A fit check hates to see Naz Hillmon and Rhyne Howard coming.
Just ask the Atlanta Dream social team, as they’ll highlight the duo as much as they can in their tunnel walks.
Your favorite duo 🔥#atlantadream | @crownroyal pic.twitter.com/KsSOXyo4iN
— Atlanta Dream (@AtlantaDream) June 16, 2024
The duo does it again! 🅰️ #atlantadream | @CrownRoyal pic.twitter.com/hwpMZDrMxo
— Atlanta Dream (@AtlantaDream) August 26, 2024
The Dream have been trying to find the right power forward to slot in all season. The other spots have been locked down:
Rhyne Howard at the three
Allisha Gray at the two
Tina Charles at the five
Jordin Canada – when healthy – at the one
Atlanta ran out Cheyenne Parker-Tyus to start the season before moving her to the second unit for her spurts. They then moved Nia Coffey to the starting lineup leading up to the Olympic break.
But post-break, it was Hillmon, the second-round pick in 2021, that has found herself starting for Atlanta as an undersized four.
But like sticking in the league as a second-rounder hasn’t slowed her down, being undersized hasn’t, either.
It’s no surprise that the offense has ticked up for the Dream with Canada fully healthy, but it’s worth noting that of the 10 two-player lineup combos with an offensive rating of 100 or more for Atlanta this season, Hillmon appears in four of them.
And the two-player lineup with Hillmon and Charles and with Hillmon and Canada are two of the seven-highest net ratings for Atlanta.
Of course, Canada and Hillmon being on the same page shouldn’t be a surprise. The two played together in the WNBL (Women’s National Basketball League) in Australia for the Melbourne Boomers in 2023-2024.
Canada, as highlighted by Monica McNutt on the call in Game 1, has spoken about how easy it is to play alongside Hillmon, especially in the pick-and-roll game.
Since entering the starting lineup permanently, Hillmon is second to only Charles on the team for +/- per 100 possessions at 7.3. What’s more, her 55.5 eFG (effective field goal) percentage leads the entire team over that stretch.
And her value was on display to open the playoffs.
In Game 1 against the Liberty, the size, speed, and talent difference was clear as New York outmatched Atlanta in every single way.
Howard? Non-factor in the first half.
Gray? No buckets from deep.
Canada? A game-low -22 with five turnovers.
Charles? Well, it’s TC, so she got hers.
But Hillmon? Hillmon kept them in it in the first half, as she started the game shooting 4-of-4 from the floor and held Breanna Stewart to nine points in the first half as her primary defender.
🏃♀️@Graytness_15 ➡️ @nazhillmon #AtlantaDream pic.twitter.com/0bZ9ApBUOq
— Atlanta Dream (@AtlantaDream) September 22, 2024
Coffey was the only other big to get minutes off the bench for the Dream in the first half before Tanisha Wright turned to Lorela Cubaj, Haley Jones, and Laeticia Amihere in the second half when they waved the white flag in the fourth quarter. It was noticeable – as was turning to Ezinne Kalu as the first guard off of the bench in the first half instead of Jones or Maya Caldwell.
Hillmon has earned the trust of the coaching staff over the last three years, and her shift into the starting lineup in the second half is a big reason for them making their late push to lock up the No. 8 seed.
The numbers won’t stand out nightly. They won’t need to, as she’s surrounded by vets and sharpshooters who will handle the load offensively.
But as far as a fit goes, Hillmon can not only get one off in the tunnel pre-game, but she’s the perfect glue piece that can fit with anyone on the court to not only clean up possessions for the Dream but also give them a fighter’s chance as they face elimination.
