Sun @ Dream - 8/15/17

[Shades]

Atlanta, GA - 7:00 PM ET
TV: NBATV, FOX Sports South, CSNHD
Online: WNBA League Pass

Game info:
08/15/17: Connecticut Sun @ Atlanta Dream - WNBA.com - Official Site of the WNBA

 

[eebmg]

Sun look great. 25-13 after first quarter. Unfortunately, Tiffany Hayes does not seem likely to play tonight. The Atlanta announcers gushing over the Sun.

 

[Roger G]

Up by fifteen and looking great.

 

[eebmg]

49 to 32 at half. Atlanta over matched but Brittany Sykes is really good. 1-2 between her and Chelsey Gray for ROY. Stuffed Courtney Williams twice. Fun rivalry between the 2 with a little smack talk.

 

[psconn]

49-32 at the half. Sykes and Williams having a little personal duel. Brittney has the better of it so far (except on the scoreboard where it counts).

Jasmine Thomas started and is looking pretty comfortable on the injured ankle. Shooting 60% from the field, 50% from the 3. Great to see.

JJ 3 rebounds away from her 7th consecutive double-double.

 

[Shades]

Sykes chase-down block

 

[Roger G]

49 to 32 at half. Atlanta over matched but Brittany Sykes is really good. 1-2 between her and Chelsey Gray for ROY. Stuffed Courtney Williams twice. Fun rivalry between the 2 with a little smack talk.

Allisha Gray you mean.

 

[Roger G]

Up by thirty-one. Another one that's like a UConn game. Dominating. I love it.

 

[triaddukefan]

Dont understand Atlanta trading away their first round pick of 2018......... thats gonna end up being a top 4 pick.

Allisha Gray you mean.

At least he spelled Gray correctly

 

[eebmg]

Allisha Gray you mean.

Oops. Sorry

 

[Roger G]

Oops. Sorry

No worries.

 

[psconn]

My only disappointment tonight was Morgan's performance. She badly missed at least 3 simple layups that she could make in her sleep before. She seems to be moving ok, so I'm not sure what her deal is. 0-5, 4 of which were layups (IIRC, that 4th layup attempt was a contested reverse that she chucked over the backboard).

If I had to try to characterize what she's doing wrong, I would say it looks like she rushing and forcing shots. Before she missed all those games she was the Sun's leading scorer, so she can play in this league.

 

[Bigboote]

This Sun team is a BLAST to watch! I'd been rooting for them for four years while Kelly was on the team, pretty much switched this year to the Wings (Saniya). I think they really have a chance to make a deep playoff run.

Tuck missed three gimmes tonight. She's gotta make those if they're gonna make the deep playoff run.

 

[psconn]

Of note: In the current 6 game win streak, Alyssa Thomas is shooting 75% from the free throw line. Compared to a woeful 55% for the previous 20 games. This is big for the team in terms of point production, but it may be bigger in terms of AT's overall game. If she can maintain this respectable percentage, players may think twice about "Hack-a-Shaq"-ing" her on all those relentless drives to the hoop as there will be a higher price to pay on the score board. It would give some additional comfort and flexibility to Coach Curt in those end of game, down to the wire scenarios.

Of additional note: JAS THOMAS !! 67% shooting both overall and from the 3 point line and her usual assortment of assists, rebounds and steals. This is her first game back as a starter following her ankle injury - I think it's gonna be good .

 

[DishNSwish]

If Seattle realized it was time for a coaching change after a road trip losing streak, how does Atlanta justify keeping Cooper after eight in a row? They are winless since the trade was made (and before).

Yes being down Hayes and Holmes hurt, but they made no attempted adjustments. Keeping Sykes in the game for 38 minutes when you are down 30 just looks like padding stats for ROY race. The kid needed some rest, they still have a shot at the playoffs and he is running her into the ground instead of saving some for the next game.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Boy they have made themselves into a force to be reckoned with! Constant pressure on offense & defense!
They have to remain healthy the rest of the way. If they can they can go really deep into the Tournament!
Sometimes it's understated how important a happy/close locker room can be to a team's success! It's a huge factor for UCONN every season! It's quite evident how much the Sun value each team mate!

 

[Roger G]

My only disappointment tonight was Morgan's performance. She badly missed at least 3 simple layups that she could make in her sleep before. She seems to be moving ok, so I'm not sure what her deal is. 0-5, 4 of which were layups (IIRC, that 4th layup attempt was a contested reverse that she chucked over the backboard).

If I had to try to characterize what she's doing wrong, I would say it looks like she rushing and forcing shots. Before she missed all those games she was the Sun's leading scorer, so she can play in this league.

I didn't want to bring it up after such a positive game, but since you did.... I thought the same thing. It was three layups. I said to my wife, "UConn girls don't miss layups!" But I agree with you, she is moving well. And she did make one really great assist, although I can't remember who it was to.

