Dream’s mission continues: Defeat the Fever, avoid do-or-die Game 3

Karl Smesko doesn’t spend much time glancing in the rearview mirror or peeking too far down the road. The Dream’s first-year coach keeps his focus on what’s directly in front of him.

That was his message before tipoff Sunday at Gateway Center Arena, where the Dream — backed by a sold-out, standing-room-only crowd — outlasted the Indiana Fever 80-68 in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.

But Smesko didn’t frame it as an ending. The game itself reflected that, a physical, back-and-forth clash for three quarters before the Dream finally broke free in the fourth. For him and his players, the win was not a destination but a first step.

“We haven’t talked about anything in the past,” Smesko said Sunday. “We’ve just kind of been looking ahead. We do think we have a team that’s good enough to advance, and we think we have a good enough team to win a (WNBA) championship.”

Now with a 1-0 series lead heading into Indianapolis, where Game 2 looms Tuesday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the math is simple. One more win, and the Dream close the book on years of frustration.

A victory would give them their first playoff series win since 2016, when Michael Cooper patrolled the sideline and the Dream eliminated the Seattle Storm. It also would punch their ticket back to the semifinals for the first time since 2018, the year they stormed into September as the No. 2 seed with a double bye before colliding with the Washington Mystics.

If the Dream take care of business Tuesday, the reward is immediate. A semifinals berth and a date with the winner of the Las Vegas Aces–Seattle Storm series beginning Sunday. Lose Game 2, and the road gets trickier, resulting in a do-or-die Game 3 back at Gateway Center Arena on Thursday, with only three days to regroup, instead of five before the next series should they win.

“We know that the playoffs is a whole new ballgame, way more physicality,” Howard said after Sunday’s win. “Knowing that it’s going to be physical, knowing that you’re going to be playing in a dogfight, I think that really helped us, even with the slow start, because we still were able to combat what they were doing, making sure that we were able to get back on track.”

Recap of the Dream’s Game 1 win

That’s when chaos took over. Fever coach Stephanie White erupted at the officials and was hit with a technical foul. Howard calmly sank the technical free throw. On the next trip down, as Jordin Canada swiped at the ball, she tumbled into Odyssey Sims, drawing a technical on the Fever guard. Again, Howard cashed in at the line, nudging the Dream further ahead.

By the time the game ended, the Dream had limited the Fever to only 15 points in the quarter, a defensive stand that sealed an 80-68 victory.

For Hillmon, the message is clear. If the Dream seek to close out the series, their defense has to set the tone.

“Our defense is what I truly feel like fuels our offense,” she said postgame. “This is, again, a great offensive team, and if you let them get hot, can turn into a really ugly game. So you have to key into their key players. … But also making sure that the rest of their team, who aren’t necessarily their key players, doesn’t get second chance opportunities or run out layups. …We have to make everything harder on the defensive end. … After that, everything else will take care of itself.”

How to watch Game 2 of the Dream-Fever series

Key players in the Dream’s win vs. Fever

• Rhyne Howard (20 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal)
• Naz Hillmon (16 points, nine rebounds, three assists, one steal, three blocks)
• Brionna Jones (12 points, five rebounds, three assists, three steals
• Allisha Gray (20 points, six rebounds, four assists, three steals, one block)

Key players for Fever in the loss vs. Dream