Top Secret Score Atlanta Dream Archive!

Well, not top secret, but Score Atlanta doesn't make it easy to find. The link is here.

I've changed the side link as well. Josh Bagriansky is one of the best writers about the Dream - reading his work is better than reading the AP writeup, at the very least.

The Dream's Secret Weapon

Josh Bagriansky from Score Atlanta has his writeup ready regarding the first two games of the Atlanta Dream.

Is Erika the "secret weapon"? Definitely. No one thinks about her, but she has the potential during any game to drop a double-double on someone.

Marynell on Ivory: "Blame the 11-Player Roster"

Josh Bagriansky, who follows the Dream at Score Atlanta, speaks with Marynell Meadors about the Ivory Latta situation. She has some interesting comments:

Atlanta turned many heads at the end of training camp, releasing well known guard Ivory Latta to cut their roster down to the maximum of 11 players that WNBA teams can carry this season.

Meadors said the release was performance-based, but didn’t want to get into details about the situation.

Latta, a fan favorite thanks to her fantastic college career at North Carolina, averaged 11.4 points and 3.6 assists on 36% shooting and started 31 games last season. But the return of Nikki Teasley, coupled with the signing of Coco Miller before training camp, may have sealed Latta’s fate.

“I think that made things jumbled up a little bit,” Meadors said of Miller signing. However, Meadors did indicate that things would have been different had the WNBA not required teams to carry just 11 players, two fewer than the previous limit of 13.

“It’s the WNBA’s fault with an 11 player roster,” she said. If we had a 12 player roster this year she [Latta] would be on the team.”

Dream to Get Back to Work

We have a new post from Josh Bagriansky of Score Atlanta. It's about the Atlanta Dream players finally returning to practice.


...

“I would love to be here in Atlanta,” said Latta. “They just show so much love to women’s basketball. I love this crowd here. When we go to other places, we look at their crowd and we’re like, ‘man, we can’t wait to get back to Atlanta.’”

...

“I went to Orlando, had fun and relaxed,” [Lennox] said. “I got a lot off my mind. Overall, [the break] was great.”

I suggest that you go read the article in its entirety.

FREE B-MONEY!

Another great article by Josh Bagriansky of Score Atlanta, this time highlighting the deteriorating relationship between Betty Lennox and Marynell Meadors.

Jeez. I don't know what's going on. Camille Little got out, then Stacey Lovelace, and now it looks like Betty Lennox is in the coach's doghouse. "Will the last player to leave Atlanta please turn out the lights?"

They're talking about it on Rebkell and the Atlanta Dream Message Board. Question: do you think Kelly Miller would come to the Dream if we sent B-Money to Phoenix? I'm sure that Betty would enjoy getting to play the Seattle Storm more than twice a year.

FREE B-MONEY! Just remember that Atlanta Dream fans love you, Betty.

De Souza: Will Not Play Until Friday

According to Josh Bagriansky at Score Atlanta:

DeSouza is doubtful (on Tuesday). And the team is shooting for Thursday’s practice as a date for her to return to the floor. Don’t expect the Brazilian to make it back until this weekend’s games against Washington and New York.

That's okay, Érika. We can wait.

The Two Towers

It appears that work is not only picking up, it will stay picked up until around July 27 -- which is when I go on vacation with my wife. I'll try to keep the blog updated, but I can't make promises. I will try to keep the Hollinger Rankings updated on Rebkell, at minimum.

There's some great reading at Score Atlanta (or is that "Score Atl"). Josh Bagriansky writes:

Another revelation has been the combination of 6-foot-8 Katie Feenstra and 6-7 Allison Bales in the post. Although she didn’t use them together much against Chicago, Meadors said she expects to use the duo in certain situations, starting against the Fever tomorrow.

Unfortunately, this combination hasn't worked all year. We're not Ruth Riley and Ann Wauters, no matter how much Meadors wishes it were so. Then again, maybe today is the day for it to all come together.

Takin' it Easy

My mother got a chance to come down to Atlanta for the very first time on Friday to see my wife and me. She hasn't been down here in two years, and I couldn't just say, "Sorry Mom, but there's a Dream game tonight." Even for a superfan, some things just have to take precedence.

So...I didn't get to hear, much less see our loss to the Silver Stars. More on that later.

Now that Mom's headed on to Florida, I'm taking it easy. I added a link to Score Atlanta and the work of Josh Bagriansky. (God, I hope I spelled that right.) Also: a YouTube clip of one of our favorite ex-Mercury players.

Enjoy!

The Agony of Defeat Leads to the Thrill of Victory

While looking for the latest column by Josh Bagriansky in Score Atlanta, a local sports magazine, I bumped into a column by Tad Arapoglou called "History Says Dream Won't Struggle Forever". He gives several examples of teams that ran into terrible years or horrible luck that managed to turn it around in a positive way just a short time later.

(The magazine is available here. Go down to "Latest Issue" and click. Bagriansky is at page 11, Arapoglou is at page 22.)


1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers

Ignominy: Started year 0-15. Finished with 9-73 record, worst in NBA history.
Three years later: Went 46-36. Won divisional championship following two years.

1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Ignominy: Went 0-14 first year. Started 0-12 following year.
Three years later: Reached NFC championship game.

1988 Baltimore Orioles

Ignominy: Started season 0-21.
Next year: Led AL East for most of season. Finished 87-75, two games short of making playoffs.

2003 Detroit Shock

Ignominy: Started season 0-13.
Next year: You have to ask?