by Following the WNBA Draft and as the start of training camp approaches, AtlantaDream.net blogger James Bowman takes a look at the Dream’s current roster and depth chart, notes a number of key acquisitions and changes, and presents his views on who will be battling for spots at each spot.
by James Bowman, AtlantaDream.net
The Dream ran into bad luck last season with a season-ending injury to DeLisha Milton-Jones, cancer treatment for Michael Cooper, a losing streak and a fourth-quarter playoff buzzsaw by the name of Elena Delle Donne. Even with all of that Atlanta still finished with a regular season Eastern Conference title and the franchise’s goal for 2015 is to make it back to a place they’ve been three times before – the WNBA Finals. And to win it this time.
Atlanta doesn’t really need to rebuild, but reload. Let’s take a look at the current depth chart, with players falling into one of five numbered categories. When basketball commentators talk about players being a “natural two”, it’s not a negative comment about appearance.
Undoubtedly there will be some readers disputing some player designations. This is normal, as the “true” position of a player is often under dispute. Sometimes, a player will have a fractional expression after their name – this indicates that a player could slide between both of the given positions.
Also keep in mind that although teams can only have 15 players participating in training camp at any one time, occasionally veterans will report to camp late and/or not be activated until they pass their physicals. So the roster is typically expanded at the start of camp as other players fill in those 15 spots until all the veterans have returned to action.
Let’s take a look at each of the categories and Atlanta’s depth at each position.
Point guard
Once again this season, Atlanta has a plethora of point guards. Their number one pick in the draft this year is Samantha Logic out of Iowa. The Dream acquired Brittany Hrynko in a draft day trade with Connecticut, the Sun’s second round draft pick. In the third round, the Dream completed their trifecta by picking Ariel Massengale out of Tennessee.
What of last year’s point guards? Jasmine Thomas was the one who was dealt to the Sun in order to get Hrynko. Céline Dumerc is still listed on the Dream’s roster, but when camp begins will be with the French National Team preparing for EuroBasket Women 2015, which takes place from June 11-28 in Hungary and Romania. As for Shoni Schimmel, she played both guard spots last year and while I suspect this season she may play primarily at the shooting guard spot – she can certainly score points – the fact that she is the only player remaining on the roster who started at point guard last year keeps her as an option here going into this season. Whatever happens, it will be interesting.
Shooting guards
Tiffany Hayes virtually defines shooter, hitting field goals at a 48 percent clip. It’s hard to say who would back Hayes up. Even though Schimmel’s shooting numbers weren’t at the same level as Hayes’, you have to keep in mind that a) she was a rookie last year, and b) she can blow up in the right circumstances with amazing offensive performances. You can’t count her out.
Chucky Jeffery is a training camp acquisition and really more of a combo guard than a point guard so I have her listed at the two. She played limited moments for New York last season and played in Romania in the off-season. I’ve also listed Matee Ajavon, who is currently unsigned and could also potentially be brought back. She would be the first person to tell you that last year was disappointing. She was battling a neck injury and the Dream would hope that she can start the year healthy.
Small forwards
As they said about Reggie Jackson, Angel McCoughtry is the straw that stirs the drink for Atlanta. She can play the 2, the 3, or the 4 if necessary, but the 3 is her favorite position. She left Turkish team Fenerbahce early this season and will hopefully be well rested in time for camp.
Roneeka Hodges is an acquisition out of free agency, and 2015 will be her 11th WNBA season. She started every game for last-place Tulsa in 2014, but has never been a starter on teams that have winning records. She is a career 34.3 percent shooter from the 3-point line, and the Dream were last in 3-point offense last year. Sequoia Holmes is a training camp acquisition who hasn’t played in the WNBA since 2010. She has played in Germany, Israel, Slovakia, and Angola.
Power forwards
Sancho Lyttle has been with the team since 2009 when she was acquired in the Houston expansion draft. She’s still overseas in Turkey with Galatasaray competing in the TKBL playoffs, so we’ll have to wait until Gala is eliminated or wins it all before we see her back in Atlanta. Aneika Henry shot 58.2 percent from the field last year and we’ll all be glad to see her back.
After just two games with the Dream, DeLisha Milton-Jones ruptured her right Achilles tendon. Milton-Jones has been rehabbing in the off-season and Atlanta hopes to see “D-Nasty” back in force, providing more than just veteran leadership. Amanda Thompson also showed flashes of potential for the Dream last year, averaging 1.7 points and 2.1 rebounds in 8.3 minutes a game off the bench.
Ify Ibekwe was picked up as a training camp roster acquisition. Despite only playing three games for Seattle in 2011, Ibekwe has done everything but clean the court and sell popcorn for Spanish league team Girona this season where she is averaging 16.2 ppg/10.2 rpg. Having Ibekwe on the squad has helped put Girona into the Spanish League finals. A Spanish League MVP trophy is not out of the question and hopefully she can translate an outstanding European season into success in the W this season.
Centers
Erika de Souza is the only player or coach remaining from the inaugural 2008 Atlanta Dream season. She’ll be joined by her fellow Brazilian Nadia Gomes Colhado, who played in 16 games last season and averaged 7.8 minutes a game off the bench.
Lauren Okafor was the Dream’s final 2015 draft pick. A center out of James Madison, she showed up at a Final Four draft combine in April. A male Atlanta coaching representative – maybe Michael Cooper? – told her that he was impressed with her game and to keep working. It looks like she has played her combine performance into being a third-round draft pick. Monique Oliver out of Rutgers played through injuries in her final 2012-13 season at Rutgers and went undrafted. She led her Panathinaikos Athens team in the Greek league this season with 21 ppg/13.5 rpg on the way and will finish up her off-season in late April when Panathinaikos and AE Ellinikou grapple for the Greek Division A1 championship.
Martha Alwal was a late training camp acquisition. She was named to the SEC All-Defensive team her last three years as a college player out of Mississippi State. At 6-4, Alwal had 2.5 blocks per game, tied for 9th in the country for senior centers.
