Before the success of the United States women's basketball team in the 1996 Olympic Games, the American Basketball League had an interest in placing a women's professional basketball team in Atlanta as early as 1995.[6] Eight of the twelve Olympians played on ABL teams when the league began play in October 1996.[7] The Atlanta Glory played at Forbes Arena and lasted two seasons before folding before the start of the 1998–99 season, which would be the ABL's final.
Atlanta had been mentioned as a possible future city for WNBA expansion, but efforts did not come together until the beginning of 2007 when an organizing committee with Atlanta businesswomen/men and politicians began the effort to attract an expansion team.[8] The inability of the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA to draw crowds was a concern of the WNBA, and the committee kicked off an effort in February 2007 to gain volunteers and petition signatures. Philips Arena, The Arena at Gwinnett Center, and Alexander Memorial Coliseum were candidates for venues. By May 2007, the committee had over 1,000 pledges for season tickets, although the goal was 8,000 season tickets in ninety days.[9][10] By July the committee had 1,200 commitments and began searching for an owner.[11]
Dream game in 2008
On October 16, 2007, it was reported that Ron Terwilliger, an Atlanta businessman and CEO of a national real estate company would be the future owner of an Atlanta franchise. The next day, at a news conference at Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park, WNBA president Donna Orender announced that Atlanta would officially be granted a WNBA expansion franchise.[12]
On November 27, 2007, Atlanta named Marynell Meadors, a coach with extensive experience at the college level, the first head coach and general manager in franchise history. This was Meadors' second role as a coach/general manager in the WNBA following a stint with the Charlotte Sting. Afterward, Meadors had served as a scouting director for the Miami Sol and had been an assistant coach under Richie Adubato and Tree Rollins for the Washington Mystics.[13] Former NBA player Dennis Rodman volunteered his name as head coach for the Dream. Terwilliger declined, stating that he wanted someone with more coaching experience and he felt that the head coach should be a woman, as the WNBA was a women's league.[14]
On December 5, 2007, an online contest was announced for people to vote on the team name and team colors, while the final choice rested with owner Ron Terwilliger. The names offered as choices were "Dream", "Flight", "Surge" and "Sizzle".[15] On January 23, 2008, the team name was announced as the Dream, inspired by the famous speech of Atlanta native Martin Luther King Jr.,[16] and the team colors were sky blue, red, and white.[17]
Atlanta held its expansion draft on February 6, 2008, when it selected one player from each of the 13 teams in the league. Atlanta traded Roneeka Hodges and their number four pick in the 2008 WNBA draft to the Seattle Storm for Izi Castro Marques and Seattle's eighth pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft. Also, the Dream traded the 18th pick and LaToya Thomas to the Detroit Shock for Ivory Latta.
From May 17, 2008, with a season-opening loss against the Connecticut Sun to July 3, 2008, with a home loss against the Houston Comets, the Dream lost 17 consecutive games, setting the WNBA all-time record for both consecutive losses and losses from opening day. The 2006 Chicago Sky had previously lost 13 consecutive games, and the 2002 Detroit Shock had opened their season 0–13. On July 5, the Dream earned their first win in Atlanta 91–84 against the Chicago Sky, ending the losing streak. They later finished with a 4–30 record.
The Dream's owner, Ron Terwilliger, announced in August that he wanted to give up his position as the primary owner of the Atlanta franchise. On October 29, 2009, Kathy Betty took control of the team under the business entity Dream Too, LLC.[18]
The 2010 season saw further improvement, finishing in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. The Dream then made it through the first two rounds of the playoffs and secured a trip to the WNBA Finals with a win over the New York Liberty, as they swept New York in two games in the Eastern Conference Finals. They eventually faced the best team in the league, the 28–6 Seattle Storm. Seattle took the first two games at home with two close wins. Seattle completed the sweep and won the series in Atlanta.[19] Even though they were swept, the Dream did not lose any game by a margin of more than three points.
