ATLANTA — Karl Smesko lingered on the sideline Wednesday night, watching his players polish off an 88-72 win over the Connecticut Sun in their regular-season finale. The scoreboard confirmed another victory. The bigger picture? The Atlanta Dream had reached 30 wins for the first time in franchise history, and the rookie head coach was at the center of it.
Smesko never expected to hit that milestone so quickly. The team already had a proven core in Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray and Jordin Canada. Then came the off-season coups — front court anchors Brionna Jones and Brittney Griner — that elevated Atlanta from competitive to formidable.
Now, with 44 games behind them, Smesko and the Dream (30-14) are chasing something bigger. Earning the No. 3 seed means Atlanta will host a playoff series for the first time since 2018, but Smesko refuses to treat the season as complete. Expectations have shifted. His players have grown. Smesko himself has emerged as a strong candidate for WNBA Coach of the Year. Still, he insists none of it will matter unless the Dream can finish the story by lifting a championship trophy.
“The most important part [WNBA playoffs] is coming up,” Smesko said after Atlanta’s victory against Connecticut on Wednesday. “…The most fun time of year.”
Even before the Dream knew who their first opponent would be, the first-year coach and his staff were busy preparing for any possible match-up that could await them on Sunday.
Eventually, it was revealed that Atlanta would welcome the No. 6 Indiana Fever (24-20) to Gateway Center Arena for Game 1 of their first-round series. It’s a best-of-three match-up that pits two teams riding late-season momentum into the postseason.
“… Home court advantage is important,” Smesko said after the Dream’s win against the Sparks on Sept. 5. “I’m just hoping that our fans are great, they’re loud, they’re engaged. … I’m hoping this playoffs, [fans’ energy will be] taken to another level. … I want it to be an intimidating environment for our opponents coming in here.”
The Dream caught fire down the stretch, winning eight of their last 10 to grab the No. 3 seed. Their spot was sealed Thursday night, when the Las Vegas Aces crushed the Los Angeles Sparks 103-75. Atlanta closed the season with balance few teams could match, finishing with the league’s second-best offense — fueled by spacing, ball movement, offensive efficiency along with 3-point firepower — and the second-best defense, trailing only top-seeded Minnesota in both categories.
Indiana arrives as the No. 6 seed, having benefited from the Golden State Valkyries’ loss to top-seeded Minnesota. The Fever also closed strong, taking six of their last 10 games. But they will have to navigate the postseason without star guard Caitlin Clark, as the 2024 Rookie of the Year and two-time All-Star has been sidelined since July 15 with a right groin injury. The team shut her down for the season earlier this month, ruling her out of the team’s playoff run.
Read more: Indiana Fever have a lot to focus on in first-round playoff series vs. Atlanta Dream
Clark’s absence is only one piece of Indiana’s turbulent season. Under head coach Stephanie White, who returned to the Fever sideline for the first time since 2016, the team has been hit hard by injuries. With the last meeting between the Dream and Fever being more than two months ago, Sunday’s playoff opener will feature lineups that look nothing like those that appeared in their regular season clashes.
Fever guard Sydney Colson tore her ACL and Aari McDonald fractured her foot in Indiana’s Aug. 7 match-up against the Phoenix Mercury, sidelining both for the year. Then, Sophie Cunningham went down with a torn MCL in the Fever’s clash against Connecticut, followed by Chloe Bibby’s season-ending knee injury on Aug. 22. To stay afloat, Indiana turned to hardship waivers to reshape their roster. Odyssey Sims arrived on Aug. 10 and has since taken over as starting point guard, with veterans Shey Peddy and Aerial Powers bolstering the back court and wings. Adding to Indiana’s woes, forward Damiris Dantas will be sidelined in concussion protocol, thinning the Fever’s rotation even further heading into the series opener.
“Becoming Caitlin Clark” is out now!
Howard Megdal’s newest book is here! “Becoming Caitlin Clark: The Unknown Origin Story of a Modern Basketball Superstar” captures both the historic nature of Clark’s rise and the critical context over the previous century that helped make it possible, including interviews with Clark, Lisa Bluder (who also wrote the foreword), C. Vivian Stringer, Jan Jensen, Molly Kazmer and many others.
