The San Antonio Stars take on the Atlanta Dream in a battle of teams off to opposite starts. The Stars are still looking for their first win off the season, while the Dream are 3-1. Atlanta is coming off a win over the defending-champion Los Angeles Sparks, and the Stars are looking to bounce back after a road loss to the Minnesota Lynx. Here are three things to watch.
How will the Stars handle the Dream’s backcourt?
For Atlanta, Layshia Clarendon and Tiffany Hayes are the highest scoring backcourt in the WNBA. Clarendon is averaging 14.5 points and 7.5 assists per game, and Hayes is averaging 20.8 points per game. Since the Dream get a majority of their production from those two, the Stars will have to find a way to force others to step up.
Can the Stars put together a complete game?
In all of their losses, the Stars have been competitive. However, they could never seem to sustain it for a full 40 minutes. In the loss to Minnesota, San Antonio started hot, and led 26-22 after the first quarter. The game was still close at halftime, where the Lynx held a 40-35 advantage. Then, Minnesota opened the second half on a 20-4 run, and the Stars never recovered.
If the Silver and Black can start strong and maintain that same level of play for a full game, a win in this game will likely be the result.
Will Kelsey Plum play more?
After coming back from an ankle injury, Plum has seen limited action in both of the games she was available for. Against the Lynx, she played approximately six minutes, and finished with one point, assist and block. In her debut she finished with four points in 12 minutes. As the top pick in this year’s draft, Plum came in with heavy expectations. However, her injury and lack of playing time has interfered with her rhythm. So, she has been trying to work herself back.
Tip-off for the game is 10:30 a.m. CT from McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta.