Addressing arguably Atlanta's biggest concern, the team traded for All-Star point guard Lindsey Harding prior to the 2011 season. Despite the addition, the Dream struggled to open the season, starting with a 2–7 record due to an injury that sidelined Angel McCoughtry and overseas commitments by Sancho Lyttle. The team then went on a run of 14 wins and 5 losses after the All-Star break. They carried that momentum into the playoffs, sweeping the Connecticut Sun and defeating the Indiana Fever to return to the WNBA Finals. However, they lost to the 27–7 Minnesota Lynx in three games.
During the 2011 season, Betty sold Dream Too LLC to local investors Mary Brock and Kelly Loeffler.[20]
The Dream started the 2012 season with a 12–12 record and fired head coach and general manager Meadors during a dispute with league-leading scorer Angel McCoughtry.[21][22] Meadors was replaced by Fred Williams, finished with a 19–15 record, and lost in the first round.
The following 2013 season, the team again made it to the WNBA Finals, and again was swept by the Lynx. Williams' contract was not renewed.[23][24]
Michael Cooper was then hired for the 2014 season. He led the team to the playoffs in 2014 and 2016 but was fired after failing to make the playoffs in 2017.[25]
On October 30, 2017, the Dream hired Nicki Collen as their new head coach. Collen came over to Atlanta after serving as an assistant coach for the Connecticut Sun.[26] Collen helped the Dream finish first in the Eastern Conference in 2018, finishing with a 23-11 record. They ultimately ended up losing in the Semifinals that year.
2019 was a struggle for the Dream. Angel McCoughtry was still recovering from her ACL tear that occurred during the 2018 year. Tiffany Hayes and Brittney Sykes were bright spots – both averaging in double figures for the year. But that wasn't enough, the Dream finished with the worst record in the Eastern Conference with a 8-26 record. With the WNBA's lottery system of 2-year combine records, the Dream had the worst shot at receiving the top pick in the 2020 WNBA draft and they received the 4th Overall Pick.
Rebranding and Turmoil (2020–2021)
On October 18, 2019, the Dream unveiled an updated logo and color scheme, the first change to their branding since the team's inception in 2008.[27]
Star Angel McCoughtry announced that she wasn't going to return to the Dream in the 2020 season – choosing to sign with the Las Vegas Aces.[28] This began the transformation of the new look Dream. Tiffany Hayes and Renee Montgomery announced that they would be sitting out the "bubble" season – leaving Elizabeth Williams as the only starter coming back from the last two seasons. The Dream selected young star guard Chennedy Carter in the 2020 WNBA draft to start the rebuild.
The Dream played slightly better in 2020 compared to 2019, but still missed the playoffs with a 7-15 record and were the third worst team in the league. Shortly after the George Floyd protests began, the WNBA and players' union decided to put Black Lives Matter and Say Her Name slogans on warmup gear and opening weekend uniforms.[29] By then, team owner Kelly Loeffler was a Republican U.S. Senator, and she criticized the league's support for Black Lives Matter. At the next game, Dream players wore black T-shirts with the slogan "VOTE WARNOCK," endorsing her election opponent Raphael Warnock, an African-American pastor who then defeated Loeffler.[29] The players' union then demanded that Loeffler sell her stake in the team.[29] A three-member investor group, including former Atlanta Dream guard Renee Montgomery, were approved to purchase the team in February 2021.[30]
Collen seemed excited for the upcoming 2021, but left the Dream to go to Baylor about a week before the season began.[31] The Dream promoted Mike Petersen to interim head coach, but he stepped down on July 24 for health reasons. Darius Taylor took over as interim coach through the end of the regular season.[32]
Coaching changes weren't the only issue the Dream faced. Chennedy Carter was suspended on July 5, 2021, due to conduct detrimental to the team and never played again.[33] The Dream's season once again put them at the bottom of the standings and missed the playoffs again. They went 8–24 during the year. Following the season, it was announced that Courtney Williams and Crystal Bradford would not be re-signed due to their roles in an altercation off the court. The league announced that they would be suspended for a couple games in the 2022 season.[34]
