COLUMBIA — It’s the time of year Dawn Staley loves.
The start of her season coincides with the end of the WNBA season, and as has been the norm, one of her players is going to get a championship ring.
The Atlanta Dream — featuring Allisha Gray, Madina Okot and Te-Hina Paopao — took a 2-1 lead over the Golden State Valkyries — with Laeticia Amihere — on Wednesday in the best-of-seven WNBA Finals. Game 4 is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday in Atlanta.
Gray, a member of Staley’s first national championship team, scored a mere eight points but did have five assists in Game 3. She scored 37 combined points over Games 1-2.
Okot, who played for a national championship in April and is in another finals six months later, hasn’t gotten on the floor much but did score three points on Wednesday. Paopao played for the first time in the Finals on Wednesday.
Amihere has seven combined points and rebounds in the series.
Alan Cole, former South Carolina beat writer now with the Associated Press, caught up with Paopao before the Finals began. Her smile was as ever-present as always.
“It’s a blessing and we’re just really excited. I get to experience it with my fellow Gamecocks,” she said. “And Lish (Paopao never got to play with Gray in college).”
She has championship experience, playing in two straight national title games and winning the first to cap an undefeated season. That kind of thing helps the team even if you’re not on the floor that much.
“Just knowing that you got to be present and being where your feet are. You can’t think too far ahead because obviously it is a series, but it’s like kind of a winning or home-type of feeling,” she said. “So, it’s just being where your feet are, being present and being who you are for your team and being ready when your name is called.”
Of course she wishes she would play more, as she’s been a starter since she first tied her shoes. But it’s also an understanding of that even with recent expansion, how limited WNBA rosters are.