Friday, December 6, 2024

The Atlanta Dream


Photo Credit 

this article researched and compiled 
by Carrie Birdsong

Conference:
  Eastern
Leagues:  WNBA
Founded: 2008(1)
History: Atlanta Dream (2008 – Present)
Arena: Gateway Center Arena
Location: College Park, Georgia
Team Colors: Red, Dark Grey, Light Grey, Light Blue, 
                     White(2)(3)
Main Sponsor: Emory Healthcare(4)
General Manager: Dan Padover
Head Coach: Tanisha Wright
Assistant(s): Vickie Johnson, Paul Goriss, Barbara 
                    Turner
Ownership: Larry Gottesdiener, Suzanne Abair, Renee 
                   Montgomery(5)
Championships: 0
Conference Titles: 3 (2010, 2011, 2013)


The Atlantic Dream is an American professional basketball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area, playing in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WBNA) Eastern Conference. The team was founded for the 2008 WNBA season. The team is owned by real estate investors Larry Gottesdiener, Suzanne Abair, and former Dream player Renee Montgomery. Although the Dream shares the Atlanta Atlanta market with the National Basketball Association’s Hawks, the Dream is not affiliated with its NBA counterpart. The Dream plays at the Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia.

The Dream has qualified for the WNBA Playoffs in eight of its thirteen years in Atlanta and has reached the WNBA Finals three times. The franchise has been home to many high-quality players such as University of Louisville standouts Angel McCoughtry and Shoni Schimmel, former Finals MVP Betty Lennox, and Brazilian sharpshooter Izi Castro Marques. In 2010, the Dream went to the WNBA Finals but fell short to the Seattle Storm. They lost to the Minnesota Lynx in the 2011 and 2013 WNBA Finals.

Franchise History

Joining the League

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 – 1999 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. Phillips 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 90 days(9)(10). By July, the committee had 1,200 commitments and began searching for an owner. (11)

On October 16th, 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 27th, 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 coach/general manager in the WNBA following a stint with the Charlotte Sting. Afterward, Meadors 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 that he felt that the head coach should be a woman, as the WNBA was a women’s league. (14)

On December 5th, 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 23rd, 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 6th, 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 17th, 2008, with a season-opening loss against the Connecticut Sun on July 3rd, 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 5th, 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 Angel McCoughtry Era (2008 – 2019)

Not wanting a repeat of 2008, head coach and general manager Marynell Meadors acquired players such as Sancho Lyttle, Nikki Teasley, Chamique Holdsclaw, Angel McCoughtry, and Michelle Snow in the 2008 – 2009 offseason. In 2009, Atlanta reached the playoffs at 18 – 16, exceeding their previous record by 14 wins, but lost in the first round to the 2008 champion Detroit Shock in a sweep. After the season, their coach, Marynell Meadors, was awarded the Coach of the Year Award.

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 29th, 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 before 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 30th, 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 an 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 18th, 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 of the Dream. Tiffany Hayes and Renee Montgomery announced 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, was approved to purchase the team in February 2021. (30)

Collen seemed excited about the upcoming 2021 season 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 24th 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 5th, 2021, due to a conflict 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 2022. (34)

The Dream and Carter could not work out their differences from the following season, and on February 5th, 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 12th, 2021. Wright had played in the league for 12 years and had most recently been an assistant under Bill Laimbeer of the Los Angeles 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, 5th 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 the next face of the franchise and acquired the 1st overall pick in the 2022 WNBA draft from the Washington Mystics on April 6th, 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, averaging 20.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists as a senior. (40)

Arenas

The Dream played at Phillips Arena in downtown Atlanta, shared with the Atlanta Hawks, from 2008 to 2016. In 2013, the team qualified for the WNBA Finals, but a scheduling conflict forced them to play home games at The Arena at Gwinnett Center, in suburban Duluth. Due to renovations to Phillips Arena during the Hawks’ 2017 and 2018 off-seasons, the Dream played home games at McCamish Pavilion on the Georgia Institute of Technology campus.

The team returned to the renovated and former Philips Arena, renamed State Farm Arena in 2018, and 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 18th, 2019, coinciding with their rebranding, that 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)

Arenas

Arena 

Tenure 

Philips Arena 

2008 – 2016 

McCamish Pavilion 

2017 – 2018 

State Farm Arena 

2019 

Gateway Center Arena 

2020 - Present 

References [edit]

1.     "Key Dates–Dream History" (PDF). 2019 Atlanta 
        Dream Media Guide. WNBA Properties, Inc. 
        Retrieved October 21, 2019.

2.     "Atlanta Dream Unveil Bold New Brand". Dream.
        WNBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. October 
        18, 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2019.

3.     "Atlanta Dream Reproduction Guideline Sheet". 
        WNBA Enterprises, LLC. Retrieved October 30, 
        2019.

