Why Jordin Canada is the Dream's unsung hero as Atlanta gears up for WNBA playoff run

The Atlanta Dream has one of the WNBA's deepest and most talented rosters. Headlined by the All-Star trio of Angel Reese, Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray, the Dream has been one of the league's hottest teams since the second week of July; Atlanta has racked up 17 wins from its past 22 games, including a key road victory over the New York Liberty on Monday night.

Reese has enjoyed a historic debut campaign with the Dream, becoming the first player in WNBA history to snag 500 rebounds in a single season. Howard now owns the single-season record for three-pointers made, while Gray is averaging a career-best 18.9 points per game in her age-31 season.

But the most important cog of all might be Jordin Canada, the Dream's engine at point guard who gets it done on both ends.

MORE: Angel Reese helps Dream push Liberty into dangerous WNBA playoff position

Injuries disrupted Canada during her first two seasons in Atlanta, but her 2026 season arguably has been the finest of her nine-year WNBA career.

Canada on Monday dropped 19 points and nine assists on the Liberty, helping the Dream to a vital 95-84 win at Barclays Center. The win makes it likely Atlanta will secure the No.4 seed in the WNBA playoffs and secure home-court advantage in the first round.

Canada is averaging a career-best 7.3 assists per game, third in the WNBA behind Alyssa Thomas and Caitlin Clark. Her 308 total assists make her just the fourth player in league history to accrue 300-plus dimes in a single season.

Jordin Canada tonight:

Canada's defensive impact also has been fundamental to the Dream, which boasts the league's fourth-best scoring defense and ranks second in defensive efficiency. The 31-year-old long has been one of the WNBA's top defenders at her position; she ranks second in the league in steals and steals per game, behind only her teammate Howard.

The Dream, the Minnesota Lynx and the Las Vegas Aces are the only teams this season to rank inside the top five in both offensive and defensive rating. No team forces more turnovers or rules the glass like Atlanta, and that defensive intensity starts with Canada -- who could be the factor that lifts the Dream to its first playoff series win in eight years.

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