NBA News Hubb
Advertisement
  • Home
  • NBA Men
  • NBA Women
  • Tournaments & Events
  • Contact us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • NBA Men
  • NBA Women
  • Tournaments & Events
  • Contact us
No Result
View All Result
NBA News Hubb
No Result
View All Result
Home NBA Women

WNBA 2022 Season In Review: Atlanta Dream have promise thanks to Rhyne Howard

admin by admin
August 19, 2022
in NBA Women


If there is one word that perfectly sums up the 2022 Atlanta Dream, it is definitely promise. Even though they got off to a hot start and slowly fell apart down the stretch, the pieces are definitely there for the Dream to become a contender. The biggest piece of course is rookie sensation Rhyne Howard, who will almost certainly be the Rookie of the Year. It definitely was an interesting season, one that laid the foundation for something truly special.

May (5-3)

Rhyne Howard against the Aces
Photo by Dale Zanine/NBAE via Getty Images

The season started off well enough for the Dream as they opened with two straight wins over the Wings and the Sparks. Their only losses were to the Mystics twice and the Aces, two teams that would later go on to finish fifth and first, respectively, in the WNBA playoff standings. The biggest driving force was of course Howard, who averaged 17.6 points per game in the month of May.

June (4-8)

Dallas Wings v Atlanta Dream

Maya Caldwell against the Wings
Photo by Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images

The first official month of summer is when things started to go wrong for the Dream as after initially going 2-1 at home, they lost four in a row, two of them being close and two of them being blowouts. They then won a closeout game at home against the Wings on the back of new addition Maya Caldwell. They then lost three games in a row and on the last day of the month, they won an overtime thriller thanks to a great tying shot by Erica Wheeler in regulation.

July (3-7)

Minnesota Lynx v Atlanta Dream

Cheyenne Parker
Photo by Chamberlain Smith/NBAE via Getty Images

July started off well enough as in Sue Bird’s final game in Atlanta, the Dream won convincingly over the Seattle Storm 90-76 the day before Independence Day. After that, they lost three straight times in blowouts where the offense just sputtered. They eventually managed to come back and beat the Mercury and the Aces in the desert in two very impressive victories. They couldn’t keep up the positive momentum and lost four straight to end the month of July.

August (2-4)

Atlanta Dream v New York Liberty

Aari McDonald
Photo by Steve Freeman/NBAE via Getty Images

The final month of the regular season was where everything just cratered for the Atlanta Dream. Initially, things seemed to be on the up and up as they started August with two straight wins over two lottery teams, the Fever and the Sparks, and then ended the season with four straight losses to eliminate them from the playoffs. The last game especially against the Liberty was a waste of a great performance by Howard, who had 24 points and seven assists.

What went wrong: There have been a multitude of factors as to why the Dream didn’t make the playoffs. You could point to the injuries suffered by important players such as Nia Coffey, Tiffany Hayes, Monique Billings, Asia (AD) Durr and Kristy Wallace. Even Howard herself missed two games down the stretch with an injury. You can even point to the inconsistent offense and defense and their inability to close crucial games. You could just chalk it up to the Dream being a young team that doesn’t yet know how to win the big games yet.

Biggest offseason question: Who will the Dream select in the draft? Everything will come down to the draft lottery as depending on where they land, they could get a really great prospect to add to their young squad, hopefully Aliyah Boston at No. 1 overall. Also, with the retirement of Kia Vaughn, they will need another center and if they manage to get the first overall pick, Boston would be a no-brainer. If they don’t, Elizabeth Kitley, Ayoka Lee, Tamari Key and Jessika Carter would be available for them to snatch up, so it’ll be interesting to see how the draft lottery plays out.



Source link

Previous Post

Tayo returns to Scorchers for his eighth season

Next Post

WNBA: Jewell Loyd the closer in Seattle Storm Game 1 win over Mystics

Next Post

WNBA: Jewell Loyd the closer in Seattle Storm Game 1 win over Mystics

Recommended

WNBA: Why Becky Hammon will be enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame

August 12, 2023

Manchester Giants Add Second Year Pro Nick Stampley To Men’s Roster

August 29, 2023

Don't miss it

Tournaments & Events

Aschburner Q&A notes: Unseld, Jenkins, Daigneault

September 25, 2023
Tournaments & Events

Game Report: Manchester Giants 76-115 London Lions

September 24, 2023
NBA Women

WNBA: After another losing season, what’s next for the LA Sparks?

September 24, 2023
Tournaments & Events

Olympiacos notches their second win in Cyprus by defeating Maccabi

September 24, 2023
Tournaments & Events

Game Report: Leicester Riders 88-81 Plymouth City Patriots

September 23, 2023
NBA Women

EuroLeague Women: DVTK, Polkowice and Sepsi-SIC win first qualifier

September 23, 2023

© NBA News Hubb All rights reserved.

Use of these names, logos, and brands does not imply endorsement unless specified. By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.

Navigate Site

  • Home
  • NBA Men
  • NBA Women
  • Tournaments & Events
  • Contact us

Newsletter Sign Up

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • NBA Men
  • NBA Women
  • Tournaments & Events
  • Contact us

© 2022 NBA News Hubb All rights reserved.