Seattle Storm vs. Atlanta Dream Prediction, Preview and Odds - 6/11/21
There's an interconference matchup on the hardwood in WNBA action down in Hotlanta. The defending champion Seattle Storm are on the road as they travel to face the Atlanta Dream Friday night in the second game of a two-game set. These teams met on Wednesday night in the first game of the series with the Storm picking up a convincing 95-71 victory to bounce back from a tough loss to Dallas Sunday. That extended the Storm’s edge to six victories in the last eight meetings between the teams. Will Seattle find a way to earn a win here and maintain their momentum while keeping the Dream stumbling?
Seattle Storm Battling for Top Spot in WNBA Playoff Picture
Seattle was in a tight game for the first two and a half quarters but put the boots to the Dream down the stretch to get back to their offensive ways. The Storm improved to 8-2 on the season and are tied with the Sun for the top record in the WNBA. On Wednesday night, Seattle had a balanced scoring attack and that proved critical in the game. The Storm led by five after the opening quarter, by as many as nine in the first half and saw the lead trimmed to two at intermission. Seattle trailed by two in the third quarter but regained control with an 11-2 run to take a 60-53 lead with 3:45 to play in the third. The Storm didn’t let the Dream closer than six the rest of the way. Seattle shot a hot 54.7% from the field, including 12 of 22 from three-point range, and held Atlanta to 35.4% from the floor. Jewell Loyd led six players in double figures for Seattle with 18 points.
The Storm comes into this contest second in the league in scoring offense with an average of 89.4 points per game. Seattle is fourth in rebounding (36.7 boards per contest) and is first in the league in assists by dishing out 22.7 dimes per night this year. The Storm are 8th in scoring defense as they allow 82.7 points a game so far this year. Breanna Stewart leads the team with 21.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per contest. Jewell Loyd (20.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists) and Sue Bird (11.1 points, 6.2 assists) are solid secondary options. Coach Noelle Quinn has a solid group to work with as her team can get production from Katie Lou Samuelson, Jordin Canada, Candice Dupree, Ezi Magbegor, Stephanie Talbot, Kennedy Burke, Epiphanny Prince and Kiana Williams. The Storm are second in the league in field goal percentage as they convert 45.7% of their shots from the floor this year. Seattle is second in the league in three-point field goals made per game (9.6) and second in three-point percentage as they knock down 39.8% percent from beyond the arc. The Storm are average at the line, ranking eighth in the league by converting 80.4% of their chances. Mikiah Herbert Harrington is out for the year as she is pregnant.
Atlanta Dream Trying to Regain Footing
Atlanta has been a streaky team in the first month of the season. The Dream dropped their first two games, won four in a row and now have dropped three straight after getting drubbed in the first game of this two-game set. Atlanta comes in 4-5 on the year and entered Thursday holding the seventh seed in the WNBA playoff picture though they were only half a game ahead of the ninth-place Mystics and Lynx to remain in the playoff picture. Atlanta hung tough for a while as they were down five after one quarter and by two at the half. The Dream took a two-point lead with just over seven minutes to play in the third quarter before giving up an 11-2 run that left them down seven. Atlanta never got closer than six after that and were outscored 26-10 in the fourth quarter to wind up with the one-sided defeat. The Dream shot only 35.4% from the field, including a brutal three of 26 showing from three-point range, negating a 42-32 edge on the glass. Tiffany Hayes was the lone player for Atlanta in double figures as she poured in 22 points.
The Dream is 4th in the league in scoring offense coming into this contest as they average 82.6 points a game this season. Atlanta is 8th in the league in rebounding (35.3 boards a night) and stands 11th in assists with an average of 17.9 per game. The Dream are 11th in the league in scoring defense as they allow an average of 87.6 points a contest this season. Tiffany Hayes is one of three players for the Dream scoring in double figures as she puts up 18.6 points a night. Chennedy Carter contributes 15.7 points plus 3.5 assists per contest. Odyssey Sims, Crystal Bradford, Tianna Hawkins, Elizabeth Williams, Monique Billings, Courtney Williams (17 points, seven rebounds, 4.4 assists), Aari McDonald, Cheyenne Parker and Shekinna Strickland are other key rotation pieces for coach Nicki Collen. The Dream are 8th in field goal percentage as they shoot 41.5% from the floor as a team. Atlanta stands seventh in threes per game (7.1) and 7th in three-point percentage as they hit 33% of their long-range attempts. The Dream is 12th in the league in free throw percentage as they shoot 69.8% from the stripe as a team this year. Carter (elbow) is out indefinitely after getting injured in the game against the Liberty May 29.
Pick: Seattle Storm -10
Seattle is the defending champ for a reason as their veteran leadership trio of Stewart, Bird and Loyd keep things on an even keel no matter how poorly things are going. The Storm have a deep rotation to work with and they are pretty healthy when you get right down to it. Atlanta, for all the success they had with their four-game win streak, haven’t looked the same without Carter as it has put more pressure on Williams and Hayes to shoulder the scoring load. McDonald has been thrust into a bigger role as a rookie but she’s not really a scorer like Carter. The Dream doesn’t have the firepower to keep up with the Storm. Give Seattle the upper hand in this one as they sweep the two-game set.
Total: Over 170
We know that Seattle can pile up the points, seeing that they have put up at least 80 points in eight of nine games this season. The Storm have cracked the 90-point plateau six times already this season and have hit the century mark twice. Seattle has seen the over hit in six of their 10 games on the year. Atlanta has the capability to put up big point totals but they are just as prone to giving up big numbers. The over has hit in five of nine games for the Dream this season. While Wednesday’s game missed the mark, one has to think that the Dream will shoot a little better against a middle of the pack Storm defense in this one. When Seattle is on, they’re nearly impossible to slow down. Atlanta’s defense gets scorched again and that helps this one over the mark.
