Atlanta Dream WNBA Coach Brandi Poole’s Four Sets for Secondary Offense

• By Grant Young

While all basketball offenses need a primary style and philosophy, the coach that knows how to neglect having a secondary offensive strategy is often the one who’s hoisting a championship trophy at the end of the season, and there are a few clear reasons why:

- Adaptability to Opposing Defenses: A secondary offensive strategy allows teams to adjust to the specific defensive schemes used by opponents, keeping them unpredictable and difficult to defend against. 

- Mitigating Key Player Losses: If a star player gets into foul trouble or is injured, a secondary strategy can help the team maintain effectiveness without over-reliance on one individual. 

- Creating Mismatches: A varied offensive approach provides opportunities to exploit defensive mismatches, leading to easier scoring chances and increased offensive productivity. 

- Late-Game Flexibility: In high-pressure situations, having multiple strategies enables teams to adjust on the fly, allowing them to capitalize on emerging opportunities during crucial moments. 

- Consistent Scoring Options: A secondary offensive plan helps maintain consistent scoring, especially when the primary strategy is effectively shut down by a strong defense. 

The ability to adapt and execute a secondary offensive strategy enhances a team's resilience, making it a vital component for success in the postseason. But in order for a secondary offense to be effective, coaches must pour crucial practice time and energy into them. This is why knowing how to go about this is crucial — and why we’re instilling the help of Brandi Poole. 

Coach Poole is an assistant coach of the Atlanta Dream WNBA franchise. Prior to joining the Dream in 2025, Coach Poole spent time in the WNBA as an assistant coach with the Connecticut Sun and Dallas Wings, and as the Director of Basketball Operations with the Portland Fire. She has also served time at the NCAA Division I level with Bowling Green, Indiana, Texas Tech, and West Virginia.

In her ‘Brandi Poole - Secondary Offense & Drills’ clinic, Coach Poole breaks down her team's drill work for executing secondary offense, and teaches the pillars of building culture in your team. We’ve pulled some of her most poignant insights for you below.

Wings to Corners

Coach Poole is convinced that the most effective secondary offense a team can have is a transition offense, which makes all the sense in the world. 

Regardless of whether the other team made or missed their shot, Coach Poole suggests that a team’s wings are running down to each corner with their heads on a swivel, looking behind them to see if a pass is coming. A great point guard will be able to see if they are open and execute a pass their way before the defense is set, potentially stealing easy baskets.

If this pass is made, the player in the corner will either have the option to shoot, dribble and penetrate, or pass up to one of their bigs in the post. 

Double Drags

Coach Poole also believes that a simple double drag at the top of the key (when the two post players will set successive screens and then roll to various places on the floor) is a great staple for any secondary offense. 

She adds that the better shooter out of the two should pop to three-point range or remain along the elbow while the worse shooter out of the two post players should roll to the basket. 

From there, the guard who’s dragging can pass it back to the post player who popped out, creating a shooting opportunity or a subsequent pass into the post, because a passing angle typically opens up in this tunnel high/low scenario off of a double drag. 

Point Forward Plays

It’s no secret that having a post player who can dribble the basketball down the court is a massive asset. But these skills can go to waste without secondary offensive plays to cater to this player. 

For this, Coach Poole suggests a 5 out transition scheme where one of the players along the wing will pin down to the corner with a screen. From there, the screener will cut to the basket while the player who started in the corner will flash up to the wing. 

On the other side, the screens can switch so the player on the corner is coming up to set a screen for the wing player, who can cut to the rim. Then the corner player can flare out to the wing for a three point shot. 

The key here is that all of this movement will be difficult for a defense to adjust to on the fly, especially with a post player facilitating at the top of the key who is also a threat to drive to the basket off the dribble.

5 Across the Half Court Line Drill

A drill that Coach Poole says is great for secondary offense is what she calls the 5 across the half court line drill, which starts with all five players on the half court line and 32 seconds on the clock.

With each trip down the line, one specific player (all of whom are listed from 1-5) must get a shot off. For example, player 1 will take the first shot. Then the five players will transition to the other end where player 2 will take a shot, and so on it goes until all five players have gotten a shot they’d realistically take in a game within the 32 seconds. 

In addition to being a good conditioning drill, this gets the players playing early, pushing the ball up the floor, and getting everybody a shot.