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Atlanta Dream's Problems Go Beyond the Referees The officials became a focus after the Atlanta Dream lost to the Golden State Valkyries on Saturday.
Not only did Allisha Gray say, 'refs are trash,' during an Jun 22, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese reacts after a play against the Toronto Tempo during the second half at State Farm Arena.
Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectNot only did Allisha Gray say, "refs are trash," during an in-game interview, but there was much discussion about a play that saw Angel Reese swing her elbows and get whistled for a foul as Laetecia Amihere appeared to sell what took place in order to ensure a call, leading to fans calling her out for flopping.
But really, none of that influenced the result for Atlanta.The Dream attempted 33 free throws to 17 for the Valkyries, so it is difficult to pin this loss on the referees.
Not to mention, it is the fifth loss in a row for Atlanta, which points to issues that go beyond the officiating.Jul 4, 2026; College Park, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese react with guard Allisha Gray and guard Rhyne Howard against the Golden State Valkyries during the second half at Gateway Center Arena at College Park.
Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Dream coach Karl Smesko credited his team for playing hard but said they simply aren't shooting the ball well.And in this loss to the Valkyries that was particularly true, especially since two of Atlanta's playersHowever, when looking at the extended skid for Atlanta, it's hard not to fixate on roster flaws as well, particularly redundancies at one spot, and lack thereof at another.
Jordin Canada is really the only player on the team who can run the point, so they've had to rely on her too much, and can't count on contributions from the bench at that position.Meanwhile, there is a bit of a glut of similar players in the frontcourt.
This led to Naz Hillmon being moved to the bench for Isobel Borlase against the Valkyries.
The team also should be getting Brionna Jones back soon and has gotten solid play from rookie Madina Okot, but they occupy the same areas on the court, as does Reese.
When Reese is a focal point of the team, it's hard to play another non-shooter.Reese has had a strong season putting up 14.9 points and 11.8 rebounds.
However, she is shooting only 41.5% from the field withSo it becomes a difficult proposition to pair her up with anyone else who isn't a prolific enough shooter or scorer to offset that and allow Reese to play to her strengths--cleaning up the glass, defending, and pushing as a big in transition.
And the floor spacing will naturally suffer if another non-shooting big is beside her.Perhaps, Gray and Howard getting hot can render much of this moot, but it's an issue worth blowing the whistle on when analyzing the Dream.
Robin Lundberg is a media veteran and hoops head who has spent the bulk of his career with iconic brands like Sports Illustrated and ESPN.
His insights have also been featured on platforms such as Fox and CNN and he can currently be heard hosting shows for Sirius XM and on his burgeoning YouTube show.And now he brings his basketball expertise to Women's Fastbreak on SI!.