Logistics
and love for the home team. On this past Wednesday, September 21, I’m sure
Natalie White had mind and heart racing due to both of those elements. The
Atlanta Dream’s VP of Basketball Operations had to help manage the team’s venue
change from Phillips Arena to Georgia Tech’s McCamish Pavilion for their playoff
game vs. the Seattle Storm. With it being a WNBA single elimination game for
the opening round, it was truly a win-or-go-home (or more like
win-or-stay-home) scenario for the Dream.
“One
game. Every possession truly matters. Every possession counts” were the words
of Natalie as you could hear a sigh of relief along with the description of her
sentiments going into last week’s game. The Atlanta Dream administrative team and
staff could control the logistics associated with the temporary move, but
making sure Wednesday’s gameday wouldn’t be the last one of the Dream’s season
was a different story. Angel McCoughtry had no problem being the lead author on
that one. The Olympian finished with 37 points while shooting 66.7 percent from
the field in the Dream’s 94-85 win over Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart and the
Seattle Storm.
Aside
from the many buckets, one of the night’s highlights courtesy of McCoughtry was
a high degree of difficulty mid-range jumper followed by celebration and
high-fives from the Atlanta Hawks’ Dwight Howard, Dennis Schroder, and Tim
Hardaway, Jr. who were courtside for the contest.
I
got a chance to talk the Atlanta Dream-Atlanta Hawks relationship, the business and community
involvement side of the Atlanta Dream, the Olympic effect on women’s
basketball, and more in this chat with Natalie White, VP of Basketball Operations:
