Atlanta Dream facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Atlanta Dream
Conference	Eastern
Leagues	WNBA
Founded	2008
History	Atlanta Dream 2008–present
Arena	Gateway Center Arena State Farm Arena (2027)
Location	College Park, Georgia
Team colors	Red, dark grey, light grey, light blue, white
Main sponsor	Emory Healthcare
General manager	Dan Padover
Head coach	Karl Smesko
Assistant(s)	Camryn Brown Chelsea Lyles LaToya Sanders Brandi Poole
Ownership	Larry Gottesdiener Suzanne Abair Renee Montgomery
Championships	0
Conference titles	3 (2010, 2011, 2013)
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The Atlanta Dream are an American professional basketball team. They play in the Atlanta metropolitan area in the state of Georgia. The team is part of the Women's National Basketball Association, which people call the WNBA for short. They compete in the Eastern Conference against other top clubs. The team began playing games during the 2008 WNBA season. Today, the club is owned by Larry Gottesdiener, Suzanne Abair, and former player Renee Montgomery. The city of Atlanta also has a famous men's team called the Hawks in the NBA. The Dream share the city with the Hawks, but the two clubs are run separately.

The Dream have had many exciting years on the court. They have reached the WNBA playoffs ten times in their history. The team has also made it all the way to the WNBA Finals four times. Many world-famous stars have worn the team jersey. These stars include college standouts Angel McCoughtry and Shoni Schimmel from the University of Louisville. Other famous players include championship winner Betty Lennox and long-distance shooter Izi Castro Marques from Brazil. The Dream played in the championship series in 2010 against the Seattle Storm. They returned to the finals in 2011 and the 2013 Finals against the Minnesota Lynx. Most recently, they reached the 2026 Finals against the Golden State Valkyries.

The History of the Atlanta Dream

Dream game in 2008

Women's professional basketball has a rich background in the state of Georgia. Long before the Dream arrived, other groups tried to bring a top team to the city.

How the Team Was Created in Atlanta

Before the famous 1996 Olympic Games, leaders wanted a women's team in the city. A league called the American Basketball League started in October 1996. A club named the Atlanta Glory played games at Forbes Arena. That team played for two seasons before the league closed down.

For years, people wanted a WNBA club in town. In 2007, local business leaders and city officials worked together to make it happen. Some people worried because the men's team struggled to sell tickets. Supporters quickly launched a campaign to collect signatures and get ticket pledges. Several buildings were considered for games, such as Philips Arena, The Arena at Gwinnett Center, and Alexander Memorial Coliseum. Over 1,200 fans promised to buy tickets, showing that the city was ready.

On October 16, 2007, businessman Ron Terwilliger stepped forward to purchase the new club. The next day, WNBA president Donna Orender held a news conference at Centennial Olympic Park. She officially announced that Atlanta had won an expansion team.

Choosing the Coaches and the Famous Name

In November 2007, the team hired its very first head coach and general manager. They picked Marynell Meadors, an experienced leader who had worked with the Charlotte Sting. She had also worked for the Miami Sol and served as an assistant with the Washington Mystics under Richie Adubato and Tree Rollins. Former men's player Dennis Rodman asked to coach the team, but the owner wanted Meadors instead. Terwilliger believed an experienced woman was the right choice for the women's league.

The team asked fans to help pick a team name through an online vote. Fans could choose between "Dream", "Flight", "Surge", and "Sizzle". On January 23, 2008, the owner announced that the winning name was the Dream. The name honored the famous speech made by civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., who was born in Atlanta. The official colors became sky blue, red, and white.

A Tough First Year on the Court

The Dream built their first roster during an expansion draft in February 2008. They picked players from across the league to fill out their squad. The club traded player Roneeka Hodges and draft picks to the Seattle Storm to get Izi Castro Marques. They also made a trade with the Detroit Shock to add guard Ivory Latta and traded LaToya Thomas.

The first season was very difficult for the new squad. Starting with a loss against the Connecticut Sun, the Dream lost 17 games in a row. Their losing streak finally ended on July 5 with a win over the Chicago Sky. That cold streak broke an older record set by the Detroit Shock and the Chicago Sky. Atlanta finished their first year with a record of 4 wins and 30 losses.

The Exciting Angel McCoughtry Era

The team wanted to improve fast after their rough beginning. The front office worked hard to find great talent through trades and drafts.

