Atlanta Dream
Encyclopedia
The Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball
team based in Atlanta, Georgia
, playing in the Eastern Conference
in the Women's National Basketball Association
(WNBA). The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season
began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta businesswomen: Mary Brock, and Kelly Loeffler. Like some other WNBA teams, the Dream has the distinction of not being affiliated with an NBA counterpart.
The Dream has qualified for the WNBA Playoffs
in three of its four years in Atlanta, and has reached the WNBA Finals
twice. The franchise has been home to many high-quality players such as University of Louisville
standout Angel McCoughtry
, former Finals MVP
Betty Lennox
, and Brazilian
sharpshooter Izi Castro Marques. In 2010
, the Dream went to the WNBA Finals
but fell short to Seattle
. They lost to the Minnesota Lynx
in the 2011 WNBA Finals
.
played at Forbes Arena
and would last two seasons before folding before the start of the 1998–99 season, which would be the ABL's final.
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, as well as pledges for season tickets.
Philips Arena
, the Gwinnett Arena 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. By July the committee had 1,200 commitments. The next step was to find an owner for the team.
On October 16, 2007 word broke 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
made the announcement that Atlanta would officially be granted a WNBA expansion franchise.
the first head coach
/general manager
in franchise history. For Meadors, a coach with extensive experience at the college level, this was her second role as a coach/general manager in the WNBA. Meadors had been one of the WNBA's first eight coaches as the head coach/general manager of the Charlotte Sting
when that team began in 1997. Afterwards, 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
.
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.)
On December 5, 2007, an online contest was announced for people to choose the team name and team colors – the final choice would rest with owner Ron Terwilliger. The names offered as choices were "Dream", "Flight", "Surge" and "Sizzle". There were also options for team colors such as lime green or hot pink. Voters had four different names and four different colors from which to choose.
Atlanta's WNBA franchise announced that the team name will be the Dream on January 23, 2008. The name was inspired, in part, by the famous speech of Atlanta native Martin Luther King, Jr.
The team colors would be sky blue, red, and white.
Atlanta held their expansion draft on February 6, 2008 when they selected one player from each of the thirteen 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
.
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. (The Portland Fire
had lost 14 straight games over two seasons, ending the 2001 season with 11 straight losses and opening 2002 with three straight losses.) They later finished with a 4–30 record.
On July 5, 2008, the Dream earned their first win in Atlanta against the Chicago Sky
, ending the losing streak. They beat the Sky 91–84.
The 2008/2009 offseason was a busy one. Head coach/general manager Marynell Meadors
did not want a repeat of 2008. She made key moves by acquiring players such as Sancho Lyttle
, Nikki Teasley
, Chamique Holdsclaw
, Angel McCoughtry
, and Michelle Snow
.
In 2009, Atlanta reached the playoffs at 18–16, exceeding their previous record by 14 wins. Despite being in the playoffs, the Dream ended their season in disappointment and 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 29, 2009, Kathy Betty took control of the team.
The 2010 season proved even better for the Dream. Although finishing in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, the Dream sprinted through the first two rounds of the playoffs, On September 7, 2010, the Dream 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. Atlanta needed to win game three in order to keep the series alive. Seattle was too much to handle as they completed the sweep and won the series. 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 major addition, the Dream struggled to open the season, starting just 2–7 due to an injury that sidelined Angel McCoughtry
and overseas commitments by Sancho Lyttle
. The team did not give up, however, and went on an impressive 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. But, once again they would be denied, losing to the formidable 27-7 Minnesota Lynx
in three games.
in downtown Atlanta
, Georgia
.
|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#6495ED; color:white" | Atlanta Dream statistics
|- valign="top"
|
|-
|
The Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball
team based in Atlanta, Georgia
, playing in the Eastern Conference
in the Women's National Basketball Association
(WNBA). The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season
began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta businesswomen: Mary Brock, and Kelly Loeffler. Like some other WNBA teams, the Dream has the distinction of not being affiliated with an NBA counterpart.
