2016 WNBA Season Preview: Atlanta Dream


Team Previews: Atlanta | Chicago | Connecticut | Dallas | Indiana | Los Angeles | Minnesota | New York | Phoenix | San Antonio | Seattle | Washington

2015 Record:
15-19
T-5th in Eastern Conference

Key Offseason Moves:
Acquired Elizabeth Williams from Sun in exchange for No. 4 pick in Draft
Traded guard Shoni Schimmel to Liberty for 2017 second-round pick

Draft Picks:
R1, P11: Bria Holmes, G, West Virginia
R2, P1: Rachel Hollivay, C, Rutgers
R2, P4: Courtney Walker, G, Texas A&M
R3, P4: Niya Johnson, G, Baylor

This season starts with defense for the Atlanta Dream.

After his team allowed 79.8 points per game last season — the most in the WNBA — head coach Michael Cooper was clear on the primary goal this offseason.

“I really like our defensive intensity right now,” Cooper said following an early morning shootaround during training camp. “We’ve got to create points using our defense.”

Subpar defense led the Dream to miss the playoffs and finish with a below .500 record (15-19) for the first time since the franchise’s inaugural WNBA season in 2008.

The Dream acquired forward/center Elizabeth Williams from the Sun as they look to shore up their defense.

The Dream acquired forward/center Elizabeth Williams from the Sun as they look to shore up their defense.

The Dream began the process of reshaping their defense with a flurry of offseason moves.

After struggling with interior defense last season, the Dream traded their first-round pick at No. 4 this season for last season’s No. 4 pick, Connecticut Sun forward Elizabeth Williams. At the beginning of the second round, the Dream also added 6-4 Rutgers center Rachel Hollivay to help secure the paint.

“I really like our draft picks,” Cooper said. “Your defense is anchored in the post. Elizabeth knows defense. Both Elizabeth and Rachel alter shots.”

The Dream’s eventful offseason continued into May as the team traded All-Star guard Shoni Schimmel to the New York Liberty for a second-round pick in the 2017 WNBA Draft.

“We’re looking to do different things,” Cooper noted on the trade. “These younger kids can come in and do some things for the team. We still have a solid foundation.”

But despite an offseason filled with significant team-building moves, the Dream’s path back to the playoffs still runs through four-time WNBA All-Star Angel McCoughtry.

McCoughtry, a two-time WNBA scoring champion, was recently selected to her second U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team. “It’s a great honor to be picked to play for your country,” Cooper said. “What it takes to win a gold medal and what it takes to win a championship are the same thing.”

With the Dream, McCoughtry led a fast-paced offense last season and Cooper doesn’t envision that changing much this year.

Atlanta’s Top Plays of 2015

 

“We still want to play uptempo basketball. That’s where I came from,” Cooper said, alluding to his time as a player in the NBA with the ‘Showtime’ Lakers of the ’80s. “With Angel, we can score points.”

But even with a fast pace and high-scoring team, defense is still at the forefront for Cooper and the Dream this season.

“If you look in the NBA and at what the Golden State Warriors are doing, they push the pace and are still a really good defensive team,” Cooper said. “We think we can do that too.”