The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Focus turns to old issues
High-scoring club lost in finals last season. New additions expected to improve defensive play, 3-point shooting.
The Dream know what they do well as they prepare to open training camp today: They score.
They also recognize what they don’t always do well — play defense.
General manager/coach Marynell Meadors and her players know they must improve that weakness if they want to make it to the WNBA finals for the third consecutive year. They believe a few tweaks, and not an overhaul, are what’s needed to bring home their first title.
“I don’t think we can change who we are,” Meadors said. “We like to play a fast-paced game. That’s what we will continue to do. We need to be better on defense. We can do that with present personnel. … Once we can do that, we can go down to the other end and score.”
The Dream were one of the highest-scoring teams in the league last season, averaging a second-best 80.6 points per game. However, they gave up 87.3 points in the finals against Minnesota, a year after giving up 84.3 to Seattle.
To reduce those issues, Meadors made a few additions to what she said is a solid roster to help with defense and another area she wants improved, 3-point shooting.
Yelena Leuchanka, a 6-foot5 center, was brought back. She played for the Dream in 2010, but wasn’t on the team last season because she was trying to help her native Belarus qualify for the Olympics. She will replace Alison Bales, who retired to pursue a medical career.
Meadors also added freeagent veterans Ketia Swanier, a 5-7 guard, and Cathrine Kraayeveld, a 6-3 forward, along with draft pick Tiffany Hayes, a 5-10 guard.
Meadors hopes Swanier will be able to give point guard Lindsey Harding a few minutes of rest in each game. Kraayeveld will be counted on to fill the void left by Iziane Castro Marques, who left as a free agent. Kraayeveld is a 38.2 percent 3-point shooter, slightly better than the Dream’s 36.6 percent average. Hayes made 40.7 percent of those shots last No. 1 3 5 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 20 22 32 33 35 40 Aishah Sutherland Courtney Paris Romina Ciappina Ketia Swanier Coco Miller Lindsey Harding Yelena Leuchanka Laurie Koehn Aneika Henry Erika de Souza-x Tiffany Hayes Sancho Lyttle Armintie Price Chelsea Regins Cathrine Kraayeveld Angel Mccoughtry Brittany Johnson F C G G G G C G F F/C G F G/F F F G/F G season at Connecticut.
But as those players are coming in, one player, starter Erika de Souza, won’t join the team until August because she will play for Brazil in the Olympics.
“When you are missing key players other players have to step up and take over those responsibilities,” guard Coco Miller said.
Meadors said Miller is one of the players who will step up. Though Meadors wants more 3-point shooting, she said Miller’s ability to make mid-range jumpers is crucial because it’s a rare asset in the WNBA.
The team also should be improved because Harding will have a year in the Dream’s system. Meadors traded for Harding before last year’s draft, hoping she would be the missing piece in the title puzzle.
But it took a while for Harding to get used to the Dream’s system and players. Harding acknowledged the beginning was “rocky, really rocky.” But as the season progressed and Meadors said the players got used to each other, Harding improved. The team won five consecutive games after its poor start, added two winning streaks of three games each and a six-gamer that carried over into the playoffs. The Dream finished 20-14, third in the East. July 1 July 7 July 8 July 11 July 13 Aug. 17 Aug. 18 Aug. 22 Aug. 24 Aug. 25 Aug. 28 Aug. 30 at Chicago 6 p.m. at Phoenix 10 p.m. at Los Angeles 8:30 p.m. at Seattle 3 p.m. at San Antonio 8 p.m. at Chicago at Indiana vs. Chicago at Washington vs. Minnesota vs. Tulsa vs. Washington Sept. 2 vs. Connecticut Sept. 5 vs. Indiana Sept. 7 at Minnesota Sept. 9 vs. Washington Sept. 11 vs. Seattle Sept. 14 at Washington Sept. 20 at Chicago Sept. 23 at Connecticut 8:30 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 3 p.m. 7 p.m. 8 p.m. 3 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 8 p.m. 5 p.m.
Rabobank rider Luis Leon Sanchez won the fifth stage of the Tour de Romandie in Sion, Switzerland, on Saturday and took a 9-second lead over Britain’s Bradley Wiggins overall with just one day to go. The Spaniard finished the 114-mile stage from Bulle to Sion, Switzerland, in 4 hours, 56 minutes, 13 seconds to claim his second win in two days.
Southern Miss is set to hire Morehead State’s Donnie Tyndall as its next men’s basketball coach, said a person familiar with the move. Tyndall has agreed to a four-year deal and is expected to be introduced on Monday afternoon, the person told The Associated Press Saturday on condition of anonymity because no announcement by either school has been made. The 41-year-old Tyndall has coached at Morehead State the past six seasons, leading the program to two NCAA tournament appearances, including an upset of Louisville in the first round in 2011. Tyndall takes over for Larry Eustachy, who led the Golden Eagles to their first NCAA tournament appearance in more than 20 years in March before becoming Colorado State’s men’s basketball coach earlier this month.