The Dream has qualified for the WNBA Playoffs
in three of its four years in Atlanta, and has reached the WNBA Finals
twice. The franchise has been home to many high-quality players such as University of Louisville
standout Angel McCoughtry
, former Finals MVP
Betty Lennox
, and Brazilian
sharpshooter Izi Castro Marques. In 2010
, the Dream went to the WNBA Finals
but fell short to Seattle
. They lost to the Minnesota Lynx
in the 2011 WNBA Finals
.
played at Forbes Arena
and would last two seasons before folding before the start of the 1998–99 season, which would be the ABL's final.
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, as well as pledges for season tickets.
Philips Arena
, the Gwinnett Arena 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. By July the committee had 1,200 commitments. The next step was to find an owner for the team.
On October 16, 2007 word broke 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
made the announcement that Atlanta would officially be granted a WNBA expansion franchise.
the first head coach
/general manager
in franchise history. For Meadors, a coach with extensive experience at the college level, this was her second role as a coach/general manager in the WNBA. Meadors had been one of the WNBA's first eight coaches as the head coach/general manager of the Charlotte Sting
when that team began in 1997. Afterwards, 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
.
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.)
On December 5, 2007, an online contest was announced for people to choose the team name and team colors – the final choice would rest with owner Ron Terwilliger. The names offered as choices were "Dream", "Flight", "Surge" and "Sizzle". There were also options for team colors such as lime green or hot pink. Voters had four different names and four different colors from which to choose.
Atlanta's WNBA franchise announced that the team name will be the Dream on January 23, 2008. The name was inspired, in part, by the famous speech of Atlanta native Martin Luther King, Jr.
The team colors would be sky blue, red, and white.
Atlanta held their expansion draft on February 6, 2008 when they selected one player from each of the thirteen 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
.
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. (The Portland Fire
had lost 14 straight games over two seasons, ending the 2001 season with 11 straight losses and opening 2002 with three straight losses.) They later finished with a 4–30 record.
On July 5, 2008, the Dream earned their first win in Atlanta against the Chicago Sky
, ending the losing streak. They beat the Sky 91–84.
The 2008/2009 offseason was a busy one. Head coach/general manager Marynell Meadors
did not want a repeat of 2008. She made key moves by acquiring players such as Sancho Lyttle
, Nikki Teasley
, Chamique Holdsclaw
, Angel McCoughtry
, and Michelle Snow
.
In 2009, Atlanta reached the playoffs at 18–16, exceeding their previous record by 14 wins. Despite being in the playoffs, the Dream ended their season in disappointment and 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 29, 2009, Kathy Betty took control of the team.
The 2010 season proved even better for the Dream. Although finishing in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, the Dream sprinted through the first two rounds of the playoffs, On September 7, 2010, the Dream 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. Atlanta needed to win game three in order to keep the series alive. Seattle was too much to handle as they completed the sweep and won the series. 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 major addition, the Dream struggled to open the season, starting just 2–7 due to an injury that sidelined Angel McCoughtry
and overseas commitments by Sancho Lyttle
. The team did not give up, however, and went on an impressive 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. But, once again they would be denied, losing to the formidable 27-7 Minnesota Lynx
in three games.
in downtown Atlanta
, Georgia
.