The Dream and Carter could not work out their differences from the following season, and on February 5, 2022, the Dream traded her to the Los Angeles Sparks in exchange for Erica Wheeler and some draft picks.[35]
The Rhyne Howard Era (2022–present)
Tasked with trying to turn the team around, the Dream hired Tanisha Wright as their new head coach on October 12, 2021. Wright had played in the league for 12 years and had most recently been an assistant under Bill Laimbeer of the Las Vegas Aces.[36] Wright hired Christie Sides, Paul Goriss, and Barbara Turner to her staff in March of 2022.[37]
The Dream also announced some new partners and sponsors for the upcoming season. Microsoft and Xbox were announced on April 5, 2022.[38] The Dream also announced Emory Healthcare as the first-ever marquee jersey partner. The expanded partnership was put on display as the Emory Healthcare logo made its debut on the Dream’s jerseys during the 2022 season.[4]
The Dream began looking for their next face of the franchise and acquire the 1st Overall Pick in the 2022 WNBA draft from the Washington Mystics on April 6, 2022.[39] They selected Rhyne Howard out of Kentucky as the 1st Overall Pick. Howard was a three-time AP All-America First Team selection, averaged 20.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists as a senior.[40]
The team returned to the renovated and former Philips Arena, which was renamed State Farm Arena in 2018, for the 2019 season.[41] Following the conclusion of the 2019 WNBA regular season, team officials indicated that the Dream would not be returning to State Farm Arena for the 2020 season, citing disagreements with the Hawks' management.[42] The team announced on October 18, 2019, coinciding with their rebranding, they would move to the new Gateway Center Arena in nearby College Park for the 2020 season (later delayed to the 2021 season), sharing the arena with the Hawks' NBA G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks.[27]
In late 2024/early 2025, the team gained publicity as a video of a young man dancing courtside at an Atlanta Dream game went viral on social media platforms Instagram and TikTok. The meme was dubiously nicknamed "chopped chin", in reference to the man's elongated chin.[50]
All-time notes
Regular season attendance
A sellout for a basketball game at State Farm Arena has differed slightly throughout its history:
18,729 from 2008 to 2011
18,371 in 2012
18,238 in 2013
18,118 in 2014
18,047 in 2015 and 2016
16,600 in 2019
A sellout for a basketball game at McCamish Pavilion has been 8,600 since 2012, before the Dream temporarily moved in for 2017 and 2018.
A sellout for a basketball game at the Gateway Center Arena is 3,500 since 2021.
February 6, 2008: The Dream traded LaToya Thomas and the 18th pick in the 2008 WNBA draft to the Detroit Shock in exchange for Ivory Latta.
February 6, 2008: The Dream traded the fourth pick in the 2008 WNBA draft and Roneeka Hodges to the Seattle Storm for Izi Castro Marques and the eighth pick in the draft.
February 6, 2008: The Dream acquired the 24th pick in the 2008 WNBA draft from the Indiana Fever in exchange for agreeing not to select specific unprotected Fever players in the expansion draft.
April 9, 2008: The Dream traded Ann Wauters, draft rights to Morenike Atunrase, and a second-round pick in the 2009 WNBA draft to the San Antonio Silver Stars in exchange for Camille Little, draft rights to Chioma Nnamaka, and a first-round pick in the 2009 WNBA draft.
June 22, 2008: The Dream traded Camille Little to the Seattle Storm in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2009 WNBA draft.
July 4, 2008: The Dream traded Kristen Mann to the Indiana Fever in exchange for Alison Bales.
December 17, 2008: The Dream traded the 13th pick in the 2009 WNBA draft to the Los Angeles Sparks in exchange for the rights to Chamique Holdsclaw.
January 21, 2009: The Dream traded Alison Bales to the Phoenix Mercury in exchange for the 18th pick in the 2009 Draft.
April 9, 2009: The Dream traded the 18th pick in the 2009 WNBA draft to the Detroit Shock in exchange for Ashley Shields.
August 12, 2009: The Dream traded Tamera Young to the Chicago Sky in exchange for Armintie Price.
March 11, 2010: The Dream traded Michelle Snow to the San Antonio Silver Stars in exchange for Dalma Ivanyi and the right to swap second-round picks in the 2010 Draft.
April 11, 2011: The Dream traded Rachel Jarry and second-round pick in 2012 WNBA draft to the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for Felicia Chester.