Reaching the Playoffs and First Finals

Coach Marynell Meadors added great new players before the 2009 season started. The team brought in Sancho Lyttle, Nikki Teasley, Chamique Holdsclaw, and Michelle Snow. They also drafted star rookie Angel McCoughtry. The changes worked wonders immediately. Atlanta finished the year with 18 wins and 16 losses to reach the playoffs. Although they lost to the Detroit Shock, Meadors won the Coach of the Year Award. In late 2009, Kathy Betty bought the team from Terwilliger under the name Dream Too, LLC.

The 2010 season brought even more joy to Atlanta basketball fans. The Dream finished fourth in the conference and caught fire during the postseason. They defeated the New York Liberty in two straight games during the conference finals. That victory sent the Dream to their first ever WNBA Finals against the Seattle Storm. Even though Seattle won the series at their home arena and in Atlanta, every game was very close.

More Trips to the Championship Series

Before the 2011 season, the Dream traded for All-Star guard Lindsey Harding. Atlanta started slowly because McCoughtry was hurt and Lyttle had overseas basketball games. After the midseason break, the team went on a tear, winning 14 of their next 19 games. In the playoffs, they swept the Connecticut Sun and beat the Indiana Fever. They returned to the finals but lost to the powerhouse Minnesota Lynx. That year, investors Mary Brock and Kelly Loeffler purchased the team.

The 2012 season had many changes. The team had 12 wins and 12 losses when coach Meadors left the team. Assistant coach Fred Williams took over and guided the club to another playoff trip.

In 2013, Williams led the Dream back to the WNBA Finals for the third time. The team swept the Indiana Fever in the conference finals. However, the Dream were beaten once more by the Minnesota Lynx in the championship round.

Coaching Changes and New Challenges

Former basketball star Michael Cooper became the head coach in 2014. He led the Dream to first place in the conference that season. Under Cooper, the team reached the playoffs in 2014 and 2016. However, after missing the playoffs in 2017, the team decided to look for a new leader.

Coach Nicki Collen arrived in late 2017 after coaching with the Connecticut Sun. In 2018, she led the team to a fantastic 23-11 record. The team reached the playoff semifinals before losing a tight series.

The 2019 season proved very difficult because McCoughtry missed games with a knee injury. Players like Tiffany Hayes and Brittney Sykes played hard and scored lots of points. Still, the team finished with only 8 wins. That tough year gave them the fourth pick in the 2020 WNBA draft.

A Fresh Look and New Ownership

Big changes were coming for the Atlanta franchise, both on the court and in the front office.

The 2020 Season in the Florida Bubble

In October 2019, the Dream revealed a brand new logo and modernized team colors. Soon after, longtime hero Angel McCoughtry signed with the Las Vegas Aces. Due to world events, the 2020 season took place inside a safe sports bubble in Florida. Some veterans sat out, leaving Elizabeth Williams to lead the young roster. The Dream selected scoring guard Chennedy Carter in the 2020 WNBA draft.

The players also spoke up strongly for fair treatment and unity across the country. They joined the players' union to support social causes on their uniforms. When owner Kelly Loeffler disagreed with the team, players supported her political opponent Raphael Warnock. Warnock won the election, and fans cheered the players for standing together. In February 2021, an investor group led by Larry Gottesdiener, Suzanne Abair, and former player Renee Montgomery purchased the team.

Difficult Months on the Court

The 2021 season brought lots of unexpected hurdles for the team. Coach Collen left right before opening night to coach college basketball at Baylor. Assistant Mike Petersen stepped up as interim coach, but stepped down later for health reasons. Coach Darius Taylor then took over for the rest of the summer.

Problems continued when young star Chennedy Carter was suspended by the team. Atlanta finished near the bottom of the standings with an 8-24 record. Players Courtney Williams and Crystal Bradford also left the roster after the season ended. In February 2022, the team traded Carter to the Los Angeles Sparks for guard Erica Wheeler.

The Rhyne Howard Era and Championship Return

A new chapter began in 2022 with fresh leadership, new uniforms, and a superstar draft pick.

Building a Strong Foundation

The Dream hired Tanisha Wright as their new head coach in late 2021. Wright was a longtime league player who had worked with coach Bill Laimbeer in Las Vegas. She hired trusted assistants like Christie Sides, Paul Goriss, and Barbara Turner.

The club also gained major sponsors like Microsoft, Xbox, and Emory Healthcare. On the court, Atlanta made a blockbuster trade with the Washington Mystics to get the number one pick in the 2022 WNBA draft. They picked college superstar Rhyne Howard from the Kentucky Wildcats. Howard was an elite scorer and passer who instantly became the leader of the team.

