Being at home didn't make much difference as the Atlanta Dream fell to the Minnesota Lynx by a score of 77-64. Seimone Augustus scored a game high 19 points in for the Lynx who jumped out to a 26-10 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. Atlanta closed the gap a couple of different times but never were able to threaten the Lynx who win their fifth straight game.
In addition to Augustus' 19 points, Lindsay Whalen finished with 13 and Maya Moore chipped in 12. Rebekkah Brunson recorded her sixth double double in a row with 10 points and 10 rebounds in just 27 minutes of action.
Atlanta struggled offensively where all to often they broke down into isolation basketball in the half court. Their half court offense consists of way too much dribbling and not enough passing and ball movement. This is leading to a lot of tough shots and turnovers which their opponents are capitalizing on.
Lindsey Harding led the way for Atlanta with 14 points but was just 3-14 from the field. Angel McCoughtry, Erika De Souza, and Coco Miller each finished with 10. McCoughtry sat out the entire fourth quarter after starting the game 2-13 from the field.
Atlanta hit just 30 percent of their shots and were thoroughly beaten on the backboard with Minnesota holding a 51-38 rebounding advantage. I am not sure if this was rock bottom for the Dream but it sure felt that way.
The problem with Atlanta most certainly is talent. After all this is the same team that was good enough to go to the WNBA Finals last season. They added an All-Star guard in Lindsey Harding during the off season. One might point to the early injuries to McCoughtry and the absence of Sancho Lyttle as reasons for the struggles. They most certainly have had an impact but I am seeing something else from this team.
Chemistry issues are on both ends of the floor are hurting Atlanta and there are clearly some trust issues on offense. The problem for Marynell Meadors is figuring out how to fix those sorts of things as they don't always magically correct themselves. At 1-5 Atlanta has the worst record in the Eastern Conference and if they don't turn things around soon, they may dig themselves such a big hole that they won't be able to climb out of it.