|-
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 10%;"| Season
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 8%;" | Team
!rowspan="2" colspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 12%;" | Conference
!colspan="3" style="background:#eee; width: 15%;"| Regular season
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 30%;"| Playoff
Results
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 13%;"| Head coach
|-
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|W
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|L
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|PCT
|-
|colspan="9" align=center bgcolor="#6495ED" | Atlanta Dream
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2008
| 2008
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 7th
| 4
| 30
| .118
| Did not qualify
| Marynell Meadors
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2009
| 2009
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 2nd
| 18
| 16
| .529
| Lost Conference Semifinals (Detroit
, 0–2)
| Marynell Meadors
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2010
| 2010
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 4th
| 19
| 15
| .559
| Won Conference Semifinals (Washington
, 2–0)
Won Conference Finals (New York
, 2–0)
Lost WNBA Finals (Seattle
, 0–3)
| Marynell Meadors
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2011
| 2011
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 3rd
| 20
| 14
| .588
| Won Conference Semifinals (Connecticut
, 2–0)
Won Conference Finals (Indiana
, 2–1)
Lost WNBA Finals (Minnesota
, 0–3)
| Marynell Meadors
|-
!colspan="4" style="background:#eee;"|Regular season
|style="background:#eee;"| 61
|style="background:#eee;"| 75
|style="background:#eee;"| .449
|colspan="2" style="background:#eee;"| 2 Conference Championships
|-
!colspan="4" style="background:#eee;"|Playoffs
|style="background:#eee;"| 8
|style="background:#eee;"| 8
|style="background:#eee;"| .500
|colspan="2" style="background:#eee;"| 0 WNBA Championships
|}
|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#6495ED; color:white" | Atlanta Dream head coaches
|- valign="top"
|
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="15%" rowspan="2" | Name
! width="10%" rowspan="2" | Start
! width="10%" rowspan="2" | End
! width="5%" rowspan="2" | Seasons
! width="20%" colspan="4" | Regular season
! width="20%" colspan="4" | Playoffs
|-
! W !! L !! PCT !! G !! W !! L !! PCT !! G
|-
| Marynell Meadors
|| November 27, 2007 || Current || 4 || width="5%"|61 || width="5%"|75 || width="5%"|.452 || width="5%"|135 ||width="5%"|8 || width="5%"|8 || width="5%"|.500 || width="5%"|16
|}
|}
|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#6495ED; color:white" | Atlanta Dream statistics
|- valign="top"
|
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="4%" rowspan="2"| Season
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Individual
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Team vs Opponents
|-
! width="8%"|PPG
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|APG
! width="8%"|PPG
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|FG%
|-
| 2008
| B. Lennox
(17.5)
| E. de Souza
(6.6)
| I. Latta
(3.6)
| 74.5 vs 84.7
| 31.7 vs 37.2
| .396 vs .450
|-
| 2009
| I. Castro Marques (14.4)
| E. de Souza
(9.1)
| S. Lehning
(3.7)
| 84.1 vs 82.3
| 37.0 vs 34.5
| .449 vs .421
|}
|-
|
The Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball
team based in Atlanta, Georgia
, playing in the Eastern Conference
in the Women's National Basketball Association
(WNBA). The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season
began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta businesswomen: Mary Brock, and Kelly Loeffler. Like some other WNBA teams, the Dream has the distinction of not being affiliated with an NBA counterpart.
The Dream has qualified for the WNBA Playoffs
in three of its four years in Atlanta, and has reached the WNBA Finals
twice. The franchise has been home to many high-quality players such as University of Louisville
standout Angel McCoughtry
, former Finals MVP
Betty Lennox
, and Brazilian
sharpshooter Izi Castro Marques. In 2010
, the Dream went to the WNBA Finals
but fell short to Seattle
. They lost to the Minnesota Lynx
in the 2011 WNBA Finals
.
played at Forbes Arena
and would last two seasons before folding before the start of the 1998–99 season, which would be the ABL's final.
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, as well as pledges for season tickets.
Philips Arena
, the Gwinnett Arena 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. By July the committee had 1,200 commitments. The next step was to find an owner for the team.
On October 16, 2007 word broke 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
made the announcement that Atlanta would officially be granted a WNBA expansion franchise.
the first head coach
/general manager
in franchise history. For Meadors, a coach with extensive experience at the college level, this was her second role as a coach/general manager in the WNBA. Meadors had been one of the WNBA's first eight coaches as the head coach/general manager of the Charlotte Sting
when that team began in 1997. Afterwards, 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
.
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.)
On December 5, 2007, an online contest was announced for people to choose the team name and team colors – the final choice would rest with owner Ron Terwilliger. The names offered as choices were "Dream", "Flight", "Surge" and "Sizzle". There were also options for team colors such as lime green or hot pink. Voters had four different names and four different colors from which to choose.
Atlanta's WNBA franchise announced that the team name will be the Dream on January 23, 2008. The name was inspired, in part, by the famous speech of Atlanta native Martin Luther King, Jr.
The team colors would be sky blue, red, and white.
Atlanta held their expansion draft on February 6, 2008 when they selected one player from each of the thirteen 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
.
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. (The Portland Fire
had lost 14 straight games over two seasons, ending the 2001 season with 11 straight losses and opening 2002 with three straight losses.) They later finished with a 4–30 record.
