Even after Diggins’ layup, the Dream had one final chance to escape with a win. Dream coach Karl Smesko drew up an inbounds play designed to get Canada on the move, aiming to capitalize on her speed and allowing her to attack the rim. But Wheeler disrupted the timing of the play. Instead of the two-time WNBA champion catching the ball in stride, Canada collected herself, took two dribbles to her right and launched a desperation heave that fell short.
Despite the Dream’s narrow 80-79 loss to the Storm, Smesko sees the foundation of a great team taking shape. But as he’s emphasized throughout his first season, the next step is continuing to master execution in high-pressure moments. That means cutting down on costly turnovers, the team improving its shooting from deep and making smarter decisions in late-game situations.
“To have a lead on a team like Seattle shooting 4-of-21 (on 3-point shots) … before that New York (Liberty) and Minnesota (Lynx), when we haven’t even hit any 3’s to be in a position to win these games, I think it shows that we have the makings of a great team,” Smesko said postgame. “Now we only have a little over half a season to get to where we need to get to.”
Here are three takeaways from the Dream’s loss against the Storm.
Jordin Canada delivers breakout performance
Since returning to the lineup June 6 against the Connecticut Sun — after missing the first seven games because of injury — Canada has worked to regain her offensive rhythm while anchoring the Dream’s defense. Fans have eagerly anticipated the return of the 29-year-old’s full form, which includes her ability to dictate pace, disrupt opposing guards and create scoring opportunities for the Dream’s long-term success.
Thursday, Canada delivered the breakout performance the Dream had been waiting for. She poured in a season-high 25 points, marking her fifth double-figure outing of the year and her third consecutive game scoring at least 10 points, while adding five rebounds, five assists, and four steals in the contest.
Before the matchup, Smesko made it clear that with Howard sidelined, he needed Canada to step up. She answered that challenge, even with Smesko acknowledging that the Dream’s offensive execution wasn’t always clean.
“I didn’t think our (ball) screening was that good today,” Smesko said. “A lot of this … she was beating the player in front of her, getting a little bit of an advantage, and then getting to the free-throw line, initiating contact, knocking down free throws.”
If Canada plays at this level when Howard returns in conjunction with Gray and the massive duo of Brittney Griner and Jones, the Dream is a dangerous team.
Turnovers pile up for Dream in loss
The Dream committed 17 turnovers Thursday, and the Storm capitalized by converting those mistakes into 21 points. That total marked only the second time all season an opponent has scored 20 or more points off turnovers against the Dream, an unusual lapse for one of the league’s most disciplined teams.
Entering the matchup, the Dream averaged the fewest turnovers per game (12.8) and the fewest total turnovers for the season (217).
However, in the past three games, the Dream have generated 49 total turnovers and averaged a combined 16.3 over that span. Until this recent slide, the Dream hadn’t committed more than 16 turnovers in a game since two of their first six contests, on opening night against the Washington Mystics and May 27 versus the Los Angeles Sparks.
Seattle came into Thursday’s game ranked third in the WNBA in steals per game (8.4), and the Storm’s defensive pressure lived up to the scouting report. They racked up 12 steals — including seven in a disruptive third quarter — matching the most the Dream have allowed all season. Seattle also deflected 6.2% of the Dream’s passes, the highest rate any opponent has posted against the Dream this season, according to Genius Sports, a sports data and analytics website.
“We started off turning the ball over a lot, and I think that was one of the emphasis of this game,” Canada said postgame. “Knowing that I believe they lead the league in steals. … I think for us, it was just a lack of focus and us just being lackadaisical with the ball.”
Late-game details matter in close games
The Dream led by as many as five points with less than three minutes to play in regulation. Even when the Storm responded with big-time shots from Nneka Ogwumike during that stretch, the Dream held a four-point lead after a pair of Canada free throws. However, when Canada failed to box out Diggins for an offensive rebound — the only one Seattle corralled in the fourth quarter among the three offensive boards they secured for the entire game — it made all of the difference.
The result was a Wheeler 3-pointer to put the Storm within one point, 79-78. That possession led to Diggins’ layup, which won the game for Seattle.
What’s next for the Dream?
The Dream will return to action at 7:30 p.m. Monday when they face the Golden State Valkyries at Gateway Center Arena. Monday’s contest marks the first clash between the two teams this season.
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