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Dream-Storm Preview

May 31, 2010 - 4:55 PM By ANDY LEFKOWITZ STATS Editor

Atlanta (6-0) at Seattle (5-1), 9:30 p.m. EDT

The Atlanta Dream are not just winning, they're making it look easy. The same can be said for the Seattle Storm, especially after their last game.

In a matchup of conference leaders, the Dream will try to remain the WNBA's only unbeaten team when they wrap up a four-game trip Tuesday night against the Storm, who have yet to lose at home.

After opening their challenging trip with wins over New York and defending league champion Phoenix, the Dream (6-0) rolled to a 101-82 rout of Los Angeles on Sunday.

Angel McCoughtry scored 32 points and Iziane Castro Marques added 24. Atlanta also got 19 points from Sancho Lyttle and Erika DeSouza had 14 with 13 rebounds.

Coach Marynell Meadors likes what she's seen so far, but isn't surprised.

"Right now, they're playing like I expected them to play," she said. "This team was built for speed, quickness and defense. Our scrappy defense has been our trademark all year."

Atlanta is in the middle of the pack, allowing 77.7 points per game, but is second overall with 86.8 scored. McCoughtry and DeSouza are big reasons for that success on the offensive end.

McCoughtry, the 2009 rookie of the year, has averaged 27.0 points - 3.0 above her league-leading average - on the swing. DeSouza has totaled 49 points and 35 rebounds, and leads the league with 11.0 boards per game.

If Atlanta is to stay perfect, it will need to beat a Seattle team coming off a dominating performance on both ends of the floor. Following their only loss, the Storm (5-1) opened a 22-point halftime lead before going on a 13-0 run after the break en route to an 84-56 win at San Antonio on Sunday.

"We didn't really look at the score," said center Lauren Jackson, who had a season-high 27 points. "It was more about just continuing the pressure and playing defense and making sure that we didn't let up at all."

Jackson is averaging team bests of 20.3 points and 8.0 rebounds.

Seattle has given up 73.0 points per game at home, but Atlanta hasn't scored fewer than 75.

"They're an extremely good team," Seattle coach Brian Agler said. "They might be the most difficult team in the league to defend."

The Dream lost both meetings with the Storm last year, falling 91-84 in double-overtime in Seattle on Aug. 29. Jackson missed that game with a stress fracture in her lower back.