On July 5, 2008, the Dream earned their first win in Atlanta against the Chicago Sky
, ending the losing streak. They beat the Sky 91–84.
The 2008/2009 offseason was a busy one. Head coach/general manager Marynell Meadors
did not want a repeat of 2008. She made key moves by acquiring players such as Sancho Lyttle
, Nikki Teasley
, Chamique Holdsclaw
, Angel McCoughtry
, and Michelle Snow
.
In 2009, Atlanta reached the playoffs at 18–16, exceeding their previous record by 14 wins. Despite being in the playoffs, the Dream ended their season in disappointment and 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 29, 2009, Kathy Betty took control of the team.
The 2010 season proved even better for the Dream. Although finishing in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, the Dream sprinted through the first two rounds of the playoffs, On September 7, 2010, the Dream 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. Atlanta needed to win game three in order to keep the series alive. Seattle was too much to handle as they completed the sweep and won the series. 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 major addition, the Dream struggled to open the season, starting just 2–7 due to an injury that sidelined Angel McCoughtry
and overseas commitments by Sancho Lyttle
. The team did not give up, however, and went on an impressive 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. But, once again they would be denied, losing to the formidable 27-7 Minnesota Lynx
in three games.
in downtown Atlanta
, Georgia
.
|-
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 10%;"| Season
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 8%;" | Team
!rowspan="2" colspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 12%;" | Conference
!colspan="3" style="background:#eee; width: 15%;"| Regular season
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 30%;"| Playoff
Results
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 13%;"| Head coach
|-
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|W
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|L
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|PCT
|-
|colspan="9" align=center bgcolor="#6495ED" | Atlanta Dream
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2008
| 2008
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 7th
| 4
| 30
| .118
| Did not qualify
| Marynell Meadors
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2009
| 2009
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 2nd
| 18
| 16
| .529
| Lost Conference Semifinals (Detroit
, 0–2)
| Marynell Meadors
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2010
| 2010
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 4th
| 19
| 15
| .559
| Won Conference Semifinals (Washington
, 2–0)
Won Conference Finals (New York
, 2–0)
Lost WNBA Finals (Seattle
, 0–3)
| Marynell Meadors
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2011
| 2011
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 3rd
| 20
| 14
| .588
| Won Conference Semifinals (Connecticut
, 2–0)
Won Conference Finals (Indiana
, 2–1)
Lost WNBA Finals (Minnesota
, 0–3)
| Marynell Meadors
|-
!colspan="4" style="background:#eee;"|Regular season
|style="background:#eee;"| 61
|style="background:#eee;"| 75
|style="background:#eee;"| .449
|colspan="2" style="background:#eee;"| 2 Conference Championships
|-
!colspan="4" style="background:#eee;"|Playoffs
|style="background:#eee;"| 8
|style="background:#eee;"| 8
|style="background:#eee;"| .500
|colspan="2" style="background:#eee;"| 0 WNBA Championships
|}
|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#6495ED; color:white" | Atlanta Dream head coaches
|- valign="top"
|
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="15%" rowspan="2" | Name
! width="10%" rowspan="2" | Start
! width="10%" rowspan="2" | End
! width="5%" rowspan="2" | Seasons
! width="20%" colspan="4" | Regular season
! width="20%" colspan="4" | Playoffs
|-
! W !! L !! PCT !! G !! W !! L !! PCT !! G
|-
| Marynell Meadors
|| November 27, 2007 || Current || 4 || width="5%"|61 || width="5%"|75 || width="5%"|.452 || width="5%"|135 ||width="5%"|8 || width="5%"|8 || width="5%"|.500 || width="5%"|16
|}
|}
|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#6495ED; color:white" | Atlanta Dream statistics
|- valign="top"
|
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="4%" rowspan="2"| Season
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Individual
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Team vs Opponents
|-
! width="8%"|PPG
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|APG
! width="8%"|PPG
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|FG%
|-
| 2008
| B. Lennox
(17.5)
| E. de Souza
(6.6)
| I. Latta
(3.6)
| 74.5 vs 84.7
| 31.7 vs 37.2
| .396 vs .450
|-
| 2009
| I. Castro Marques (14.4)
| E. de Souza
(9.1)
| S. Lehning
(3.7)
| 84.1 vs 82.3
| 37.0 vs 34.5
| .449 vs .421
|}
|-
|
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="4%" rowspan="2"| Season
! width="20%" colspan="3"| Individual
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Team vs Opponents
|-
! width="8%"|PPG
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|APG
! width="8%"|PPG
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|FG%
|-
| 2010
| A. McCoughtry
(21.1)
| S. Lyttle
(9.9)
| S. Lehning
(4.8)
| 85.4 vs 83.1
| 38.8 vs 34.1
| .444 vs .435
|-
| 2011
| A. McCoughtry
(21.6)
| E. de Souza
(7.5)
| L. Harding
(4.8)
| 82.5 vs 80.8
| 36.1 vs 34.6
| .446 vs .431
|}
|}
(SSO), which are local television stations for the Southern United States
. More often than not, NBA TV
will pick up the feed from the local broadcast, which is shown nationally. Broadcasters for the Dream games are Bob Rathbun and LaChina Robinson. Prior to the 2010 season, the Dream had a deal with Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast (CSS). Games on that station were called by Art Eckman and LaChina Robinson.