 

[Roger G]

Of note: In the current 6 game win streak, Alyssa Thomas is shooting 75% from the free throw line. Compared to a woeful 55% for the previous 20 games. This is big for the team in terms of point production, but it may be bigger in terms of AT's overall game. If she can maintain this respectable percentage, players may think twice about "Hack-a-Shaq"-ing" her on all those relentless drives to the hoop as there will be a higher price to pay on the score board. It would give some additional comfort and flexibility to Coach Curt in those end of game, down to the wire scenarios.

Of additional note: JAS THOMAS !! 67% shooting both overall and from the 3 point line and her usual assortment of assists, rebounds and steals. This is her first game back as a starter following her ankle injury - I think it's gonna be good .

That injury looked bad when it happened. I thought all kinds of ligaments were going to be stretched out and it was going to take a long time for her return to form. Nope. Looking great.

 

[Roger G]

If Seattle realized it was time for a coaching change after a road trip losing streak, how does Atlanta justify keeping Cooper after eight in a row? They are winless since the trade was made (and before).

Yes being down Hayes and Holmes hurt, but they made no attempted adjustments. Keeping Sykes in the game for 38 minutes when you are down 30 just looks like padding stats for ROY race. The kid needed some rest, they still have a shot at the playoffs and he is running her into the ground instead of saving some for the next game.

My thinking is that the expectations for this season were not great, given that McCoughtry wasn't going to be playing. And the trade was probably more for the future than for now. Amani Boyette looks like she has potential, but it has to be developed and that is going to take time. Probably everyone in the organization recognizes that and so is giving Cooper a break.

Furthermore, Cooper definitely has experience that few people who would want to coach in the WNBA would have. You can't replace that easily. To me, it doesn't really look like he is doing a bad coaching job, just that he hasn't got all the parts in place to have a good team. Second round pick, Tiffany, is his best player. In Seattle, it definitely looked like they had the talent, but the coach was not putting them in position to succeed. Seattle has three number one overall picks on the team. I can see where the organizations would look at these situations differently.

 

[Roger G]

Boy they have made themselves into a force to be reckoned with! Constant pressure on offense & defense!
They have to remain healthy the rest of the way. If they can they can go really deep into the Tournament!
Sometimes it's understated how important a happy/close locker room can be to a team's success! It's a huge factor for UCONN every season! It's quite evident how much the Sun value each team mate!

The way they value each other in turn makes them that much more enjoyable to watch. Totally agree with your post. The similarity to UConn is striking.

 

[willtalk]

Cooper is an ex NBA player who excelled at defense. He wasn't much of a communicator either. He made a sort of a rep by coaching a loaded and veteran filled Sparks team when they had Lisa Lesley. By her reaction when she announced Pac 12 games she obviously thought very little of him. I remember specifically her distain when comparing half time locker rooms between Cooper and the UCLA coach. He got the USC job based on his NBA and WNBA rep and his team always underachieved based on the talent he had to work with. There was a total lack of enthusiasm in the locker room and that showed on the court. As I stated before he is not a good communicator and frankly a bad coach. it took him a year and a half to make an obvious change of reversing his converted point guard back to the two where she belonged even though the person he was playing at the two was suited better to the point. I followed his career for some time and often wondered how he kept his USC job for so long. Even they finally realized how much he sucked and got rid of him. A lot of time once a person gets their foot in the door they keep getting recycled. Experience at being a bad to mediocre coach isn't really worth that much. i do suppose he is better in the WNBA than he was in college because the teams are filled with experienced pro's who need very little coaching other than running rotations.

 

[Roger G]

Cooper is an ex NBA player who excelled at defense. He wasn't much of a communicator either. He made a sort of a rep by coaching a loaded and veteran filled Sparks team when they had Lisa Lesley. By her reaction when she announced Pac 12 games she obviously thought very little of him. I remember specifically her distain when comparing half time locker rooms between Cooper and the UCLA coach. He got the USC job based on his NBA and WNBA rep and his team always underachieved based on the talent he had to work with. There was a total lack of enthusiasm in the locker room and that showed on the court. As I stated before he is not a good communicator and frankly a bad coach. it took him a year and a half to make an obvious change of reversing his converted point guard back to the two where she belonged even though the person he was playing at the two was suited better to the point. I followed his career for some time and often wondered how he kept his USC job for so long. Even they finally realized how much he sucked and got rid of him. A lot of time once a person gets their foot in the door they keep getting recycled. Experience at being a bad to mediocre coach isn't really worth that much. i do suppose he is better in the WNBA than he was in college because the teams are filled with experienced pro's who need very little coaching other than running rotations.

That is some interesting inside information. Thanks. Maybe Atlanta should make a change.