Welcome to the Basketball Hangover. I write about what’s happening in the WNBA daily as we try to heal from this pandemic.
Courtney Williams scored 31 and the game-winner to give the Dream their 4th straight win.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images.)
What a game this was between the Atlanta Dream and the New York Liberty.
The Dream took an early 13-point lead but Liberty rookie Michaela Onyenwere shot the lights out in the first half. At one point, she scored 11 straight points for New York. Another three of hers tied the game but Atlanta would lead at the half by four.
Atlanta would, unfortunately, lose Chennedy Carter due to an elbow injury. But Courtney Williams stepped it up by scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter. Still, Atlanta would go on a dry spell late and the Liberty would score 8 straight points to give themselves an 82-80 advantage. But Elizabeth Williams was able to convert on a putback with 10.6 seconds left. They would hit overtime.
Both teams struggled in OT. Still, Onyenwere made a three to put the Liberty up, 87-84. Courtney Williams, however, tied the game with 34 seconds left. When Onyenwere tried to counter, it set the stage for Courtney.
She got the ball and kept it. New York didn’t react in time for a switch and Williams made the Liberty pay with a three. Sabrina Ionescu, who struggled mightily in this game, couldn’t tie the game. The Dream came away from New York with a W.
Suddenly, the Dream have won four games in a row. Courtney Williams was dynamite here (31 points), as she has been the entire season (19.5 points and 7.0 rebounds). Don’t know when they’ll get Chennedy Carter back but the Dream have so many capable backcourt players (Tip Hayes, Odyssey Sims, Aari McDonald) that they should be okay in that department.
Still, Atlanta is turning into one of the more pleasant surprises of the league. And they definitely have Courtney Williams to thank for that.
Bullet Passes
On the only other game on Saturday, we had Phoenix against Dallas. Dallas had a furious rally at the end after being down 14 with under two minutes left but eventually fell short of it. What a dynamic backcourt Marina Mabrey and Arike Ogunbowale have been this season.
But Brittney Griner went for 27 points and 16 boards while Skylar Diggins-Smith and Kia Nurse had 21 points each.
Speaking of Griner, she did this.
DUNK BY @BRITTNEYGRINER πͺβΌπ€#CountIt pic.twitter.com/FWo9lX9Pyx
β WNBA (@WNBA) May 30, 2021
Griner made his 13th WNBA regular season dunk of her career. She’s actually done it 15 times if you count All-Star game play.
7 players have done dunks in the WNBA and only three have done it in regular season play.
Lisa Leslie, Candace Parker, and Griner have done dunks in regular season play. Michelle Snow, Sylvia Fowles, Jonquel Jones, and Liz Cambage have done it during the All-Star game.
Overall, there have been 23 dunks (16 regular season, 7 all-star) that have been done in the league.
Anyway, near the end of the Mercury/Wings game, Mabrey and Diggins-Smith got a bit heated.
Marina Mabrey and Skylar Diggins-Smith got into it a little bit late in the Mercury/Wings game. #WNBA pic.twitter.com/ri0y9eTxAi
β π₯π²π-π₯π²π π€πΎβπΎ (@TheNoLookPass) May 30, 2021
Dunking and fights in my WNBA?! MORE OF THIS, PLEASE. I mean, don’t hurt each other but YEAH CONFLICT.
WNBA Scoreboard
May 29, 2021
Watch This Play
Let’s see that Courtney game-winner.
(PHOTO CREDIT: WNBA.)
The swagger by Court is off the charts. And so was this shot.
Everyone, please take care of yourselves during this pandemic. And that goes for everyone involved with the WNBA as well.
You can find Rey-Rey on Twitter at @TheNoLookPass.
You can also check out Rey-Rey’s podcast, Rey-Rey Is Fundamental, for more basketball content and, really, whatever else.
R.I.P. Nala.