Atlanta Dream wing Angel McCoughtry dropped 42 on the New York Liberty in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals and looked determined to win a championship in her second year. Photo by Craig Bennett/112575 Media.
It's hard to imagine that many people thought the fourth-seeded Atlanta Dream would reach the WNBA Finals.
It's also probably safe to say that nobody expected them to get to the Finals without losing a playoff game.
So after last year's WNBA Finals in which the underdog Indiana Fever surprised us all and took the Phoenix Mercury to five games, can we really count the Atlanta Dream out?
Simple: it's the regular season juggernaut Seattle Storm that went "150-0" at home according to Diana Taurasi vs. the upstart underdog Atlanta Dream who have surprisingly stormed through the Eastern Conference playoffs undefeated.
Who are you rooting for and -- just for the sake of discussion until Sunday -- why?
0 recs | 25 comments
Dream on.
Jason Kirk - September 7, 2010
Indeed.
WaveOcean - September 7, 2010
Congrats to the Dream!
Will look forward to your coverage from the Atlanta end Jason.
Nate Parham - September 7, 2010
Hometown team
So many disappointments over the years…but they can all be erased with 3 more wins!
WaveOcean - September 7, 2010
Keep on Dreaming
I would love to see the Dream upset the Storm. It’s the only way to make the universe right after seeing the Storm luck out so many wins this year at home. I’m sick of reading about how resilient they are, how unselfish they are, and how great their defense is. And i hope the officials keep a close eye on those Storm guards, who have been getting away with their stuff all season. Atlanta in four.
OVJ - September 7, 2010
Yup, keep on dreaming, 'cause it won't happen
Luck? HA! That’s cute. If you were looking at it from a pure basketball standpoint rather than a disappointed Mercury fan, you would know how talented the Storm players are and that it’s no fluke that they have accomplished all that they have so far.
Just look at Sue Bird’s game-winning 3 pointer. That was not “luck.” That was a veteran team executing the play Brian Agler drew up in the huddle to a T.
Storm is taking this one all the way.
LaurenfromSeattle - September 8, 2010
welcome to swish appeal
how did you become a storm fan?
WaveOcean - September 8, 2010
Same way we all did...
Witnessing and appreciating greatness ;)
LaurenfromSeattle - September 8, 2010
Oh, come off it
The WNBA playoffs aren’t getting overblown exposure, and this one of the few sites in which people are talking about the teams. This is the only place where you could have read about the Storm being resilient and unselfish.
WaveOcean - September 8, 2010
Same way we all did...
Witnessing and appreciating greatness ;)
LaurenfromSeattle - September 8, 2010
the only place?
Really, the ONLY place where we could’ve possibly read about the Storm?. Maybe if you didn’t live in Seattle with our coverage in the Times and features on most of the TV stations.
But those of us in Seattle have heard, seen, and read the local media talk about the Storm being unselfish and resiliant. Even if there was no media coverage, we still have seen it with our own eyes.
wbb fan - September 8, 2010
Indeed
I’m assuming OVJ here doesn’t live in Seattle.
WaveOcean - September 8, 2010
OOooooo this is interesting...
Could the Dream really beat the top-3 teams to claim their first WNBA title?
That kinda stuff only exists in fairy tales, but you never know in this league.
At the beginning of the season, I thought for sure we’d see old teammates reunite in the Finals (Merc/Lib), but this seems just as juicy. I can’t wait!
Prediction: The Dream lose steam and get blown out in game 1. Dream come out hot in beginning of game 2, but Storm claw back and win. Game 3 is close throughout, and the Dream win it. Unfortunately, the Storm come back with a dominant performance by LJ in game 4 and take home the ’chip.
ajotanelsona - September 8, 2010
On paper, that looks like the most popular prediction
WaveOcean - September 8, 2010
Storm clouds breaking up
As a Merc fan who does not live in Seattle, I think I can see the Storm for what they are better than the denizens of Seattle. To me, they look like an aging hurricane that is running out of wind as it moves over land. They had one last gust in Phoenix, but that’s gonna be about it. If they get down, Atlanta won’t let them come back like Phoenix did.
Frankly, had the Merc gotten by Seattle, I doubt if they could have beaten Atlanta, as we lost to them twice during the regular season. I give Atlanta a legitimate shot at the upset. DeSouza will be able to hold her ground inside against those big Seattle booties, while McCaughtry, Little and friends fill it up from outside. Atlanta is also a pretty strong rebounding team. The key for Atlanta will be knocking down those free throws, because we know the Storm will foul when they can’t keep up.
I see Atlanta getting a split in Seattle, and finally bursting the myth of home court invincibility. That will be followed by a sweep in Atlanta. Game, Set and Match.
OVJ - September 8, 2010
Wow, overuse metaphors much?
