On August 22 at 7:30 PM, the WNBA regular season continues with Atlanta Dream hosting Phoenix Mercury.
Atlanta Dream’s performance this season has not been great, currently holding a record of 9 wins and 17 losses, ranking 9th in the league. They still need to put in more effort if they want to make it into the playoffs. However, Dream’s recent momentum has been good. After a brief break for the Olympics, they have won both of their games, including an upset victory over Seattle Storm by 2 points, and a comfortable 82-70 win against the Sun in the last game. The key players on the team all performed well. In the last game against the Sun, Charles from the frontcourt scored 22 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for a double-double, Canada scored 19 points, while Howard added 13 points.
In terms of personnel, Dream is not bad, but their performance in outside shooting this season has been somewhat poor, with a three-point shooting percentage of only 30.5%. If they cannot gain the upper hand in the paint, losing becomes inevitable. Fortunately, Dream’s form has improved recently, and there are four players averaging double-digit points. Among them, Howard averages 16.1 points per game, while Gray, Charles, and Canada also provide support. If they can get into the rhythm early, they stand a good chance of achieving a third consecutive win at home.
Phoenix Mercury’s performance this season has also not been ideal, despite having a strong lineup. Currently, they hold a record of 15 wins and 13 losses, ranking 6th in the league. After a brief Olympic period, Mercury has played three games, winning two and losing one. Both of their victories were decisive, showing that when they get going, they are unstoppable. In the last game against Chicago Sky, four players scored in double digits, with veteran Taurasi scoring the highest 23 points, Griner adding 18 points and 5 rebounds, while Cooper struggled with her shooting, making only 2 out of 11 attempts for 7 points.
In terms of lineup, Mercury holds the advantage, boasting several star players such as Cooper and Griner, as well as Taurasi, Billings, and Cloud. Cooper averages 23.1 points per game this season, while Griner contributes 18.3 points. Their offense is not a concern, but their defensive performance has been poor, allowing an average of 84.9 points per game, which is something they need to address if they hope to advance deep into the playoffs.
This will be the second meeting between the two teams this season. In their first encounter, Mercury narrowly won 88-85, with Cooper scoring 38 points alone, while Dream’s Gray had 22 points and Howard contributed 21 points and 9 rebounds. In this rematch, it is believed that Dream aims to seek revenge and continue their winning streak.
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