All games (excluding blackout games, which are available on ESPN3.com) are broadcast to the WNBA LiveAccess game feeds on the league website. Furthermore, some Dream games are broadcast nationally on ESPN
, ESPN2 and ABC
. The WNBA has reached an eight year agreement with ESPN
, which will pay right fees to the Dream, as well as other teams in the league.
{| class="toccolours" width=70% style="clear:both; margin:1.5em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#6495ED; color:white" | Regular season all-time attendance
|- valign="top"
|
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|- align="center" style="background:#eee;color:#000000;"
|width=75 |Year
|width=150|Average
|width=100|High
|width=100|Low
|width=75 |Sellouts
|width=150|Total for year
|width=150|WNBA game average
|- align="center"
| 2008 || 8,468 (6th) || 11,609 || 5,844 || 0 || 143,950 || 7,948
|- align="center"
| 2009 || 7,102 (11th) || 11,304 || 5,424 || 0 || 120,737 || 8,039
|- align="center"
| 2010 || 6,293 (10th) || 9,598 || 2,515 || 0 || 106,983 || 7,834
|- align="center"
| 2011 || 6,487 (10th) || 8,038 || 4,423 || 0 || 110,278 || 7,954
|}
|}
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team based in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, playing in the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
in the Women's National Basketball Association
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
(WNBA). The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season
2008 WNBA season
-Season Highlights:*Candace Parker becomes the second and third player in WNBA history to dunk in a regular season game.*A fight breaks out between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Detroit Shock resulting in four ejections and ten suspensions....
began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta businesswomen: Mary Brock, and Kelly Loeffler. Like some other WNBA teams, the Dream has the distinction of not being affiliated with an NBA counterpart.
The Dream has qualified for the WNBA Playoffs
WNBA Playoffs
The WNBA Playoffs is a best-of-three elimination tournament between eight teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association , ultimately deciding the final two teams who will play in the WNBA Finals....
in three of its four years in Atlanta, and has reached the WNBA Finals
WNBA Finals
The WNBA Finals is the championship series of the Women's National Basketball Association and the conclusion of the sport's postseason each fall. The series was named the WNBA Championship until 2002....
twice. The franchise has been home to many high-quality players such as University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
standout Angel McCoughtry
Angel McCoughtry
Angel Lajuane McCoughtry is a professional basketball player who completed her college career at the University of Louisville in 2009. She was selected first overall by the Atlanta Dream in the 2009 WNBA Draft and is considered its franchise player...
, former Finals MVP
2004 WNBA Finals
The 2004 WNBA Finals was the championship series of the 2004 WNBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Seattle Storm, second-seeded champions of the Western Conference, defeated the Connecticut Sun, top-seeded champions of the Eastern Conference, two games to one in a...
Betty Lennox
Betty Lennox
Betty Bernice Lennox is an American professional basketball player most recently playing for the Tulsa Shock in the WNBA. Her nicknames include "Betty Basketball," "Betty Big Buckets," and her most popular nickname "B-Money."-Childhood:Betty grew up in the small town of Grant, OK. Daughter of...
