The Atlanta Dream are heading home.
After a heartbreaking one point loss to the defending champion Las Vegas Aces, the Dream now return to Gateway Center Arena for the first time this regular season as they prepare to face the Dallas Wings in what many expect to be an electric environment.
And if the players and fans are right, Gateway is about to be rocking.
The Dream practiced Wednesday at their Core4 facility, and despite the tough loss to Las Vegas, the energy around the team remained positive, focused, and confident. Players were laughing, communicating, and carrying themselves like a group that believes it is still only scratching the surface of what it can become.
One of the biggest storylines entering the game is the team finally getting to play a true home game at Gateway after opening the season at State Farm Arena in front of over 17,000 fans.
Angel Reese admitted the team may have gotten “spoiled” by that massive crowd.
“Yeah, I think we got pretty spoiled at State Farm,” Reese said. “I’m going to be expecting 17,000 people. But I’m sure everybody’s going to be there again. It’s going to feel like we’re at home.”
While Gateway does not hold the same number of fans as State Farm Arena, many around the organization actually believe it creates a better basketball atmosphere because of how close and intimate everything feels.
Mooley from Courtside Cousins, who has become one of the more recognizable Dream supporters and women’s basketball content creators around the team, believes Gateway gives Atlanta a completely different type of energy.
“The atmosphere at State Farm was crazy,” Mooley said. “But I don’t think it compares to Gateway. I love how intimate Gateway is.”
That intimacy matters.
At Gateway, the fans feel almost on top of the court. Every big shot shakes the building. Every defensive stop gets amplified. And according to Mooley, that atmosphere may have actually helped Atlanta finish off the Aces.
“We lost a little momentum toward the end and the Aces fans kind of took over a little bit,” she explained. “If we had been here, I think we could have pulled through.”
Even in the loss, Atlanta showed something important.
Fight.
The Dream erased a massive deficit against one of the best teams in basketball and nearly stole the game late despite missing key players.
Rhyne Howard, who returned to practice and is expected back soon, said watching the team lose by only one point was difficult because she felt she could have made the difference.
“When we lost by one, it made me feel worse,” Howard said. “I feel like I could have gave that extra. But it also gave me confidence that we could compete like that without me.”
Howard also pointed to the resilience this team has already developed early in the season.
“We’ve been down multiple times by almost 20 points and we’ve come back every time,” she said. “It would’ve been easy for us to just roll over, but we didn’t.”
That resilience is becoming part of the Dream’s identity.
Another encouraging sign for Atlanta has been the emergence of rookie guard Indya Nivar, who received major praise from Angel Reese after the Aces game.
“I would say the biggest spark for me last game was Indya,” Reese said. “She made a lot of big plays for us from her rebounding to her defensive stops.”
Reese also spoke about trying to help the rookie mentally through the ups and downs of professional basketball.
“She’s really hard on herself,” Reese said. “I’m telling her, give yourself grace.”
Nivar admitted that sharing the court with stars like Chelsea Gray and A’ja Wilson initially felt surreal.
“A lot of those players I looked up to these past couple years,” Nivar said. “It was a little starstruck at first, but once I got on the court, I knew I had to be my competitive self.”
The chemistry within the team continues to grow as well, both on and off the floor.
Nivar talked about teammates exploring Atlanta together, visiting Ponce City Market, trying local restaurants, and adjusting to life in the city.
“The traffic is just insane,” she laughed. “I’ve never seen six lane highways packed like that.”
As for the basketball side, Atlanta understands Dallas will likely make adjustments after the teams already faced each other earlier this season.
Howard expects the Wings to focus more heavily on Atlanta’s guard actions and ball screen offense after struggling with it in the first matchup. But the Dream also believe there is another level they still have not reached yet offensively.
That has been one of head coach Karl Smesko’s biggest messages since training camp: keep improving.
Even without speaking to media Wednesday, his fingerprints remain all over the mentality of this group. Players consistently talk about learning, growing, adjusting, and becoming “the best at getting better.”
Now comes the next opportunity.
The first regular season game at Gateway Center Arena.
A chance to bounce back from the Aces loss.
And another opportunity for Atlanta to show why so many people believe this team could become one of the most dangerous teams in the WNBA.
And if Dream fans bring the same energy they brought to State Farm Arena, Friday night could feel special.
