‘We’re Going to Shoot a Lot of Threes’

The Atlanta Dream wrapped up their first week of training camp at Core 4, their practice facility located just outside the city, on Saturday, May 3, with a five-on-five scrimmage.

After the team broke its huddle, the media was ushered over to an adjacent court with a backdrop set up for interviews with some of the Dream players. As we waited, a team rep told us that “Haley [Jones] will be over shortly. She’s getting some shots up.”

If you’ve followed the Dream’s offseason, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. With the hiring of Karl Smesko, whose “Above The Line” share-and-stretch offensive scheme has a focus on three-point shots and drives to the rim for easy layups, all the players are getting extra shots up.

Everyone will be shooting threes for the Atlanta Dream this year.

Literally, everyone.

“I’m very excited for this year,” guard Allisha Gray said with a smile on her face on the first day of practice. “We’re going to shoot a lot of threes.”

It was evident to Gray on Day 1, and after a week of camp, others saw it, too.

Jones, the third-year player out of Stanford, was not the only one putting in extra shooting work. Every hoop around the gym had a player paired with a different coach.

Rookie Maria Gakdeng? Shooting threes. Taylor Thierry? Shooting threes.

Nia Coffey. Ashley Joens. Rhyne Howard.

They were all getting up post-practice shots from beyond the arc.

Jordin Canada, the Atlanta Dream’s starting point guard, didn’t end the first day of practice until she made five consecutive shots from each corner, each wing, and the top of the arc.

Even Naz Hillmon, a backup big who shot all of three total shots from deep last year, is getting in on the action.

“I’m getting there, to be honest,” Hillmon said when asked about adding the three-point shot to her offensive repertoire. “It’s been a little bit of a learning curve for me, but it’s really just taking the open ones. I can shrug off, make or miss, but it’s being able to see what open shots are working for me.”

Being able to execute the threes is a big part of succeeding in Smesko’s offense. The philosophy isn’t only to produce a high volume but to make sure that it’s the offense’s most efficient look on a given possession. His teams at Florida Gulf Coast University finished in the 91st percentile or higher among Division I teams in offensive rating and averaged 32.1 three-point attempts per game over his final nine seasons.

Therein lies the question: what will the spacing look like when two traditional bigs in Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones make their living inside of the paint?

“BG is a great passer, great rebounder, and great screener, and she’s even out there at the three-point line now,” Gray said with a laugh.

It’s funny, but it’s also key for their offensive approach to work.

Griner started to extend her range more last year in Phoenix. While she had the highest effective field goal percentage (eFG%) of her career (59.1 percent), she also attempted 18 threes in her final year in Phoenix. That’s 41 percent of her total career three-point attempts. She followed that up with nine attempts in the three-on-three Unrivaled league this offseason as a member of Phantom BC.

“She’s so dominant in the paint. It definitely opens up everything for everybody. People are going to have to choose their poison,” said newcomer Brionna Jones about Griner to Wilton C. Jackson.

It’s interesting to hear Jones say that because she’s the other key piece of the spacing puzzle for them. Jones, a two-time WNBA All-Star, had the fourth-most attempts per game from inside five feet (6.7 per game) in 2024, attempting just 2.1 shots between five and 14 feet.

Jones told USA Today’s Meghan Hall that it was “different” for her to be on the outside with Griner on the floor, but didn’t seem to be bothered by it. From the looks of things in practice, Jones seemed to be adjusting well, as she, too, was putting up shots from deep during the scrimmage and on her own after practice.

“At Florida Gulf Coast University, we never had players like BG and Bri Jones. We’re gonna take high return shots,” said Smesko, adding that both players have the freedom to be more than just post players.

There are rightful concerns about the spacing with Jones and Griner on the court together. However, just because the Atlanta Dream will be rolling out a starting lineup of Canada, Gray, Howard, Jones, and Griner to start the game doesn’t mean that this unit will be on the court together all of the time.

While Griner and Jones have both shown the willingness to extend their range—and the ability to do so successfully—expect to see the Dream stagger their minutes. If what we saw in practice was any indication of Atlanta’s plans, Coffey, Hillmon, and even Haley Jones will be subbing in to play some power forward opposite of Griner or Bri Jones at the five.

“I’m really excited about it. I think the past few years, it’s been that they needed me to play point guard, and that’s the only thing that I played. I did the best that I could,” Haley Jones said to Winsidr when asked about being able to play other positions. “Moving into this system where Karl [Smesko] is allowing me to play 1-2-3-4 with a lot of movement is allowing me to come off the screens, set the screens—both in a single possession—is a lot of fun.”

Haley Jones was subbing in for Bri Jones during team drills. Being able to play loose is something that Jones has been looking to achieve at the WNBA level.

“I feel like my entire skillset is being used,” she said, adding that she wants to “get back to being Haley Jones.” “There’s a lot of freedom, and he’s learning to trust me with that freedom.”

Some of that freedom with Jones and Smesko will include Jones shooting threes. It’s a weak part of her game, as she’s shot 21.4 percent from behind the arc in each of her two WNBA seasons.

When watching Jones, she has a hitch in her shot that slows down her release.

Haley Jones lines it up and knocks it down 🎯

📲 Dream-Lynx on League Pass pic.twitter.com/G5Bc4rAdZl

See Also

— WNBA (@WNBA) June 20, 2024

But during training camp, she’s been working with Smesko on her shot to improve her release.

Caught Dream coach Karl Smesko giving Haley Jones some pointers on her 3-point shooting.

One thing I can say is that I fully expect Atlanta to shoot a lot of 3’s. They have been flying at practice today. pic.twitter.com/25pBhH0aeO

— Meghan L. Hall (@ItsMeghanLHall) May 2, 2025

“I’m feeling confident. I came back from Australia and got some workouts in with Coach, and I got my 10 Karl-mmandments to take back with me to The Bay,” Haley Jones told Winsidr. “It’s been a focus of mine to work on the three-ball. Now that I feel confident pulling it in workouts, it’s shooting in the game and looking for my shot.”

Getting all of the players one through five to feel confident in taking the right shot is what Smesko wants. Because there will be a lot of different lineups that they will run out this year.

During that scrimmage, one grouping was especially eye-catching, as the Atlanta Dream had a Te-Hina Paopao, Gray, Haley Jones, Hillmon, and Coffey lineup on the floor, with Paopao and Gray operating as the lead guards and Jones as a screener and spacer at the three.

“I’m super excited. I think this is the right situation for me,” Paopao said. “I’m really excited that Coach’s offense goes really well with my offense. It goes hand-in-hand with my offense and my skills.”

Paopao passed up on some open looks during the scrimmage, which is understandable for a rookie. Smesko said something to her when the units rotated off, and on her next time on the floor, Paopao didn’t hesitate to shoot the open three.

Everyone has to be ready to shoot.

Everyone.

“He’s the coach for a reason. Whatever Coach tells us to do, we’re doing,” Gray told Winsidr. “He’s not just doing anything just to do it. I’m 1,000 percent supporting him. I’m behind him, and all in on him.”

That goes for everyone on the roster—from Howard all the way down to the last player on the roster. Because the Atlanta Dream’s season is going to be determined by the three.

And if they miss the shot, don’t worry. There will be a next one.