In recent seasons at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), where new Atlanta Dream head coach Karl Smesko had been in charge since 2002, players were identified not as guards, forwards or centers on the team’s official roster. All players were shooters.
The Dream, which finished the 2024 season ranked ninth in 3-point attempts per game and 11th in 3-point percentage, are not a team of shooters. At least not yet. Atlanta’s goal during the 2025 free agency period should be to construct a squad of shooters.
The lack of outside shooting explains the struggles of the Dream’s league-worst offense in 2024. All-Stars Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray enjoyed little space to operate on the offensive end, which often resulted in offensive possessions devolving into tough shot attempts from the pair or Tina Charles. While Smesko’s more sophisticated offensive schemes certainly will help Atlanta alleviate their offensive ills, the right roster is needed for the coach’s ideas to be fully actualized and optimized.
That should mean, with the exception of Howard, Gray and Jordin Canada, the Dream front office is open to any and all moves needed to create a more fruitful offensive environment. That includes not prioritizing any of the team’s current free agents, nor being afraid…
