COLLEGE PARK, Ga. — Ariel Atkins went alpha mode.
That’s what the Sky have been waiting for from the 28-year-old Olympian, and she delivered Sunday. Atkins had 29 points against the Dream — one of the top teams in the league — but her performance wasn’t quite enough to lift the Sky, who lost 93-80.
“I know this team goes as I go, as far as me being aggressive,” Atkins said after the game. “I know I need to lock in and be better for my teammates in that area.”
She looked locked in from the start. Atkins got to her midrange spots at will, taking advantage of sagging defenders or creating space with her in-and-out dribble. She also got into the paint consistently, earning eight trips to the free-throw line.
Coach Tyler Marsh credited the scoring outburst to giving Atkins more freedom off the ball. He started Rachel Banham at point guard, continuing to tinker with rotations in the absence of a true floor general.
“[Atkins has] been such a great team player in terms of being willing to do whatever is asked of her,” Marsh said. “And [today], it was scoring — pushing her off the ball let her settle in a little more, not feeling like she had to set up the offense for everyone else.”
When asked how it felt to play off the ball more, Atkins smiled sheepishly: “It was nice.”
Atkins has been solid to start the season but quiet relative to the expectations that came with the Sky trading the No. 3 overall pick for her. Marsh has talked about the difficulty of her transition — coming from seven seasons in Washington to a new system.
“I think you get to a level of comfortability where you’re at,” Marsh said last week. “There’s an emotional toll it takes on you, just as much as a physical one, learning a new system and a new style.”
With the Sky, she has to be a new version of herself, in a way. But it’s one she wants to embrace.
“They’re not asking me to do nothing that I can’t do,” she said. “I have to push myself. I can’t be passive. That doesn’t always mean take any shot possible. That does mean looking for my shot and being able to open up stuff for my teammates.”
Historically, Atkins has thrived as a co-star, earning three All-Star nods and five All-Defensive honors in Washington while often deferring to Elena Delle Donne and other top scorers. She has averaged more than 13 shots per game only once in her career.
This was her first game this season with more than 15 shots — she went 8-for-22 from the field. Atkins is averaging 11 shots per game for the Sky, but that number likely will need to increase.
Overall, Marsh was encouraged by what he saw.
“[This] was probably the most complete game we’ve played all year,” he said. “Including the two wins against Dallas and one against Connecticut.”
The Sky led in the fourth quarter and looked poised to pull off the upset until their Achilles’ heel resurfaced. The Dream caught fire from deep, shooting 6-for-10 from three-point range in the fourth quarter and 16-for-33 for the game.
“Honestly, it’s been clear that we have to increase the effort with which we play,” center Elizabeth Williams said.
Williams backed that up with her best performance of the season, scoring 16 points on 8-for-12 shooting off the bench.
But it was Atkins who set the tone. Through 3½ quarters, the Sky responded to every Atlanta run — and it started with her aggression.
If this was a glimpse of the version she’s becoming, it’s one the Sky need to see more of.