Atlanta Dream Overview
The Atlanta Dream are a professional women’s basketball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Dream compete in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Eastern Conference, having joined the league as an expansion franchise for the 2008 WNBA season. The team is owned by real estate investors Larry Gottesdiener, Suzanne Abair, and former Dream player Renee Montgomery, and plays its home games at the Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia.
Although the Dream share the Atlanta market with the National Basketball Association’s Atlanta Hawks, the franchise operates independently and is not affiliated with its NBA counterpart. The team’s colors are red, dark grey, light grey, light blue, and white, and its main sponsor is Emory Healthcare. The Dream have qualified for the WNBA Playoffs in ten of their seasons, reached the WNBA Finals three times, and remain in pursuit of the franchise’s first league championship.
Founding and Organizational Origins
Efforts to bring a women’s professional basketball team to Atlanta stretched back to 1995, when the American Basketball League explored placing a franchise in the city. The Atlanta Glory played at Forbes Arena and lasted two seasons before folding before the start of the 1998–99 season. After the league folded, Atlanta was mentioned as a possible future site for WNBA expansion, but efforts did not come together until early 2007, when an organizing committee of Atlanta business leaders and politicians began a serious push to attract an expansion team.
The committee launched a public campaign in February 2007 to collect volunteer support and season-ticket pledges, with Philips Arena, The Arena at Gwinnett Center, and Alexander Memorial Coliseum considered as possible venues. By July 2007, the group had secured 1,200 commitments and began searching for an owner. On October 17, 2007, WNBA president Donna Orender officially announced at a news conference at Centennial Olympic Park that Atlanta would receive a WNBA expansion franchise, with Atlanta businessman and national real estate CEO Ron Terwilliger as the team’s owner.
The franchise took shape quickly. On November 27, 2007, the Dream named Marynell Meadors as the first head coach and general manager. On December 5, 2007, an online contest was announced for fans to vote on the team name, and on January 23, 2008, the team was officially named the Dream, a choice inspired by the famous speech of Atlanta native Martin Luther King Jr. The team’s original colors were sky blue, red, and white, before later evolving into the current palette of red, dark grey, light grey, light blue, and white.
Growth Into WNBA Competition
The Dream stepped into league play with an expansion draft on February 6, 2008, when they selected one player from each of the 13 existing WNBA teams. Atlanta then executed several trades, including sending Roneeka Hodges and a draft pick to the Seattle Storm for Izi Castro Marques and Seattle’s eighth pick, while also acquiring Ivory Latta from the Detroit Shock. The team played its home games at Philips Arena, sharing the venue with the Atlanta Hawks.
The Dream’s inaugural season was historically difficult. From their season-opening loss to the Connecticut Sun on May 17, 2008, through a home loss to the Houston Comets on July 3, 2008, Atlanta lost 17 consecutive games, setting the WNBA all-time record for both consecutive losses and losses to open a season. The Dream earned their first franchise win on July 5, 2008, defeating the Chicago Sky 91–84, and finished the year with a 4–30 record. Under head coach and general manager Marynell Meadors, the team worked to build its foundation by acquiring veteran talent such as Sancho Lyttle, Nikki Teasley, Chamique Holdsclaw, Angel McCoughtry, and Michelle Snow during the 2008–2009 offseason.
Atlanta Dream Competitive Journey
The Dream have progressed from a struggling expansion side to a perennial Eastern Conference contender and three-time WNBA Finals participant. Across seventeen seasons in Atlanta, the franchise has made ten playoff appearances, captured three conference titles, and developed into a respected program within the league.
Early Seasons and Development (2008–2009)
The 2008 season established the Dream as one of the league’s most challenging expansion stories. Despite finishing 4–30, Atlanta’s organization worked to build a competitive core, highlighted by the acquisition of Angel McCoughtry, the first overall pick in the 2009 WNBA Draft. The following year, the Dream improved dramatically, finishing 18–16 and earning their first playoff appearance, though they were swept in the first round by the 2008 champion Detroit Shock. After the season, Marynell Meadors was awarded the WNBA Coach of the Year Award.
The franchise also began to transition at the ownership level. In August 2009, founding owner Ron Terwilliger announced his intention to step aside as the primary owner, and on October 29, 2009, Kathy Betty took control of the team under the business entity Dream Too, LLC.
