For the Dream, even with WNBA Finals appearance, the job’s not done
The Dream aim to stay calm and steady as they approach the franchise’s first WNBA Finals appearance in 13 years.
After sweeping both the Mystics in the first round and Liberty in the semifinals of the playoffs, the Dream have reflected on their journey. But to them, the job’s not done and it won’t be until they’ve downed the Valkyries in the best-of-seven series.
“I think our group has believed in what we’ve been trying to get accomplished all year, and that’s why we’ve gotten better throughout the course of the season,” Dream coach Karl Smesko told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“They’re a close-knit group. They work hard. They’re really motivated. They want to win a championship, and they know that it takes a lot of hard work to do that. And we know the challenge in front of us and how good the Valkyries are. It should be a great Finals.”
The Dream defeated two high-caliber opponents in the first two rounds of the playoffs, but the Valkyries will be one of their toughest postseason tests. They lost all three regular-season meetings to the Valkyries, two by five points or fewer.
But the Dream believe they’re a different team.
“Playing a team three times in a stretch of what, 10 days, where we didn’t have a lot of time to figure things out,” Dream All-Star Angel Reese said after the team’s practice Tuesday.
“It is no excuse for how we played during that time, but we’re a completely different team right now. All of us, even just adding DeWanna (Bonner), as well. So I’m looking forward to it. I think we’re on a great stretch right now. We’re rolling and piecing things together at the right time, and yeah, it’s no better time now.”
The Dream finished third in the league in defense, two spots behind the Valkyries, who had the league’s best defense.
“(We’re) just, like, similar in a lot of different ways,” Bonner said. “Like they play hard on defense. They work hard together. They play really well together. They have a great bench. We have a great bench.
“So, it’s going to be just going head to head. Who’s going to come out on top every single game? It’s going to be every single difference. We got two great coaches, who’s gonna game plan and change things up.”
But the Dream don’t want to change how they approach this series. Just like the previous two rounds, the Dream will approach this series one game at a time.
“There’s reasons why we are here because what we’ve been doing has been working,” Dream guard Jordin Canada said.
“So just trying to just stay level. Obviously, we want to be proud of where we are. You know, you want to stop and be where your feet are and be happy that you have accomplished something that hasn’t been done in a while.
“But also you don’t want to just rely on that. You want to obviously finish the job. So, it’s a little bit of both about balancing being where you are, but also knowing that the job is not done.”