Atlanta Dream Coach Puts WNBA on Notice With Strong Brittney Griner Message

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Aug 31, 2025 8:59 AM ET

The Atlanta Dream booked their place in the WNBA playoffs on Friday night with a dominant 100-78 victory against Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings. It was Atlanta’s 25th win of the season, which allowed them to clinch a spot in the postseason along with the Minnesota Lynx, Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix Mercury.

Rhyne Howard led the charge for Atlanta with 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting, to go along with four rebounds, five assists, a steal, six blocks and six triples in a truly outstanding performance by the three-time All-Star.

Brittney Griner Efficient off the Bench

Brittney Griner did her part for the Dream in this one, coming off the bench to score 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting. The two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year also added one rebound and two assists in 17 minutes of action.

It was far from a mind-blowing outing from the 10-time All-Star, but it was enough to help Atlanta secure a crucial win.

Ahead of Griner in the rotation is center Brionna Jones, who turned in an even more impressive performance against Dallas. The former Sixth Woman of the Year winner went off for 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting, five rebounds, two assists and two blocks in just 21 minutes of play.

Dream Coach Puts WNBA on Notice

Dream head coach Karl Smesko has had the luxury of having a big star like Griner play with the team’s second unit. After starting at center for Atlanta for the better part of the season, Griner was demoted to a bench role upon her return from a three-game injury absence in early August.

Smesko has since assigned Griner to a reserve role behind Jones, which is a move that has paid dividends for the Dream. Atlanta has gone 6-3 in the nine games Griner came off the bench.

It does not seem like Smesko has plans to change his rotation anytime soon. In fact, he’s sent out a warning for the rest of the WNBA about Griner’s new role.

"I would hate to be the other five on the other team and, like, you got four minutes of having to bang with [Jones], and then all of a sudden, somebody subs in, and the sub is [Griner]," Smesko said after Friday's win. "I would hate to be that person."

Griner, 34, deserves a lot of credit for playing the cards she has been dealt. She signed with the Dream during the offseason as a bona fide star, but there have been no complaints from her since she has been moved to the bench.

At the end of the day, Griner knows the Dream have championship aspirations, and it appears that she’s willing to do whatever she can to help her team achieve this goal — even if it means having to play a smaller role.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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