The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
TEAM FOCUSED ON LONG-TERM PLANS IN DRAFT
Nicki Collen had a fairly cutand-dried approach to drafting the Dream’s prospect a year ago. The draft-day gears locked in on either Texas A&M’S Chennedy Carter or South Carolina’s Tyasha Harris.
The team needed a franchise point guard. Carter, or the kid known as “Hollywood,” made her way to the Peach State.
After a 7-15 season in the Bradenton, Fla., bubble last season, Collen and her staff have another top selection at No. 3 overall, behind Dallas making the two opening selections. This time, however, the circumstances for the Dream are vastly different. There are many routes the franchise can take ahead of Thursday evening’s WNBA draft. The Dream also hold second- and thirdround selections at 15th and 27th, respectively.
The Dream remain in exploratory mode as the selection draws closer. They’re continuing to meet as a staff to discuss the options, which could include trading the pick for future assets, as the Dream have six major free agents — including long-time veterans Tiffany Hayes and Elizabeth Williams — entering the 2022 campaign.
“We tend to feel like at noon on Thursday, we want to be locked into ‘Plan A,’ ‘Plan B’ and ‘Plan C,’ depending on what Dallas does ahead of us,” Collen said. “Until we know what they’re doing, we have to be prepared for different scenarios.”
Unlike last year’s draft, there aren’t standout prospects such as Carter, Sabrina Ionescu or Lauren Cox. Texas’ Charli Collier is expected to be the top choice by Dallas, but the following selections likely won’t feature an instant star in the league. Some of the prospects who could be available for the Dream include Ariella Guirantes from Rutgers, Tennessee’s Rennia Davis or international prospect Awak Kuier out of Finland.
Collen’s work for the Dream’s first-round selection entails more depth than it did a year ago. She’s talking to more potential draftees and their coaches. The Dream are holding staff-wide Zoom meetings with players to see if they can handle rapid-fire situations from a variety of coaches. Collen is in search of a prospect who fits the standard for character, leadership and willingness to view the big picture ahead of their first WNBA season.
“You’d love to know that there’s a player at 3 who can immediately impact you,” Collen said. “This is a unique draft. There aren’t a lot of no-brainers. There’s this advantage-disadvantage with each one.”
■ Schedule released: The Atlanta Dream will tip off its 32-game 2021 WNBA regular season in its new home against the Connecticut Sun at the Gateway Center Arena on May 14.
Due to the ongoing pandemic and the Olympic break, the regular season was shortened to 32 games — 16 at home and 16 on the road. Each team will play three games versus 10 opponents, and two games — one home and one away — against one team from the opposite conference. The schedule incorporates steps to reduce travel, including the use of a series model.