, and Brazilian
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
sharpshooter Izi Castro Marques. In 2010
2010 WNBA Finals
The 2010 WNBA Finals was the championship series of the 2010 season of the Women's National Basketball Association and the conclusion of the season's playoffs...
, the Dream went to the WNBA Finals
WNBA Finals
The WNBA Finals is the championship series of the Women's National Basketball Association and the conclusion of the sport's postseason each fall. The series was named the WNBA Championship until 2002....
but fell short to Seattle
Seattle Storm
The Seattle Storm is a professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
. They lost to the Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota Lynx
The Minnesota Lynx are a professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1999 season...
in the 2011 WNBA Finals
2011 WNBA Finals
The 2011 WNBA Finals was the championship series of the 2011 season of the Women's National Basketball Association , and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Minnesota Lynx, champions of the Western Conference, swept the champions of the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Dream in three...
.
Franchise origin
Even before the success of the United States women's basketball team in the 1996 Olympic Games, the American Basketball League had interest in placing a women's professional basketball team in Atlanta. Plans were made to place a women's pro team in Atlanta as early as 1995. Eight of the twelve Olympians would play on ABL teams when the league began play in October 1996. The Atlanta GloryAtlanta Glory
The Atlanta Glory was a women's professional basketball team in Atlanta, Georgia. It was a member of the American Basketball League. The Glory played its home games in Forbes Arena.The team folded before the start of the abortive third ABL season in 1998....
played at Forbes Arena
Forbes Arena
The Forbes Arena is a 6,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. It is home to the Morehouse College Maroon Tigers basketball team. It also hosted basketball preliminaries during the 1996 Summer Olympics and was the home arena to the Atlanta Glory. It was opened in 1996 at a cost of...
and would last two seasons before folding before the start of the 1998–99 season, which would be the ABL's final.
The Dream for a New Team
Atlanta had been mentioned as a possible future city for WNBA expansion, but efforts did not come together until the beginning of 2007. An organizing committee with Atlanta businessmen and politicians began the effort to attract an expansion team. The inability of the Atlanta HawksAtlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
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, as well as pledges for season tickets.
Philips Arena
Philips Arena
Philips Arena is an indoor arena in Atlanta, Georgia.Completed in 1999 to replace The Omni, at a cost of $213.5 million, it is home to the Atlanta Hawks, of the National Basketball Association, and the Atlanta Dream, of the Women's National Basketball Association...
, the Gwinnett Arena and Alexander Memorial Coliseum
Alexander Memorial Coliseum
The Alexander Memorial Coliseum is an indoor arena located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is the home of the basketball teams of Georgia Tech and hosted the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA from 1968–1972 and again from 1997–1999...
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. By July the committee had 1,200 commitments. The next step was to find an owner for the team.
On October 16, 2007 word broke that Ron Terwilliger
Ron Terwilliger
J. Ronald Terwilliger is the Chief Executive Officer of Trammell Crow Residential. He is primarily known for being the principal owner of the Atlanta Dream, a franchise of the Women's National Basketball Association ....
, 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
Centennial Olympic Park
Centennial Olympic Park is a 21 acre public park located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA that is owned and operated by the Georgia World Congress Center Authority. The park was built by the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games as part of the infrastructure improvements for the Centennial...
, WNBA president Donna Orender
Donna Orender
Donna Orender is a sports executive and a former collegiate and professional basketball player. She was recently president of the WNBA. She grew up on Long Island, New York and was a five-sport athlete in high school, lettering in basketball, field hockey, volleyball, softball, and tennis. She is...
made the announcement that Atlanta would officially be granted a WNBA expansion franchise.
