Differing stakes for Dream, Wings in late-season matchup

The Atlanta Dream welcome the Dallas Wings to College Park, Ga. in a matchup between two teams who sit on opposite ends of the standings on Friday night.

But both teams are competing for different things at the end of the WNBA regular season.

The Dream (24-14) can clinch a guaranteed spot in the playoffs with a win over the Wings and remain in a battle for favorable seeding. Although Atlanta sits third in the standings with six games to go, the third through eighth spots are separated by only 4 1/2 games.

On Wednesday, the Dream failed to step up to the challenge of defeating the Las Vegas Aces, the hottest team in the league.

Despite 19 points from both Rhyne Howard and Brionna Jones, late threes by Las Vegas sunk Atlanta in the final minute of an 81-75 defeat. The Dream, who have taken the second-most 3-point shots in the league, could not match the Aces’ hot shooting with a 16.7 percent shooting night from distance. This allowed Las Vegas to win its 12th straight game and take command of the No. 2 spot in the standings.

“We’re not going to be winning playoff games and winning championships shooting sub-20 percent from three,” head coach Karl Smesko said. “But we are definitely competing on the defensive end.

“One thing that I would like to see us get back to is our conversion. Our transition offense game was better earlier this year, and I’d like to get that back going again.”

Dallas (9-30) sits in last place, already mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, but is still fighting to see what works and what doesn’t for the future of the franchise. Paige Bueckers, who scored a rookie-record 44 points against the Los Angeles Sparks on Aug. 20, was absent due to illness Wednesday night in a 101-95 defeat to the Connecticut Sun, the Wings’ sixth loss in a row.

“I think what Paige is doing, if she was an eighth-year player would be amazing,” teammate Maddy Siegrest said. “To come in right off the college season and be able to do this is just so impressive and it just speaks volumes, you know, to the type of player, type of person she is. She really makes people around her better.”

With Bueckers out, it was fellow rookie Aziaha James who took the scoring lead with 22 points in the defeat. However, she left the game with an ankle injury and is listed as doubtful for the game at Atlanta, while Bueckers is listed as questionable.

Friday is the fourth and final time the two teams meet this season, with Atlanta holding a 2-1 record, including an 88-85 win the last time they played on July 30.

–Field Level Media