Why league should take notice of Dream after rout of Fever

It would be easy to discredit the Atlanta Dream's blowout win over the Indiana Fever on Tuesday night. It would also be wrong.

The Dream dismantled the Fever, 77-58, on the strength of a dominant second half they won 44-25.

While Atlanta could be viewed as taking advantage of a hobbled Indiana squad absent its best player, guard Caitlin Clark, that ignores the good the Dream have accomplished in their first nine games.

Free-agent front-court acquisitions Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones have seamlessly fit in alongside an established backcourt.

Griner is averaging 13.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks, while Jones is averaging 13 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists.

On Tuesday, Jones had her fifth double-double of the season, ending the game with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Griner only played 15 minutes but finished with nine points, four rebounds and a block.

Griner and Jones are third and fourth, respectively, on the Dream in scoring behind guards Allisha Gray (20.1 points per game) and Rhyne Howard (17.1 points per game).

Gray's career-year continued against the Fever, leading all players with a game-high 23 points while shooting 9-of-13 from the court.

The nine-year veteran entered Monday with career-highs in points (20.1), assists (4.5) and rebounds (5.3) per game. She's also having her best shooting season, making 48.1 percent of her field goals, including 42.9 percent from beyond the arc.

The Dream (6-3) are rarely talked about among the WNBA's top teams, but perhaps that should change. 

The New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx have drawn attention with their undefeated starts, while the Las Vegas Aces will always draw an audience as long as A'ja Wilson takes the court. 

Clark and the Fever received substantial preseason buzz and could be a factor when the 2024 Rookie of the Year returns, but the Dream are quickly establishing themselves as a team to be reckoned with.

They're one of the league's top offensive teams, ranking third in scoring (83.8 points per game) and offensive rating (102.7). Atlanta also ranks first in rebound rate (80.4 percent) and has the second-lowest turnover rate (14.7 percent), per Her Hoop Stats.

The Dream did what any good team should do on Tuesday and took care of an opponent not at full strength. But rather than dismiss it, people should take notice.