RotoWire this summer is exploring the WNBA's 50+ defining moments across its 30-year history, including spotlights on individual franchises. Below, we take a look at the 
Atlanta Dream and their rise in the league on the court and across cultural and business milestones.
The Dream were founded as an expansion franchise, and their team name is derived from Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. As such, it's fitting that the team located in a city that has been home to several prominent civil rights advocates has been a leader in the WNBA's history of advocacy.
From Expansion Troubles to Finals Contenders
The Dream joined the WNBA as an expansion team in 2008 and lost 17 consecutive games to begin their inaugural season, but they made an early splash on the court overall by qualifying for the WNBA Finals in the 2010, 2011 and 2013 seasons, led by star Angel McCoughtry. Atlanta has yet to hoist the WNBA Championship Trophy, but the team has consistently drawn star talent, including McCoughtry and Tiffany Hayes, as well as the team's new era of stars that includes Rhyne Howard and Angel Reese.
Kelly Loeffler, "Vote Warnock" & A Defining WNBA Moment
Atlanta's ownership turned over several times across the first several years of existence before a group that included Kelly Loeffler purchased the team in 2011. During the "wubble" season during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, the WNBA and WNBPA agreed to wear "Black Lives Matter" and "Say Her Name" slogans on apparel in the wake of the nationwide George Floyd protests.
Loeffler, who was a U.S. Senator by this time, was critical of the league's support of the Black Lives Matter movement and asked commissioner Cathy Engelbert for the league to back down. In the Dream's first game following that request, the team's players donned shirts that read "VOTE WARNOCK," a show of support for Loeffler's opponent in the 2020 Georgia Senate election, Rev. Raphael Warnock. The movement was also taken up by several other players around the league.
Renee Montgomery & A New Era Of Dream Ownership
Warnock went on to defeat Loeffler, and the WNBPA put pressure on Loeffler to sell the team. Several prominent figures expressed interest in purchasing the team, but the Dream were ultimately sold in 2021 to a three-person investor group that included former Dream player Renee Montgomery, who sat out the 2020 campaign due in part to concerns of racism before announcing her retirement in 2021. In addition to a second career in broadcasting, Montgomery has worked as an activist for racial equality in subsequent years.
Rhyne Howard, Angel Reese & Atlanta's Next Chapter
On the court, the Dream had three consecutive seasons with single-digit wins between the 2019 and 2021 campaigns, and they ultimately earned the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft, which they used to draft Rhyne Howard. The Dream missed out on the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season in 2022, but Howard was named Rookie of the Year. The Dream made several acquisitions ahead of the 2023 campaign, including Allisha Gray, and they ended their playoff drought following the regular season.
They made the playoffs once again in 2024, but following a second consecutive first-round exit, they parted ways with head coach Tanisha Wright and brought in former FGCU head coach Karl Smesko ahead of the 2025 campaign. In addition to hiring Smesko, Atlanta bolstered its frontcourt by acquiring Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones. Despite earning the No. 3 seed in the playoffs following the 2025 campaign, the Dream lost in the first round for a third consecutive season. Griner departed for Connecticut ahead of the 2026 campaign, but the team made a splashy trade by acquiring one of the league's premier talents and personalities in Angel Reese.
The trio of Howard, Reese and Gray makes the Dream a formidable threat for years to come, while Reese's desire to play in Atlanta signals that the team's recent revitalization has made it an appealing destination for top talent. After years of operating as a leader in advocacy and outreach, the Dream have reclaimed a spot as one of the league's most competitive teams on the court.
