Atlanta Dream enters Commissioners Cup with back-to-back losses

The Atlanta Dream started this year’s Commissioners Cup with two double-digit losses at home. The team lost to the Connecticut Sun 69-50 on June 2 and 78-61 to the New York Liberty on June 6.

“I thought our effort was really poor,” Dream head coach Tanisha Wright said after Liberty’s loss. “We were not a professional team today. We didn’t come and do our job today, and that was from the beginning.”

Dream starters combined for 40 points against New York, with starting point guard Haley Jones finishing with 0 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist and 2 turnovers in 24 minutes. Star shooter Rhyne Howard finished with just 11 points in 32 minutes.

“The first group started (not doing their job) and it trickled down,” Wright said. “When you do that, you suffer losses like this.”

Atlanta looked like a team poised to move from the WNBA’s mid-tier to a top-four contender this season with the additions of Jordin Canada, Tina Charles and Aerial Powers. As Canada’s point guard continues to nurse his right hand injury, the current group appears to have a similar problem to last year: when Howard and Allisha Gray struggle to score, who can put the ball in the net? bucket for Atlanta?

“I think we need to find our identity,” Powers said. “Who do we want to be as a team? The coaching staff puts us in the right positions, and we just have to have — like she said — the courage to fight and play hard. And I think we will.

The Dream now hit the road to face Angel Reese, Chennedy Carter and the Chicago Sky on June 8 at 5 p.m. EDT.