The WNBA’s Olympic break is coming at the right time for the Atlanta Dream and Minnesota Lynx. The teams meet for a matinee in Minneapolis on Wednesday, with one team guaranteed to end a losing streak.
Atlanta (7-16) is on a seven-game skid, the longest in the league heading into the hiatus for the All-Star Game and Paris Olympics. The last two losses were by double digits.
The catalysts for the Dream’s downfall are injuries to All-Star Rhyne Howard and two-time WNBA champion Jordin Canada. Howard’s ankle injury on June 19 put the third-year star out indefinitely. Canada suffered a broken finger on June 30, putting her out until after the break.
In their absence, the Dream signed a pair of young free agent guards, with Maya Caldwell standing out despite the team’s slump. In her fifth straight start on Sunday, Caldwell led the Dream with a career high 19 points in a loss to the Seattle Storm.
Minnesota (16-8) is on a smaller skid of two games and also is dealing with a key injury. Lynx star Napheesa Collier’s absence is evident. Both losses saw their opponents outscore the Lynx in the paint, a place where Collier shines offensively and defensively.
Minnesota’s offense is struggling. In the last two games, the Lynx shot a season-low 30.6 percent against Seattle and 38.6 percent against the Indiana Fever on July 12.
Collier’s presence on the court Wednesday is a gametime decision, with the forward’s return to play from plantar fasciitis unclear. She could return against Atlanta or remain on the sidelines to prepare for the All-Star Game and Olympics.
Minnesota won both previous meetings against Atlanta this season, each time by 13 points.
