Atlanta Dream

The Atlanta Dream compete in the Women's National Basketball Association as a member of the Eastern Conference. The franchise began play in the 2008 season after receiving an expansion award on October 17, 2007. Ron Terwilliger led the original ownership group that established the team, which operates independently from the NBA's Atlanta Hawks despite sharing the same metropolitan market.

Home games have moved between several venues over the years. The team played at Philips Arena (now State Farm Arena) from 2008 to 2016 and again from 2019 to 2020. During the 2017 and 2018 seasons, the Dream utilized McCamish Pavilion on the Georgia Tech campus. Since 2021, the primary home has been Gateway Center Arena in College Park, a 3,500-seat facility serving as both game site and practice center. Rising attendance figures in late 2026 prompted an announcement that the team would move full-time to State Farm Arena starting with the 2027 season. [編集]

A 4-30 record marked the debut season under head coach Marynell Meadors in 2008. Improvement arrived quickly, with the first playoff appearance coming in 2009 against the Detroit Shock. The 2010 season saw the Dream finish first in the Eastern Conference with a 19-15 record. They defeated the New York Liberty and Washington Mystics to reach the Finals but fell to the Seattle Storm in a sweep. Fred Williams took over coaching duties for 2011, leading the team back to the Finals where they lost to the Minnesota Lynx. Michael Cooper served as head coach from 2014 through 2017, guiding the squad to playoff appearances in 2016 and 2017.

Nicki Collen coached the team from 2018 to 2020, reaching the postseason in 2018. Tanisha Wright led the franchise from 2022 to 2024, securing playoff berths in consecutive years. Karl Smesko was hired for the 2025 season. Off the court, the franchise changed hands in 2021 when a group including former player Renee Montgomery purchased the team. This made Montgomery the first former WNBA player to become a team owner. The 2026 season brought significant attention as Angel Reese joined the roster and won Defensive Player of the Year, while Rhyne Howard continued her development as a two-time All-Star guard. [編集]