And clearly the reason you feel the need to drive the Storm metaphor into the ground is that you have no sound basis for your theories. People like you make it that much more satisfying when the Storm win. And they will win the title ;)
LaurenfromSeattle - September 8, 2010
Uh huh. Remember that we have a whole week off. If anything, we’ll have more gas in the tank than Atlanta, especially with Game 1 at home. And besides, we have the best road record in the WNBA. Do you honestly think Atlanta’s going to steamroll us in their own building?
I was right; you do equate defense to fouling. Did it ever occur to you that it isn’t by fouling that the Storm, or any team, erases deficits?Given that we have yet to lose a home game this season, I wouldn’t call it a myth.
WaveOcean - September 8, 2010
Rooting
I’m rooting for the Dream, but I expect the Storm to win
pilight - September 8, 2010
It's gonna be fun
WaveOcean - September 8, 2010
Favorite team? The Mercury. BUT!
I was a UConn fan before anything, so I really want the Storm to win. (They are my favorite team one-point-five.) Also, it’s nice having a fixed Lauren Jackson in the postseason.
The person who says the Storm look aging, um. Really? The OLD Storm was aging. The one with Swoopes and Yo. But they would’ve kicked so much ass if Lauren had been healthy.
Sue Bird FTW.
fadeoutin - September 8, 2010
Storm clearing, not aging
I didn’t say the Storm was getting old in an age sense; I just don’t think they are as dominant now as they were earlier in the season, because other teams have gotten better. One reason they were able to beat Phoenix, besides some timely foul calls, was the relative inexperience of the Mercury coach. No way a veteran coach lets a 12 point lead slip away in 3 minutes. Atlanta does not have that problem.
The big advantage that Seattle has had is having LJ float around and shoot 3’s, and then crash the boards for rebounds. She won’t be able to do that as easily against Atlanta, which will have de Souza holding down the paint, and Sancho Lyttle to guard LJ when she goes outside. McCaughtry will probably guard Swin Cash. So those matchups help offset the two biggest scoring threats on the Storm. Sue Bird is not a big threat unless she gets an open look. I suppose she will try those leaping leaners, but she risks picking up an offensive foul.
The more I think about this matchup, it could be a 3 game sweep for Atlanta.
OVJ - September 8, 2010
relative inexperience of the Mercury coach????
Who has forgotten that this very same “inexperienced coach” led the Mercury to a championship just one year ago? Everyone, apparently. Again, the entire team blew the game, not just the coach.
WaveOcean - September 8, 2010
Getting back to WaveOcean
I’ve noticed that sometimes these replies get out of sequence, perhaps when two people are responding at the same time. Regarding Gaines, he is a fairly experienced coach, but to my knowledge this is only his third year as a head coach. Marynell Meadors has been coaching forever. Still I agree, both the team and the coach seemed to have a meltdown. I still haven’t had a chance to view the tape to see how many Seattle fouls didn’t get called. It’s kind of academic at this point.
Regarding the season record, by my count Seattle is 8-4 against the Eastern conference, and 20-2 against the Western conference. That would suggest that they have a little more trouble with Eastern teams. I think Atlanta will be the underdog, but I also think they should match up pretty good aginast Seattle and could pull off the upset. I don’t think they will have a meltdown like the Mercury did.
OVJ - September 8, 2010
They're 2-0 against Atlanta
And one of those four losses was in Connecticut, a game they basically threw by playing the starters about 5 minutes. If we’re looking at regular season, this would be a sweep by the Storm. So make up your mind. Is the Storm’s regular season indicative of the playoffs or not?
You assume that DeSouza and Lyttle will neutralize the Storm’s strong frontcourt. In the regular season, it was the other way around. Both teams are very good rebounding teams, but going up against a rebounding force like the Storm threw Atlanta’s transition game off. You assume that McCoughtry will contain Cash. Well, that goes both ways. Cash is a better defender than McCoughtry is, and in two games against the Storm McCoughtry shot 10-43.
Nobody said the Storm are as dominant now as they were in the first half of the season. Obviously they’re not, seeing how they struggled through the series with Phoenix. But they won. They might have been trailing in the fourth quarter more often than not, but they still won. Saying they “lucked” into wins is like saying Warren Buffet “lucked” into good investments. Once or twice is luck. A whole season’s worth is called skill.
You are, of course, entitled to your opinion. ;)
ChungD - September 8, 2010
Regular season sweep?
The last two times the finals had a matchup in which one team had swept the other in the regular season, the team that got swept won.
In 2008 the SASS had won 79-72 in OT at home and 76-64 in Detroit against the Shock.
In 2007 the Shock beat the Merc 87-84 in Phoenix (after trailing by 11 in the 4th quarter) and 111-82 in Detroit (halftime score was 41-39 Phoenix).
The team winning the regular season series between the Finals teams hasn’t taken home the championship since 2005.
pilight - September 9, 2010
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