ATLANTA — Dream guard Jordin Canada learned what winning looked like from the start.
Canada, the No. 5 overall pick in 2018, was spoiled as a rookie, joining a veteran-stacked Seattle Storm team that included Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart, Jewell Loyd and Alysha Clark.
In her four seasons in Seattle, Canada absorbed the habits that turned that talented group into WNBA champions.
Her role grew over the years. But early on, she spent a lot of time watching, staying ready and committing to her job.
The results were two championship rings and lessons that must be experienced to be learned.
Six years later, those lessons have followed Canada into the biggest moments of her career, including now in the semifinals as she’s tasked with leading the Dream past the Stewart-led Liberty.
Canadas, a locker room leader and star point guard, scored 23 points and handed out eight assists to help lead the Dream to a 101-98 overtime win over the Liberty in Game 2.
She also had a monstrous Game 1, scoring 25 points, connecting on four 3-pointers, dishing out four assists and swiping five steals to help propel the Dream to a 92-82 win.
Canada’s start in the league no doubt prepared her to handle high pressure moments like now.
Ahead of their Game 2 win, she credited the Storm with teaching her that championship basketball is as much about preparation, consistency and communication as it is about star power.
“The preparation was the most important,” Canada said after shootaround. “When you come out on the floor, you got to know what’s going on, and so I think just watching that in the role that I was in as a rookie of just making sure I’m staying ready, I’m staying prepared and then when I come out here I know what’s going on, I know what I’m doing, so I think it’s just the credit to watching those players and how they are being consistent in that.”
DeWanna Bonner can relate.
In 2009, Bonner was a rookie teammate of Diana Taurasi when she won her second of three championships with the Phoenix Mercury.
“Any time you come into a franchise as a rookie and you have the ultimate GOATs on your team… any time you have that blueprint of what it takes to win the championship your first year, you’re lucky,” Bonner said. “You see it. You see how things are supposed to be done, and you kind of just carry that with you in your back pocket each year and you just keep adding to it every year that you’re in it.”
Bonner might be the second-oldest player in the WNBA at 39, but she views the 31-year-old Canada as the leader of this Dream team.
“She’s the head of our snake [on] offense and defense,” Bonner said. “I feel like she’s learned that a lot from Sue and she just put it here.”
