Dream Chasing: Atlanta Looks to Catch Washington for East’s Final Playoff Spot
Nineteen days ago, when the Washington Mystics were 15-9 and the Atlanta Dream 9-15, it seemed inconceivable that the two teams would be battling for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot in 2015.
But the Dream have heated up and the Mystics have gone cold, and with six days left in the season, the slim possibility exists: If Washington loses its final three games and Atlanta wins its final three, the Dream would earn that No. 4 seed.
On Sunday, Atlanta beat Washington for the third straight time, ensuring that the Dream would win the tie-breaker should the two teams finish with the same record. They meet one last time on Sunday, September 13 — the final day of the regular season.
Having any chance of qualifying for the playoffs is a surprise for a team that endured a six-game losing streak and fell to the bottom of the East for much of the season. But the Dream are 6-4 over the past month, with three wins over the previously contending Connecticut Sun and two more over playoff-bound Tulsa and Indiana.
Star guard Angel McCoughtry was shooting a career-low 37.7% at the All-Star break and is shooting 45.1% since, averaging an efficient 25.3 points on 50.9% shooting off the bench over her last three games. McCoughtry has set the tone for an explosive offense that leads the league in scoring (81.7 PPG) during the second half, pushing the pace even more since trading center Erika de Souza in a blockbuster move that seemed to signal a rebuilding effort.
The Mystics, meanwhile, are mired in a four-game losing streak and a 1-6 stretch that dates back three weeks. They’re banged up, struggling from three-point range and allowing opponents to shoot 45% over that seven-game stretch.
Here is the remaining schedule for both teams:
Atlanta Dream
Wednesday vs. Los Angeles Sparks (14-18), 7 PM ET (NBA TV)
Friday vs. Indiana Fever (18-13), 7:30 PM ET
Sunday at Washington Mystics (16-15), 4 PM ET
Washington Mystics
Tuesday vs. Indiana Fever (18-13), 7 PM ET
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