Atlanta Dream vs. Los Angeles Dream Prediction, Preview and Odds - 8/17/21
A pair of teams on the outside of the WNBA playoff picture take the floor against each other in interconference action from the City of Angels. The Atlanta Dream are on the road as they make the trip to face the Los Angeles Sparks Tuesday night. Atlanta was knocked off 92-81 on the road by Phoenix in their first game out of the Olympic break Sunday evening. Los Angeles clawed out a 75-70 victory over Indiana at home in their first game out of the break Sunday night. The Sparks have won five straight and nine of the last 10 meetings in the series. That includes an 84-79 triumph as the “home” team in the bubble in the most recent matchup on August 30, 2020.
Atlanta Dream Continuing to Spiral
Atlanta lost their fifth straight and their eighth in the last nine game as they were knocked off on the road by Phoenix in their first game out of the Olympic break. The Dream enter this game 6-14 on the season and stand 11th in the WNBA standings, 2.5 games behind the Mystics for the final playoff spot. On Sunday, Atlanta was flat out of the gates, falling behind 20-4, and never recovered fully. The Dream trailed by 11 after the opening quarter, closed to within five at the half and got within one in the opening minute of the second half though they couldn’t take the lead. Atlanta never got that close again and took the loss. The Dream shot 41.1% from the field, including three of 17 from three-point range, and allowed Phoenix to shoot 50% from the floor in the contest. Courtney Williams paced Atlanta with 30 points, five rebounds and six assists in the loss.
The Dream is 5th in the league in scoring offense coming into this contest as they average 82.6 points a game this season. Atlanta is 11th in the league in rebounding (33.3 boards a night) and stands 8th in assists with an average of 18.3 per game. The Dream are 12th in the league in scoring defense as they allow an average of 88.5 points a contest this season. Tiffany Hayes is one of four players for the Dream scoring in double figures as she puts up 17.6 points a night. Chennedy Carter contributes 14.2 points plus 3.3 assists per contest. Odyssey Sims, Crystal Bradford, Tianna Hawkins, Elizabeth Williams, Monique Billings, Courtney Williams (17 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists), Aari McDonald, Cheyenne Parker (10.2 points, 4.5 boards), Candice Dupree and Shekinna Strickland are other key rotation pieces for coach Darius Taylor. The Dream are 9th in field goal percentage as they shoot 42.1% from the floor as a team. Atlanta stands 10th in threes per game (6.6) and 10th in three-point percentage as they hit 32.7% of their long-range attempts. The Dream is 12th in the league in free throw percentage as they shoot 73.2% from the stripe as a team this year. Carter is suspended indefinitely for conduct detrimental to the team during the game against the Aces July 4. Parker is out for the year as she announced she was pregnant last month. Hayes has missed two months with a MCL tear but is expected to return here.
Los Angeles Sparks Looking to Build Momentum
Los Angeles snapped a six-game skid as they opened the post-Olympic break with a home win over the Fever Sunday night. The Sparks come into this game 7-13 on the year and sit 10th in the WNBA standings, 1.5 games behind the Mystics for the final playoff spot. Against Indiana, Los Angeles led by as many as 12 in the first quarter only to see their lead trimmed to four after the opening quarter and three at the half. The Sparks saw the Fever tie the game after three quarters and held a narrow one-point edge with 3:39 to play before putting the game away with a 7-2 run. Los Angeles shot 43.9% from the floor, including seven of 20 from three-point range, and held Indiana to 33.3% shooting in the contest. Brittney Sykes led the Sparks with 16 points and seven rebounds in the win.
On the season, Los Angeles is 12th in the league in scoring offense as they average 73.3 points per game. The Sparks are last in rebounding (29.9 boards per game) and 12th in assists (14.5) this season. Los Angeles is 2nd in scoring defense as they give up an average of 79.4 points a night. Nneka Ogwumike leads the team with 15.7 points plus seven rebounds a game this season. Chiney Ogwumike (nine points, 5.7 boards) and Kristi Tolliver (9.4 points) are solid secondary scoring options. Derek Fisher hopes to get more from role players like Brittney Sykes, Nia Coffey (7.4 points), Erica Wheeler (13.9 points, 4.5 assists), Te’a Cooper (9.2 points), Amanda Zahui B. (11.4 points, 6.1 boards) and Arella Guirantes. Los Angeles is 12th in field goal percentage on the season as they shoot 39.8% from the field as a team on the year. The Sparks are seventh in three-pointers per game (7.1) and 9th in three-point shooting as they convert 33.4% from beyond the arc this season. Los Angeles is 11th in success at the charity stripe as they cash in 76% of their attempts on the year. Jasmine Walker was lost for the season with a torn ACL that she suffered against Las Vegas May 21. Chiney Ogwumike missed the last 17 games with a knee injury and is out indefinitely.
Pick: Los Angeles Sparks
When the league’s worst offense meets the league’s worst defense, something has to give here. Even when Atlanta gets a decent showing on the offensive end of the floor, they are let down again by their lack of defense. The Dream hopes to get Hayes back after she seemed poised to return in Sunday’s contest against the Mercury. Los Angeles managed to come up with a win over Indiana at home to snap their skid. Perhaps the return of Nneka Ogwumike can help get Los Angeles pointed in the right direction. Given the way the Dream have failed to put together any cohesion on the defensive end of the floor, you have to fade them accordingly here.
Total: Under
Again, something has to break here when you have polar opposites at the bottom of different categories. The Dream continues to be brutal on the defensive end of the floor, ranking last in scoring defense, last in field goal percentage defense (47.5%) and last in three-point field goal percentage defense (40.9%) on the year. Phoenix has been below average offensively but hung 92 on the Dream Sunday. Los Angeles has had all kinds of issues on the offensive end but you have to think that they can improve on those numbers in this one. Still, eight of the last nine meetings between the teams have fallen under the total and even with an improved offensive showing by the Sparks, this one falls short of the mark as well.
