The Atlanta Dream are having a great season currently. Picking up some big wins, the team is looking like a championship contender at the moment. And one of the biggest reasons for their overwhelming success this year is undoubtedly Brittney Griner. It was Griner who helped hand Minnesota their first homecourt loss as Atlanta built momentum. However, owing to a neck injury, the 34-year-old is coming off the bench currently. Yet, she has earned the praises of coach Karl Smesko.
Atlanta faced off against the Dallas Wings recently. Displaying some impeccable hooping skills, Dream emerged victorious 100-78. And while they kept the pressure on the Minnesota Lynx, Smesko had some encouraging words to say about Griner.
Karl Smesko Happy About Brittney Griner’s Bench Role
The Dream veteran has been impressive right after coming back from her neck injury. And once again, she proved her worth against the Wings. Coming off the bench, Griner chipped in with 11 points in just 17 minutes of action. She also had 5-of-8 shooting with a rebound and a couple of assists. And looking at the same, Smekso seemed utterly impressed.
“Everything’s always fluid. We’re going to do whatever we think is going to give us the best opportunity to win. I thought BG was outstanding today and had great energy, was very physical inside working to get it,” said Smesko.
The Dream coach further went on to cite Griner as one of the all-time greatest to have played in the WNBA. He also praised how a veteran like Griner had no problem coming off the bench just to cater to the team’s championship needs. Meanwhile, while the praises from Smesko will surely boost the 34-year-old’s morale, this is not the first time the ten-time All-Star has been praised by her coach.
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Karl Smesko Was Impressed With Her Comeback Performance After Injury
The 34-year-old has been dominating the WNBA realm for quite some time now. Only recently, Brittney Griner clinched the 17th spot on the all-time rebounds list. Unfortunately, with her neck injury bothering her significantly, the WNBA icon had a stunted season. But once she came in, she impressed her coach right away. Moreover, Grinner played for 13 minutes in her comeback game against the Phoenix Mercury. Dropping two points, two rebounds, and an assist, her aggressive intent had Smesko acknowledge the fight.
“I thought BG was great. She was moving great. She looked really good out there. Defensively, she was excellent… She was controlling the paint. I thought it was a really good first game back for her,” Smesko said.
Griner joined the Dream in the 2025 season. Despite battling injuries this season, the 34-year-old is averaging over 10 points for the Dream. Thus, with her form coming back, fans are now eager to see what happens next.