The Atlanta Dream were dealt a difficult start to the 2024 WNBA season, forced to open with a pair of games out west against the Los Angeles Sparks and Phoenix Mercury. A split—a 92-81 win over LA and a 88-85 loss to Phoenix—is a fair outcome. But, more important than the raw results, what have we learned about the Dream and what can we expect from them moving forward?
On Tuesday evening, the Dream host an injured Dallas Wings team for their home opener (7:30 p.m. ET, League Pass). On Sunday, the strong-looking Minnesota Lynx come to Atlanta (6 p.m. ET, League Pass).
Rhyne is shining
When previewing the Dream’s season, we expressed hope for a refined Rhyne Howard. So far, the third-year star is accessing the full suite of her offensive skill set, balancing her prolific 3-point shooting with attacks to the basket. As she will not continue to hit half of her attempts from behind the arc, introducing more drives will be needed to maintain her production. That approach also would help her to earn more easy points from the foul line. But, she’s off to a promising positive start.
In the Dream’s opening win over the Sparks, she led the team with a stylish 25 points, going 9-for-16 overall and 3-for-7 from 3. At the Mercury, she drained five triples on her way to 21…
