by ATLANTA (Jan. 28, 2016) — The Atlanta Dream will open its ninth season of action at Philips Arena on Sunday, May 22 vs. the Chicago Sky, as part of the “WNBA Tip-Off presented by Verizon”, according to the 2016 WNBA schedule, which was released Thursday by league officials.
The Dream will begin the 2016 campaign on the road when they travel to San Antonio, Texas, to battle the Stars on Saturday, May 14, beginning their quest for a seventh WNBA playoff appearance, fourth trip to the WNBA Finals and the franchise’s first WNBA Championship.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled about the 2016 schedule and having multiple visits from a larger variety of opponents at Philips Arena,” Atlanta Dream head coach Michael Cooper said. “I am excited for our fan base to see our talented roster complete against the best basketball players the world has to offer and for the crowd to provide the best home-court advantage in the WNBA. The coaching staff and players can’t wait to get to work as we strive to bring a WNBA Championship to Atlanta.”
This season’s WNBA schedule features a more balanced look as teams will now play each other a minimum of three times, regardless of conference affiliation. In addition, teams will play one opponent from its own conference four times each year, on a rotating basis, for a total of 34 regular-season games.
With the new format, the 2016 Dream home schedule has an exciting new look as nine of Atlanta’s 17 home games will see it matched up against a Western Conference opponent.
Atlanta’s home slate boasts 12-weekend dates and a pair of contests against the Phoenix Mercury (July 3/Sept. 6), Seattle Storm (July 5/Sept. 4), Dallas Wings (July 8/July 22), Washington Mystics (June 5/Sept. 15), Connecticut Sun (June 3/Aug. 28) and the Chicago Sky (May 22/June 17). The July 22 game vs. Dallas will be played at Hank McCamish Pavilion on the campus of Georgia Tech due to a scheduling conflict at Philips Arena, while the Sept. 6 showdown with Phoenix will be televised nationally on ESPN2.
The July 22 game vs. Dallas will be played at Hank McCamish Pavilion on the campus of Georgia Tech due to a scheduling conflict at Philips Arena, while the Sept. 6 showdown with Phoenix will be televised nationally on ESPN2.
The reigning WNBA Champion Minnesota Lynx and Lawrenceville, Ga., native Maya Moore (Collins Hill H.S.) make their lone regular-season visit to Philips Arena on June 10. The New York Liberty will take on the Dream in Atlanta on May 22 and the Indiana Fever will travel to Atlanta on May 29.
Candace Parker and the Los Angeles Sparks (July 17) join Minnesota and San Antonio (Sept. 13) as Western Conference foes making a single trip to Atlanta in 2016.
The Dream will make their first-ever trip to Dallas to battle the newly relocated Wings on May 27 as part of their 17 games on the road. Atlanta’s 2016 travel itinerary includes a pair of three-game road trips and multiple treks to New York (May 24/July 13), Indiana (May 20/July 15), Connecticut (June 3/July 10), Los Angeles (June 30/Sept. 8), Minnesota (July 20/Sept. 17) and San Antonio (May 14/June 25).
Due to players competing in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the Dream will be idle as the entire WNBA will take a league-wide break. Atlanta will play its final game before the Olympic hiatus on July 22 vs. Dallas before returning to action 35 days later at Chicago on August 26.
The 2016 season also promises to be special as it marks the celebration of the 20th season of the WNBA, as well as the 20th anniversary of the XXVI Summer Olympic Games, which were held across the city of Atlanta in 1996.
