Atlanta opens a five game home stand today when they finish their home and home series with the Minnesota Lynx. The Dream lost in Minnesota 96-85 Friday night dropping their record to 1-4 on the season. Atlanta has struggled with continuity at both ends of the floor as they have tried working in new faces to the lineup and had regulars out of the lineup due to injury.
Angel McCoughtry had her best offensive game of the season in Friday's loss to the Lynx scoring 27 points after missing time earlier in the season with a sprained knee. Just as McCoughtry is working into form, Atlanta will be without the services of forward Sancho Lyttle who has left the team to be a part of Spain's national team as they begin play in the Women's Eurobasket tournament. Lyttle will miss the next five games. She is averaging 12.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.0 steals per game.
Lyttle's absence was felt in the first meeting with Minnesota as the Dream struggled to match up with Lynx forward Rebekkah Brunson. Brunson is averaging 15.4 points and 14 rebounds per game while recording double doubles in all five of Minnesota's games.
Seimone Augustus led the Lynx with 25 points while Atlanta native and former UConn star Maya Moore had 13 points.
Atlanta figures to improve offensively with the re-emergence of McCoughtry but their defensive struggles are alarming. Through five games they are among the league's worst while allowing 86.4 points per game. In their two games at Philips Arena, the Dream has allowed 96 points per game in two overtime losses.
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