4.     Jump up to a b "WNBA's Atlanta Dream 
        Announces Emory Healthcare as Franchise's 
        First-Ever Marquee Jersey Partner". dream.wbna.
        com. WNBA. Retrieved July 7, 2022.

5.     "WNBA's Atlanta Dream Sold to Investor Group 
        Including Renee Montgomery". Sports Illustrated. 
        February 26, 2021. Retrieved February 26, 2021.

6.     "Women's Basketball Timeline: 1990s". Archived 
        from the original on July 25, 2008. Retrieved 
        2008-06-24.

7.     "American Basketball League profile by Inter-
        basket". Archived from the original on July 6, 
       2008. Retrieved June 24, 2008.

8.     "Atlanta group launching an effort to attract 
        WNBA team". USA Today. February 19, 2007. 
        Retrieved June 24, 2008.

9.     "WNBA-ATL website". From web.archive.org. 
        Archived from the original on June 23, 2007. 
        Retrieved June 24, 2008.

10.   "Atlanta courts WNBA". Southern Voice. Re-
        trieved June 24, 2008.

11.   "Atlanta committee looking for a potential owner 
        for WNBA team". USA Today. May 30, 2007. 
        Retrieved June 24, 2008.

12.   "Atlanta lands WNBA's 14th team". USA Today. 
        October 18, 2007. Retrieved June 24, 2008.

13.   "Atlanta Franchise Names Marynell Meadors 
        Head Coach and General Manager". WNBA. 
        Archived from the original on October 13, 2008. 
        Retrieved 2008-06-24.

14.   "Atlanta WNBA owner says he's not interested 
        in Rodman as coach". ESPN. Retrieved June 24, 
        2008.

15.   "Names in the Game". International Herald 
        Tribune. Retrieved June 24, 2008.

16.   "Atlanta Dream video at 13:15". Archived 
        from the original on May 14, 2008. Retrieved 
        April 21, 2009.

17.   "Atlanta's WNBA team named Atlanta Dream". 
        WNBA. Archived from the original on May 14, 
        2008. Retrieved June 24, 2008.

18.   Swartz, Kristi E. (October 29, 2009). "Atlanta 
        businesswoman Kathy Betty to buy WNBA 
        team". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived 
        from the original on November 1, 2009. Re
        trieved October 29, 2009.

19.   Seattle @ Atlanta Game 3 Archived September 
        18, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.

20.   "The Atlanta Dream Transfer Ownership From 
        Kathy Betty To Mary Brock and Kelly Loeffler". 
        SB Nation. September 4, 2011.

21.   Voepel, Mechelle (August 27, 2012). "Sad time 
        for Meadors, Dream". ESPN. Retrieved August 
        28, 2012.

22.   Voepel, Mechelle (August 24, 2012). "Mc
        Coughtry's absence is puzzling". ESPN. 
        Retrieved August 27, 2012.

23.   Fred Williams is out as Dream head coach/
        GM.

24.   Atlanta Dream won't renew coach Fred 
        Williams' contract.

25.   "Former Laker Michael Cooper fired by 
        WNBA's Atlanta Dream". Los Angeles 
        Times. Associated Press. September 5, 
        2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.

26.   "Nicki Collen Named Atlanta Dream Head 
        Coach". wnba.com. WNBA. October 30, 
        2017. Retrieved June 4, 2018.

27.   Jump up to a "b" Atlanta Dream getting a new 
        logo, new home". 11Alive. WXIA TV. October 
        18, 2019.

28.   "Angel McCoughtry leaves Atlanta Dream after 
        11 years". projectq.us. Project Q Atlanta. Re
         trieved July 7, 2022.

29.   Jump up to a "b"  Atlanta Dream, Co-Owned By 
        Former Sen. Kelly Loeffler, Is Close To Being 
        Sold

30.   "Dream sold to the group after pressure on 
        Loeffler". ESPN.com. February 26, 2021. 
        Retrieved March 1, 2021.

31.   "Atlanta Dream's Nicki Collen leaving 
        WNBA to coach Baylor after Kim Mulkey's 
        departure". ESPN.com. ESPN. May 3, 2021. 
        Retrieved July 7, 2022.

32.   "Atlanta Dream interim head coach Mike 
        Petersen steps down due to health reasons". 
        cbssports.com. CBS. July 24, 2021. Retrieved 
        August 9, 2021.

33.   Shapiro, Michael (July 5, 2021). "Atlanta Dream 
        Suspend Guard Chennedy Carter for Conduct 
        Detrimental to Team". Sports Illustrated. 
        Retrieved July 7, 2022.

34.   Maloney, Jack (November 24, 2021). "WNBA 
        suspends Courtney Williams, Crystal Bradford 
        for roles in a fight outside Atlanta club earlier 
        this year". CBS Sports. Retrieved July 7, 2022.