April 11, 2011: The Dream traded Ta'Shia Phillips, Kelly Miller and first-round pick in 2012 WNBA draft to the Washington Mystics in exchange for Lindsey Harding and second-round pick in 2012 Draft.
February 19, 2013: The Dream traded the 7th and 19th pick in the 2013 WNBA draft to the Washington Mystics in exchange for Jasmine Thomas and second-round pick in 2013 Draft.
March 12, 2014: The Dream traded Alex Bentley and the 32nd pick in the 2014 WNBA draft to the Connecticut Sun in exchange for Matee Ajavon and the 18th pick in the 2014 Draft from the Washington Mystics.
May 7, 2014: The Dream traded Courtney Clements to the Chicago Sky in exchange for Swin Cash.
July 9, 2014: The Dream traded Swin Cash to the New York Liberty in exchange for DeLisha Milton-Jones.
April 16, 2015: The Dream traded Jasmine Thomas to the Connecticut Sun in exchange for Brittany Hrynko.
July 27, 2015: The Dream traded Érika de Souza to the Chicago Sky in exchange for Damiris Dantas, Reshanda Gray, and a first-round pick in 2016 Draft from the Minnesota Lynx. Minnesota received Sylvia Fowles and a second-round pick in 2016 WNBA draft from Chicago as part of this trade.
February 3, 2016: The Dream traded the 4th pick in the 2016 Draft to the Connecticut Sun in exchange for Elizabeth Williams.
May 2, 2016: The Dream traded Shoni Schimmel to the New York Liberty in exchange for second-round pick in 2017 Draft.
January 26, 2017: The Dream traded Reshanda Gray to the Connecticut Sun in exchange for Aneika Henry-Morello.
April 12, 2018: The Dream receive 15th pick in 2018 WNBA draft and a second-round pick in 2019 WNBA draft in exchange for Bria Holmes.
July 9, 2018: The Dream receive Alex Bentley in exchange for Layshia Clarendon and a second-round pick in 2019 WNBA draft.
May 16, 2019: The Dream receive Dallas' third-round pick in the 2020 WNBA draft in exchange for Imani McGee-Stafford.
February 10, 2020: The Dream traded Brittney Sykes and Marie Gülich to Los Angeles in exchange for Kalani Brown.
February 19, 2020: The Dream traded Jessica Breland and Nia Coffey to Phoenix as part of a three-way trade with Connecticut in exchange for Courtney Williams and the 17th pick in the 2020 WNBA draft.
February 21, 2021: The Dream traded their third-round pick in the 2022 Draft in exchange for Yvonne Turner.
January 31, 2022: The Dream traded a third-round pick in the 2023 Draft to the Phoenix Mercury in exchange for Kia Vaughn.
February 5, 2022: The Dream traded Chennedy Carter and the rights to Li Yueru to the Los Angeles Sparks in exchange for Erica Wheeler, a second-round pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft, and a first-round pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft.
April 6, 2022: The Dream traded the 3rd and 14th overall picks in the 2022 WNBA Draft, and the right to swap first-round picks with the Los Angeles Sparks to the Washington Mystics in exchange for the 1st Overall Pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft.
June 8, 2022: The Dream traded Megan Walker and the rights to Raquel Carrera to the New York Liberty in exchange for AD Durr.
January 12, 2023: The Dream traded Kristy Wallace to Indiana in exchange for Danielle Robinson.
January 21, 2023: The Dream traded the third pick in the 2023 Draft and a first round pick in the 2025 Draft in exchange for Allisha Gray.
February 9, 2023: The Dream traded Tiffany Hayes to Connecticut in exchange for the sixth pick in the 2023 Draft.
May 16, 2023: The Dream traded Leigha Brown to Connecticut in exchange for a third round pick in the 2025 Draft.
February 1, 2024: The Dream traded the 8th pick in the 2024 Draft and Aari McDonald to Los Angeles in exchange for Jordin Canada and the 12th pick in the 2024 Draft.
May 4, 2024: The Dream traded their third round pick in the 2025 Draft to Dallas in exchange for Crystal Dangerfield.