Climbing Back to the Top of the League

Atlanta kept adding talented players to help Howard win games. In 2025, the team signed famous center Brittney Griner to control the paint. The front office also brought in college star Angel Reese and veteran champion DeWanna Bonner.

Under head coach Karl Smesko, the Dream became one of the top clubs in basketball. During their great 2026 season, they won 44 games and earned a high playoff seed. They swept past the Washington Mystics and took down the New York Liberty in three straight games. That magical run carried the Dream back to the WNBA Finals for the first time in thirteen years.

The Homegrown Uniforms

For the 2026 season, the Dream teamed up with Nike, Inc. to release a fresh Rebel Edition uniform. The project was called the "Homegrown" campaign. It used an "atl" bubble logo on the front of the jerseys. It also included a peach emblem with a special "A" to honor the state of Georgia. Fans loved the creative shirts, hats, and warmups.

Basketball Arenas of the Dream

State Farm Arena

Over the years, the Atlanta Dream have welcomed fans in several different arenas.

Downtown and College Park Venues

From 2008 until 2016, the Dream played their home games at Philips Arena in downtown Atlanta. In 2013, a scheduling mix-up forced them to host finals games at The Arena at Gwinnett Center in nearby Duluth. When the downtown arena had construction work done, the team played at McCamish Pavilion on the Georgia Institute of Technology campus.

In 2020, the team moved south to Gateway Center Arena in College Park. They shared this modern building with the NBA G League team named the College Park Skyhawks. Starting in 2024, the Dream returned downtown to play select games at State Farm Arena. The huge crowds led the team to announce they would move back to State Farm Arena full-time starting in 2027.

Season-by-Season Records

The Dream have competed in many thrilling regular seasons and playoff battles over the years.

Players on the Court

Hundreds of talented athletes have played basketball for the Atlanta franchise.

Current Roster

Other Rights Owned

Nationality		Name		Years pro		Last played		Drafted
		Dalma Ivanyi		5		2006		1999

Famous Former Dream Players

• Kalani Brown, a center who later joined the Las Vegas Aces
• Izi Castro Marques, a great three-point shooter from Brazil
• Érika de Souza, a dependable rebounder who played many years in Atlanta
• Katie Feenstra-Mattera, a tall center on the opening 2008 roster
• Lindsey Harding, a speedy point guard who later coached with the Los Angeles Lakers
• Tiffany Hayes, a high-scoring guard who later played for the Golden State Valkyries
• Chamique Holdsclaw, an Olympic gold medalist and college legend
• Ivory Latta, an energetic guard who made exciting long-range shots
• Shalee Lehning, a point guard known for smart passing
• Betty Lennox, an award-winning scorer who helped start the franchise
• Camille Little, an inside scorer who later joined the Dallas Wings staff
• Sancho Lyttle, an All-Star forward who led the league in steals
• Kristen Mann, an outside shooting forward
• Angel McCoughtry, the all-time scoring leader in team history
• Coco Miller, a steady backcourt veteran
• DeLisha Milton-Jones, a skilled forward who won two Olympic gold medals
• Shoni Schimmel, a fan-favorite guard who won All-Star Game MVP
• Michelle Snow, an athletic center famous for dunking in college
• Nikki Teasley, an experienced guard who set up teammates

Coaches and Team Leaders

Great leaders have managed the front office and taught the team from the sidelines.

Team Owners

• Ron Terwilliger (2008–2009)
• Kathy Betty (2010)
• Dream Too LLC, owned by Mary Brock and Kelly Loeffler (2011–2021)
• Larry Gottesdiener, Suzanne Abair, and Renee Montgomery (2021–present)

Team Executives

• Bill Bolen (2008–2009)
• Kathy Betty (2010–2011)
• Peter J. Canalichio (2012)
• Ashley Preisinger (2012–2014)
• Theresa Wenzel (2014–2016)
• Chris Sienko (2017–2021)
• Morgan Shaw Parker (2022–present)

Head Coaches

General Managers

• Marynell Meadors (2008–2012)
• Fred Williams (2012–2013)
• Angela Taylor (2014–2016)
• Chris Sienko (2017–2021)
• Dan Padover (2021–present)

Assistant Coaches

Team Statistics and Leaders

Every year, coaches track points, rebounds, and assists to see who leads the squad.

See also

In Spanish: Atlanta Dream para niños