What acquiring Crystal Dangerfield means for the Atlanta Dream

Last season, the 5’5 Dangerfield averaged 8.2 points, 3.1 assists and 2.9 rebounds while starting 32 of 35 games for Dallas. She was also the 2020 WNBA Rookie of the Year and will only turn 26 years old later this month.

“She started for Dallas, who was a playoff team and obviously knocked us out in the playoffs,” Atlanta head coach Tanisha Wright told reporters on Saturday. “Any time you can add that experience, it really helps bolster your roster. We’re happy to add someone like Crystal.”

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This move comes after general manager Dan Padover announced at the beginning of training camp that starting point guard Jordin Canada is out with a right hand injury. If Canada misses an extended period of time, Dangerfield will give the Dream a mix of experience and playmaking at the point guard spot.

She is one of the most reliable guards in the league from a decision-making standpoint. According to Her Hoop Stats, she is one of four players to record at least a 16% assist rate and less than a 16% turnover rate in each of the past four seasons. Notably, Dangerfield is the only true point guard among that group.

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With only having to give up a third-round pick in the trade, this is a low-risk, high-reward move for the Dream. The franchise hasn’t rostered a third-round pick that it drafted since Anne Marie Armstrong in 2013. 

This trade also furthers Atlanta’s plan to compete now with a core led by All-Stars Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray, one of the best wing duos in the league.

The Dream point guard room also includes Haley Jones, the No. 6 pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft. She possesses exceptional processing skills, though not in the typical point guard mold. Jones profiles as a primary open-court passer and a secondary half-court passer. However, she struggles to generate advantages as a driver due in part to her lack of an elite first step.

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Between Canada, Dangerfield, Jones and possibly recent signee Destanni Henderson, if she finds her name on the final roster, the Dream have certainly become more dynamic at the point guard position than they were in 2023.

The Atlanta Dream open the regular season on the road on May 15, facing off against the Los Angeles Sparks at 10 p.m. ET.