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WNBA Season Preview 2019: Can the Atlanta Dream take the next step?

By Ian Levy

WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 31: Tiffany Hayes #15 of the Atlanta Dream talks to media at the Post Game interview after the game against the Washington Mystics during Game Three of the 2018 WNBA Semifinals on August 31, 2018 at Charles Smith Center at George Washington University in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 31: Tiffany Hayes #15 of the Atlanta Dream talks to media at the Post Game interview after the game against the Washington Mystics during Game Three of the 2018 WNBA Semifinals on August 31, 2018 at Charles Smith Center at George Washington University in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Atlanta Dream will be looking to build on one of the best seasons in franchise history. The question is whether their offense can match their defense.

Last September, the Atlanta Dream finished the best season in franchise history, posting a win percentage of .676, assembling the league’s best defense and giving the Washington Mystics all they could handle in a five-game series loss in the playoff semifinals.

As the Dream look to take the next step, they should have that solid defense to lean on. Improving on offense will be the challenge, especially with Angel McCoughtry likely to miss a good portion of the season as she works to recover from a knee injury suffered last August. McCoughtry led the team in usage rate last season, averaging 16.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game, shooting 42.0 percent from the field.

With McCoughtry out of the lineup, guard Tiffany Hayes will shoulder even more offensive responsibility. Hayes led the Dream in scoring last season, averaging 17.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. With a collection of lightning-quick crossovers, a strong first step and long strides, Hayes can be a handle to contain on the drive. She drew 5.5 free throws per game last season and her ability to get to the basket and finish over the defense was one of the few offensive weapons Atlanta could rely on.

Hayes’ assist totals were not eye-popping but she has excellent vision and the ability to deliver the ball to teammates at a variety of angles, be it kick-outs to shooters or slipping the ball into tight spaces for a finish at the rim.

Hayes may need to do more of this next season for the offense to improve on what they managed last year and to stay afloat until McCoughtry can get back on the court. If she can manage it while maintaining her incredibly low turnover percentage of 9.5, it will be huge for Atlanta. Hayes had a strong start to Atlanta’s preseason, putting up 21 points on 4 assists, getting to the free throw line 6 times and shooting 7-of-11 from the field in just 28 minutes.

Of course, there are complicating factors. Atlanta ranked 10th in the WNBA in 3-point percentage last season, hitting just 31.8 percent of their outside looks. McCoughtry and Hayes proved adept at finishing tough shots in the paint, but many of those shots were made tougher by the team’s inability to punish defenses for collapsing on drives.

Renee Montgomery was the only reliable outside shooter in the rotation, hitting 37.1 percent of her 6.2 3-point attempts per game. Their second-round pick, Maite Cazorla, was a 41.2 percent 3-point shooter in her senior season at Oregon but she may have a hard time getting on the floor in what is already a crowded guard rotation.

One other possibility for offensive upside, is Nia Coffey, the third-year forward who was acquired from Las Vegas as part of a three-team trade in April. With a career 44.3 true shooting percentage, Coffey has been a fairly inefficient scorer in her young career but she has an astronomical career free throw rate of .454. She won’t help much with spacing, but if she can keep getting to the line and improve her finishing, she could absolutely be a useful piece this season. Coffey also played well in the Dream’s first two preseason games, averaging 11.0 points per game in just under 20 minutes, shooting 47.1 percent from the field and even knocking down a pair of 3-pointers after making just two, total, across her first two seasons.

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Even if Atlanta’s offense stagnates a bit early in the season, the defensive impact of players like Jessica Breland and Elizabeth Williams should keep them from sliding too far down the standings. When McCoughtry gets back, they could be in prime position to cause some chaos in the playoffs.