35.   "Sparks trade for Chennedy Carter, send Erica 
        Wheeler to Dream". The New York Times. Re
        trieved July 7, 2022.

36.   "Atlanta Dream names Tanisha Wright as Head 
        Coach". dream.wnba.com. WNBA. Retrieved 
        July 7, 2022.

37.   "Atlanta Dream Head Coach Tanisha Wright 
        Finalizes Coaching and Development Staff". 
        dream.wnba.com. WNBA. Retrieved July 7, 
        2022.

38.   "WNBA's Atlanta Dream Partners with 
        Microsoft and Xbox to Empower Girls and 
        Women in Atlanta". dream.wnba.com. WNBA. 
        Retrieved July 7, 2022.

39.   Zucker, Joseph. "Atlanta Dream Acquire No. 1 
        Pick in 2022 WNBA draft in Trade with Mystics". 
        bleacherreport.com. Bleacher Report. Retrieved 
        July 7, 2022.

40.   "Atlanta Dream Selects Rhyne Howard as First 
        Overall Pick in WNBA Draft 2022 Presented by 
        State Farm®". wnba.com. WNBA. Retrieved 
        July 7, 2022.

41.   "Atlanta Dream Unveil 2019 Schedule". Atlanta 
        Dream. Retrieved December 20, 2018.

42.   Hummer, Steve (September 9, 2019). "Dream 
        owners look to a future that doesn't include
        State Farm Arena". The Atlanta Journal-
        Constitution. Retrieved September 13, 2019.

43.   [1] [dead link]

44.   [2] [dead link]

45.   [3] [dead link]

46.   [4] [dead link]

47.   [5] [dead link]

48.   "FOX Sports South and FOX Sports Southeast to 
        be Exclusive Regional Broadcaster of Atlanta 
        Dream". Atlanta Dream. July 24, 2020. Retrieved 
        March 27, 2022.

49.   "WNBA Extends TV Rights Deal with ESPN and 
        ABC". Sports Business. June 18, 2007. Archived 
        from the original on November 10, 2009. Re
        trieved 2009-08-04.

50.   "WNBA Announces Plan To Tip Off 2020 
        Season". WNBA. June 15, 2020. Retrieved 
        June 17, 2020.

51.   "WNBA announces plans for 2020 season to 
        start late July in Florida". NBC Sports 
        Washington. June 15, 2020. Retrieved June 
        15, 2020.

References [edit]

1.     "Key Dates–Dream History" (PDF). 2019 
        Atlanta Dream Media Guide. WNBA Pro
        parties, Inc. Retrieved October 21, 2019.

2.     "Atlanta Dream Unveil Bold New Brand". 
        Dream.WNBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, 
        LLC. October 18, 2019. Retrieved October 
        19, 2019.

3.     "Atlanta Dream Reproduction Guideline 
        Sheet". WNBA Enterprises, LLC. Retrieved 
        October 30, 2019.

4.     Jump up to a "b" WNBA's Atlanta Dream 
        Announces Emory Healthcare as Franchise's 
        First-Ever Marquee Jersey Partner". dream.
        wnba.com. WNBA. Retrieved July 7, 2022.

5.     "WNBA's Atlanta Dream Sold to Investor 
        Group Including Renee Montgomery". Sports 
        Illustrated. February 26, 2021. Retrieved 
        February 26, 2021.

6.     "Women's Basketball Timeline: 1990s". 
        Archived from the original on July 25, 2008. 
        Retrieved 2008-06-24.

7.     "American Basketball League profile by 
        Interbasket". Archived from the original on 
        July 6, 2008. Retrieved June 24, 2008.

8.     "Atlanta group launching an effort to attract 
        WNBA team". USA Today. February 19, 2007. 
        Retrieved June 24, 2008.

9.     "WNBA-ATL website". From web. archive.
        org. Archived from the original on June 23, 
        2007. Retrieved June 24, 2008.

10.   "Atlanta courts WNBA". Southern Voice. 
        Retrieved June 24, 2008.

11.   "Atlanta committee looking for a potential 
        owner for WNBA team". USA Today. May 30, 
        2007. Retrieved June 24, 2008.

12.   "Atlanta lands WNBA's 14th team". USA 
        Today. October 18, 2007. Retrieved June 24, 
        2008.

13.   "Atlanta Franchise Names Marynell Meadors 
        Head Coach and General Manager". WNBA. 
        Archived from the original on October 13, 2008. 
        Retrieved 2008-06-24.

14.   "Atlanta WNBA owner says he's not interested 
        in Rodman as coach". ESPN. Retrieved June 24, 
        2008.

15.   "Names in the Game". International Herald 
        Tribune. Retrieved June 24, 2008.