Breakthrough in the WNBA (2010–2013)
The 2010 season marked the Dream’s first true breakthrough. Atlanta finished fourth in the Eastern Conference, swept the New York Liberty in the Eastern Conference Finals, and advanced to the WNBA Finals, where they were swept by the 28–6 Seattle Storm. Despite being swept, the Dream did not lose any Finals game by more than three points, signaling their arrival as a contender.
In 2011, Atlanta traded for All-Star point guard Lindsey Harding and surged after the All-Star break with a 14–5 run. The Dream swept the Connecticut Sun and defeated the Indiana Fever to return to the WNBA Finals, only to fall to the 27–7 Minnesota Lynx. During the season, Kathy Betty sold Dream Too LLC to local investors Mary Brock and Kelly Loeffler. The 2012 season included the in-season firing of Marynell Meadors following a dispute with Angel McCoughtry, with Fred Williams taking over. In 2013, Atlanta returned to the WNBA Finals for the third time and was again swept by the Lynx. The Dream captured three Eastern Conference championships during this run, in 2010, 2011, and 2013.
Modern Program and Current Direction (2014–Present)
Michael Cooper was hired as head coach for the 2014 season and led the Dream to the playoffs in 2014 and 2016, before being fired after a missed postseason in 2017. On October 30, 2017, the Dream hired Nicki Collen, who guided Atlanta to a 23–11 finish and first place in the Eastern Conference in 2018, though the team was eliminated in the Semifinals. The 2019 season was a struggle, as the Dream finished 8–26, the worst record in the Eastern Conference.
On October 18, 2019, the team unveiled an updated logo and color scheme. In February 2021, a three-member investor group including former Dream guard Renee Montgomery was approved to purchase the franchise from former U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler, ushering in a new era. Tanisha Wright was hired as head coach on October 12, 2021, and on April 6, 2022, the Dream acquired the first overall pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft from the Washington Mystics, selecting Rhyne Howard out of Kentucky. In 2025, the Dream signed 10-time All-Star Brittney Griner to a one-year deal. Karl Smesko currently serves as head coach, and Dan Padover is the general manager.
Philosophy and Competitive Strengths
The Dream have built their identity around player development and perimeter shooting, often relying on dynamic guards such as Rhyne Howard and former franchise star Angel McCoughtry to carry the offense. The franchise’s willingness to make bold trades, such as acquiring the first overall pick in 2022, and its active use of free agency, highlighted by the signing of Brittney Griner, reflect a forward-looking approach focused on competitive urgency in the Eastern Conference.
Key Milestones and Major Moments
The Dream’s most significant milestones include their first franchise win in 2008, three trips to the WNBA Finals in 2010, 2011, and 2013, the coaching tenure of Marynell Meadors, who won Coach of the Year in 2009, and the franchise’s transition in ownership in 2021, when Renee Montgomery and partners purchased the team. The selection of Rhyne Howard with the first overall pick in 2022 and the 2025 signing of Brittney Griner mark the most recent chapter in the Dream’s modern history.
Atlanta Dream Achievements and Results
The Atlanta Dream have recorded ten playoff appearances, three Eastern Conference championships, and three appearances in the WNBA Finals. The franchise has yet to win a league title, but has built a sustained record of postseason contention in the WNBA’s Eastern Conference.
WNBA Achievements
The Dream have made ten playoff appearances in their history and reached the WNBA Finals three times, in 2010, 2011, and 2013. In each Finals appearance, Atlanta was swept, falling to the Seattle Storm in 2010 and the Minnesota Lynx in both 2011 and 2013. The franchise captured its first playoff series victory in 2010, when the Dream swept the New York Liberty in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Conference Achievements
The Dream are three-time Eastern Conference champions, having won conference titles in 2010, 2011, and 2013. In 2018, the Dream finished first in the Eastern Conference with a 23–11 record, although they were eliminated in the Semifinals. The franchise has also developed All-Star-caliber talent, including Angel McCoughtry, Rhyne Howard, and Brittney Griner.
Divisional Achievements
The Dream compete in the WNBA’s Eastern Conference, and the franchise’s divisional play has been part of its three conference title runs in 2010, 2011, and 2013. Atlanta has also secured multiple playoff berths within the Eastern Conference structure across its seventeen seasons.
Series Achievements
Across the WNBA’s broader series history, the Dream are best known for their three Finals appearances and ten total playoff seasons. The franchise’s most celebrated series victories include the 2010 Eastern Conference Finals sweep of the New York Liberty and the 2011 playoff wins over the Connecticut Sun and the Indiana Fever, both of which carried Atlanta back to the WNBA Finals.