Through the upheaval caused by injuries, firings and suspensions, the one constant for the Dream has been their steady march to the WNBA playoffs.
Atlanta defeated Indiana 71-64 on Wednesday night at Philips Arena for its third consecutive victory and second in a row against an Eastern Conference contender.
“When there is adversity, the best thing to do is come together, so that’s what we did,” Dream guard Lindsey Harding said after scoring a team-high 20 points. “It’s brought us closer together. We’ve all got one goal and that’s to compete for a championship.”
The Dream are the two-time defending East champions, but seemed on the verge of fading because of the drama surrounding All-Star wing Angel McCoughtry.
McCoughtry sat out two games after coach Fred Williams suspended her indefinitely for violating team rules. That came after the Dream fired coach and general manager Marynell Meadors after she clashed with McCoughtry.
In spite of all of that, the Dream (15-13) are 6-3 since the league’s Olympics hiatus and comfortably ahead of Chicago (10-6) and New York (10-16) for third in the East with six games to play. The top four teams in the conference qualify for the playoffs.
McCoughtry played in her second game since the suspension, but Williams stuck with the three-guard lineup featuring Harding, Tiffany Hayes (15 points) and Armintie Price. The alignment helps the Dream play at the fast pace they prefer.
“It gives us a little more penetration on the perimeter,” Williams said. “It always keeps the opposition a little off balance because they have to sub to match us.”
McCoughtry scored 15 points off the bench for her second strong performance in as many games since returning to the team. She had 18 points in the fourth quarter of the Dream’s 87-80 victory over Connecticut on Sunday.
Indiana led by as many as 11 points in the second quarter. Atlanta closed the gap to 32-29 to energize fans and kept it going after halftime.
McCoughtry helped close the gap with a spirited sequence before halftime.
McCoughtry knocked the ball away from Indiana guard Katie Douglas, leading to Hayes’ layup. After Erika de Souza blocked a shot on Indiana’s next possession, McCoughtry collected the loose ball and raced for a layup that trimmed Indiana’s lead to 32-29.
The strong finish to the half energized Dream fans, and McCoughtry sprinted off the floor to the locker room. The Dream scored the first eight points after halftime and, after Indiana led 52-48 entering the final quarter, took control for good with a 15-6 run to open the fourth quarter.
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