Still, Indiana enters the postseason with numbers that pack a punch. The Fever rank fourth in both 3-point percentage and effective field goal percentage, thrive on the glass with the league’s fourth-best mark in offensive rebounds, and sit fifth in steals. Around the rim, they’re even tougher, shooting the second-most field goals inside five feet.
Defensively, Indiana makes opponents work. The Fever give up just 7.1 made 3-pointers per game — the second fewest in the league — a stat that will be tested against an Atlanta squad that ranks third in 3-point makes (9.6) and second in attempts (28.4). They also limit second-chance opportunities, holding opponents to the third-fewest offensive rebounds and fourth-fewest defensive boards. Opponents average only 19.4 assists against Indiana, another top-four mark.
That momentum carried late into the regular season: over their last 10 games, the Fever rank second in scoring and field goals made, third in both field goal and 3-point shooting, and second in offensive boards. They also sit fourth in assists and third in steals and plus/minus.
It has become clear that the Dream will need to find ways to slow down Indiana’s veteran guard Kelsey Mitchell. Mitchell made history this season as the first Fever player to average more than 20 points per game. She enters the playoffs as one of the league’s most explosive scorers, becoming the first guard ever to rack up at least 850 points and 150 assists in a season. Her 890 points rank sixth on the WNBA all-time single-season list, and she set a new league record with 111 made 3-pointers. For Atlanta, defeating the Fever starts with containing Mitchell.
However, the Fever have flaws Atlanta can take advantage of, namely their lack defensive rebounding and tendency to commit turnovers. Since the All-Star break, Indiana has ranked dead last in defensive boards, ninth in overall rebounds, and committed the fifth-most turnovers in league.
Containing Indiana around the rim
Center Aliyah Boston is a complete offensive threat. Whether she’s powering through the paint or cutting sharply to the basket, Boston scores efficiently. However, it’s her ability to distribute the ball around the arc that makes her particularly difficult to contain. She averages 3.7 assists per game, second on the Fever roster behind point guard Sims.
The three-time All-Star also ranks sixth in both offensive and total rebounds, and seventh in defensive rebounds. Alongside Natasha Howard, the pair have fueled an Indiana team that leads the league in second-chance points. However, Atlanta leads the league in defensive and total rebounds, something the Dream will need in full force to keep those like Boston and Howard off the glass.
Howard has matched Boston’s impact with her ability to affect every aspect of the game. Across the four regular-season match-ups against the Dream, she averaged 14 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.0 steals. Howard led the Fever with 26 points when the two teams met on May 22 and notched a double-double in their June contest. Her versatility shines on both sides of the ball: she rebounds well, creates second-chance opportunities and uses her length on defense to disrupt opposing defenders.
Throughout the 2025 regular season, the Dream have shown they can create and execute effective on-court strategies that have made them a formidable force in the league. Now, they have a chance to put it all together in search of their first championship in franchise history.
Key Fever players to watch
- Kelsey Mitchell: (team-high 20.2 points per game, 3.4 assists per game, shooting 39.4% from deep)
- Aliyah Boston: (15 ppg, 8.2 rebounds per game, 3.7 apg, 0.9 blocks, 1.2 steals per game while shooting 53.8% from the floor)
- Natasha Howard: (11.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.2 spg, shooting 55.2% from the field)
- Lexie Hull: (7.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.2 spg, shooting 36.7% from deep)
- Odyssey Sims: (10.3 ppg, 4.0 apg)
- Aerial Powers: (9.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.4 apg)
Atlanta Dream first-round playoff schedule
- Sunday, Sept. 14: vs. Indiana, 3 p.m. ET, ABC (Gateway Center Arena)
- Tuesday, Sept. 16: at Indiana. 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN (Gainbridge Fieldhouse)
- Thursday, Sept. 18: vs. Indiana, time TBD, ESPN 2 (Gateway Center Arena)*** if necessary
