Atlanta Dream are now in playoff preparation mode, says Jordin Canada
Canada returned from an eight-game absence to help Dream beat the Connecticut Sun
Canada is now treating every outing as a dress rehearsal for the offseason
Jordin Canada declared the Atlanta Dream are now in playoff preparation mode after she returned from an eight-game absence to help them beat the Connecticut Sun.
Canada suffered a hamstring injury during a 74-66 win over the Phoenix Mercury on August 10, having scored double figures for points in six of her previous seven games.
Atlanta went 5-3 during Canada's spell on the sidelines, then the two-time WNBA champion returned with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting in Monday's 93-76 win over the Sun.
That road triumph, which also saw Rhyne Howard score 23 points and Naz Hillmon and Allisha Gray contribute 17 apiece, moved Atlanta joint-second in the WNBA standings.
The Dream, who have already clinched their playoff berth, hold a 26-14 record, identical to that of the Las Vegas Aces, with four games of the regular season remaining.
And Canada is now treating every outing as a dress rehearsal for the offseason.
"Once I got comfortable, I carried on as normal. I was just trying to give myself grace with coming back and knowing it's going to take a little time, but I feel good out there now," she said.
"We're trying to make sure that in these types of games in the regular season, we're doing what we need to.
"That way, when we get into the playoffs, it doesn't hit us by surprise and we're ready for the moment."
Canada has averaged 12.1 points and 5.5 assists this season, with the second figure being a team-high tally.
"I really didn't intend on playing her quite as much as we did, but she said she felt good and she was playing even better," Dream coach Karl Smesko said of her return.
"We just rolled with her. She was fantastic, big basket after big basket. We all know what she's capable of doing on the defensive end, and she was outstanding today.
"It's really nice to have her back, because before she got hurt, she was playing at an All-Star level."
The Aces hold a tiebreaker over the Dream after winning the teams' season series 3-0, meaning Atlanta must better Las Vegas' end to the campaign to earn the No. 2 seed.