16.   "Atlanta Dream video at 13:15". Archived from 
        the original on May 14, 2008. Retrieved April 21, 
        2009.

17.   "Atlanta's WNBA team named Atlanta Dream". 
        WNBA. Archived from the original on May 14, 
        2008. Retrieved June 24, 2008.

18.   Swartz, Kristi E. (October 29, 2009). "Atlanta 
        businesswoman Kathy Betty to buy WNBA team". 
        Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the 
        original on November 1, 2009. Retrieved 
        October 29, 2009.

19.   Seattle @ Atlanta Game 3 Archived September 18, 
        2010, at the Wayback Machine.

20.   "The Atlanta Dream Transfer Ownership From 
        Kathy Betty To Mary Brock and Kelly Loeffler". 
        SB Nation. September 4, 2011.

21.   Voepel, Mechelle (August 27, 2012). "Sad time 
        for Meadors, Dream". ESPN. Retrieved August 28, 
        2012.

22.   Voepel, Mechelle (August 24, 2012). "Mc
        Coughtry's absence is puzzling". ESPN. 
        Retrieved August 27, 2012.

23.   Fred Williams is out as Dream head coach/GM.

24.   Atlanta Dream won't renew coach Fred Williams' 
        contract

25.   "Former Laker Michael Cooper fired by 
        WNBA's Atlanta Dream". Los Angeles Times. 
        Associated Press. September 5, 2017. Retrieved 
        September 5, 2017.

26.   "Nicki Collen Named Atlanta Dream Head 
        Coach". wnba.com. WNBA. October 30, 2017. 
        Retrieved June 4, 2018.

27.   Jump up to a "b" Atlanta Dream getting a new 
        logo, new home". 11Alive. WXIA TV. October 
        18, 2019.

28.   "Angel McCoughtry leaves Atlanta Dream after 
        11 years". projectq.us. Project Q Atlanta. 
        Retrieved July 7, 2022.

29.   Jump up to a "b" c Atlanta Dream, Co-Owned 
        By Former Sen. Kelly Loeffler, Is Close To 
        Being Sold.

30.   "Dream sold to the group after pressure on 
        Loeffler". ESPN.com. February 26, 2021. 
        Retrieved March 1, 2021.

31.   "Atlanta Dream's Nicki Collen leaving WNBA 
        to coach Baylor after Kim Mulkey's departure". 
        ESPN.com. ESPN. May 3, 2021. Retrieved July 
        7, 2022.

32.   "Atlanta Dream interim head coach Mike 
        Petersen steps down due to health reasons". 
        cbssports.com. CBS. July 24, 2021. Retrieved 
        August 9, 2021.

33.   Shapiro, Michael (July 5, 2021). "Atlanta 
        Dream Suspend Guard Chennedy Carter for 
        Conduct Detrimental to Team". Sports 
        Illustrated. Retrieved July 7, 2022.

34.   Maloney, Jack (November 24, 2021). "WNBA 
        suspends Courtney Williams, Crystal Bradford 
        for roles in a fight outside Atlanta club earlier 
        this year". CBS Sports. Retrieved July 7, 2022.

35.   "Sparks trade for Chennedy Carter, send Erica 
        Wheeler to Dream". The New York Times. 
        Retrieved July 7, 2022.

36.   "Atlanta Dream names Tanisha Wright as Head 
        Coach". dream.wnba.com. WNBA. Retrieved 
        July 7, 2022.

37.   "Atlanta Dream Head Coach Tanisha Wright 
        Finalizes Coaching and Development Staff". 
        dream.wnba.com. WNBA. Retrieved July 7, 
        2022.

38.   "WNBA's Atlanta Dream Partners with 
        Microsoft and Xbox to Empower Girls and 
        Women in Atlanta". dream.wnba.com. WNBA. 
        Retrieved July 7, 2022.

39.   Zucker, Joseph. "Atlanta Dream Acquire No. 1 
        Pick in the 2022 WNBA draft in Trade with 
        Mystics". bleacherreport.com. Bleacher Report. 
        Retrieved July 7, 2022.

40.   "Atlanta Dream Selects Rhyne Howard as First 
        Overall Pick in WNBA Draft 2022 Presented by 
        State Farm®". wnba.com. WNBA. Retrieved 
        July 7, 2022.

41.   "Atlanta Dream Unveil 2019 Schedule". Atlanta 
        Dream. Retrieved December 20, 2018.

42.   Hummer, Steve (September 9, 2019). "Dream 
        owners look to a future that doesn't include 
        State Farm Arena". The Atlanta Journal-
        Constitution. Retrieved September 13, 2019.

43.   [1] [dead link]

44.   [2] [dead link]

45.   [3] [dead link]

46.   [4] [dead link]

47.   [5] [dead link]

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