In 2004, Darius Taylor got his first Division I coaching position at Temple. He had the privilege of working with Candice Dupree for two seasons. She quickly made her name at the college level as a dominant force who led the Owls through a couple of Atlantic 10 conference and NCAA tournament runs.
That didn’t mean the post presence didn’t get tested. After a two- to three-hour practice under the rigorous instruction of Olympic medalist Dawn Staley (who still suited up for Team USA at the time), Dupree had another task.
She had to play 1-on-1 with Taylor after exhaustion set in. Dupree scored over Taylor’s tall and then-agile frame, and her position coach exerted all of his effort to pose a challenge. Dupree had to hit a certain number of baskets until the side session ended.
“We could play because I was still young,” Taylor said.
Nearly a decade-and-a-half later, Taylor has accrued his time around the sport. He’s been in the industry for 13 years — with a brief break — as an assistant, and Dupree has become a future WNBA Hall of Famer as once being the college kid who could’ve probably posted a double-double with one eye closed.
Taylor got his first shot as interim coach after former interim Mike Petersen stepped down because of health reasons, and the Dream needed another leader to finish the 2021 campaign. The Dream’s first order of business with Taylor at the helm had been in the works for a while — add Dupree.
Now, the player and coach are reunited as grizzled veterans in their respective roles.
“He did a great job of selling me on Atlanta, so I’m excited to be here and play for him,” Dupree said.
The signing, announced shortly after Taylor’s promotion in late July, came as a result of the absence of Cheyenne Parker for the remainder of the season. The Dream added Parker in the offseason from the Chicago Sky, but the 28-year-old recently announced her pregnancy and played in 13 games before shutting it down during the Olympic break.
The Dream knew Parker’s absence was looming before the general public had any idea, so the organization had time to search for a replacement. The Dream have made only one roster move during the regular season, cutting Kalani Brown without adding anyone in the transaction. Dupree started two games for the Seattle Storm in her 16th season and averaged 5.9 points per game before the parties mutually parted ways.
Taylor knew he had previous experience with Dupree to his advantage, and location played into the Dream’s favor as the forward had her roots planted in Tampa. The Dream didn’t have any concerns with Dupree’s drop in production with the Storm because they knew her body of work. She’s a seven-time WNBA All-Star and one of the league’s most-respected veterans.
Twenty-four days after her release from the Pacific Northwest, the Peach State came calling, and the deal was done. The Dream had an established veteran to blend in two older leaders — Tiffany Hayes and Elizabeth Williams — and a roster of youthful, developing players.
“She fills a heavy void for us as someone who can come in and score with a great basketball IQ,” Taylor said. “Her resume speaks for itself. It was a no-brainer to look at her as the first choice.”
Dupree signed while knowing the Dream’s situation as a six-win team that lost nine of 11 contests leading to the season’s hiatus. She played with the rebuilding Indiana Fever from 2017-20, so Dupree is comfortable stepping into a leadership role for a team in the league’s bottom third.
The Dream welcomed another player after a tumultuous first half of the season. The team has faced the injury blows of Hayes and Chennedy Carter (elbow). Carter was then dealt a suspension after a verbal altercation in the team’s July 4 loss at the Las Vegas Aces.
“Experience is the key, and Candice has so much wisdom,” said fourth-year forward Monique Billings, who jumped at the opportunity to pick Dupree’s brain. “She brings a lot to the table as a vet. It will help guide us, and she can be an example for us.”
Entering the team’s practice for the first time July 29, Dupree noticed something different. She saw the rust of a team that had taken time off and recently endured a losing skid, but she also saw some exuberance. The Dream’s swagger that they took pride in at the beginning of the season slowly is making a return.
A fresh start with Taylor as head coach and the addition of Dupree gave the Dream some belief again. The team finds itself in 11th place in the league standings, but only 2.5 games behind the eighth-seeded Washington Mystics.
“I want to come in and help push this team to the playoffs,” Dupree said. “We definitely have the personnel to do it. … I need to put my voice on things with this team. I’ve always led by example, and I’ll continue to do that, but I want to try and talk more to these younger players.”
A lengthy period of time has passed since Dupree and Taylor worked together, but now they reunite for another beginning. Taylor might not have the legs to suit up for another 1-on-1 battle, but his team is hoping that a late-season addition brings some of that same dominance Dupree had while at Temple.
Nonetheless, Dupree’s arrival in Atlanta gives the team what it needed in an attempt to reach the goals it set to begin the season.
“I’m excited to get to observe, soak it in and get to know everybody,” Dupree said. “I’m excited to see what we can do.”