Building the Dream
On November 27, 2007 Atlanta named Marynell MeadorsMarynell Meadors
Marynell Meadors is a women's basketball coach at the college and professional level. She is currently the head coach and general manager of the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association and was one of the original eight head coaches when the WNBA started in...
the first head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
/general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
in franchise history. For Meadors, a coach with extensive experience at the college level, this was her second role as a coach/general manager in the WNBA. Meadors had been one of the WNBA's first eight coaches as the head coach/general manager of the Charlotte Sting
Charlotte Sting
The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007....
when that team began in 1997. Afterwards, Meadors had served as a scouting director for the Miami Sol
Miami Sol
The Miami Sol was a women's basketball team which joined the Women's National Basketball Association in 2000. They played their games at American Airlines Arena. The team folded after the 2002 season because of financial problems...
and had been an assistant coach under Richie Adubato
Richie Adubato
Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic...
and Tree Rollins
Tree Rollins
Wayne Monte "Tree" Rollins is a retired American professional basketball player who played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association for the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic. He was primarily known under his playing name, Tree...
for the Washington Mystics
Washington Mystics
The Washington Mystics is a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1998 season. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment , who also owns the Mystics'...
.
Former NBA player Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman
Dennis Keith Rodman is a retired American Hall of Fame professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, he was nicknamed "Dennis the Menace" and "The...
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.)
On December 5, 2007, an online contest was announced for people to choose the team name and team colors – the final choice would rest with owner Ron Terwilliger. The names offered as choices were "Dream", "Flight", "Surge" and "Sizzle". There were also options for team colors such as lime green or hot pink. Voters had four different names and four different colors from which to choose.
Atlanta's WNBA franchise announced that the team name will be the Dream on January 23, 2008. The name was inspired, in part, by the famous speech of Atlanta native Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
The team colors would be sky blue, red, and white.
Atlanta held their expansion draft on February 6, 2008 when they selected one player from each of the thirteen teams in the league. Atlanta traded Roneeka Hodges
Roneeka Hodges
Roneeka Hodges is a current WNBA player for the San Antonio Silver Stars. She is the twin sister of former WNBA player Doneeka Hodges....
and their number four pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft
2008 WNBA Draft
The 2008 WNBA Draft is the league's annual process for determining which teams receive the rights to negotiate with players entering the league. The draft was held on April 9, 2008....
to the Seattle Storm
Seattle Storm
The Seattle Storm is a professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
for Izi Castro Marques and Seattle's eighth pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft. Also, the Dream traded the 18th pick and LaToya Thomas
LaToya Thomas
LaToya Monique Thomas is a professional basketball player.-College years:Thomas was a standout four-year starter at Mississippi State University....
to the Detroit Shock
Detroit Shock
The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...
for Ivory Latta
Ivory Latta
Ivory Latta is an American professional basketball player. A 5'6" guard noted for her three-point shooting and on-court enthusiasm, she played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels...
.
Living the Dream (2008–present)
From May 17, 2008 with a season opening loss against the Connecticut SunConnecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
to July 3, 2008 with a home loss against the Houston Comets
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
, 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
Chicago Sky
The Chicago Sky is a professional basketball team based in Rosemont, Illinois, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2006 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Michael J. Alter and Margaret Stender...
had previously lost 13 consecutive games, and the 2002 Detroit Shock
Detroit Shock
The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...
had opened their season 0–13. (The Portland Fire
Portland Fire
The Portland Fire joined the Women's National Basketball Association in 2000 as the counterpart to the NBA team the Portland Trail Blazers. They played their games at Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon. The team folded after the 2002 season, after just three seasons in the league...
had lost 14 straight games over two seasons, ending the 2001 season with 11 straight losses and opening 2002 with three straight losses.) They later finished with a 4–30 record.
On July 5, 2008, the Dream earned their first win in Atlanta against the Chicago Sky
Chicago Sky
The Chicago Sky is a professional basketball team based in Rosemont, Illinois, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2006 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Michael J. Alter and Margaret Stender...
, ending the losing streak. They beat the Sky 91–84.
The 2008/2009 offseason was a busy one. Head coach/general manager Marynell Meadors
Marynell Meadors
Marynell Meadors is a women's basketball coach at the college and professional level. She is currently the head coach and general manager of the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association and was one of the original eight head coaches when the WNBA started in...
did not want a repeat of 2008. She made key moves by acquiring players such as Sancho Lyttle
Sancho Lyttle
Sancho Lyttle is a professional basketball player born in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, with Spanish citizenship. She is currently a power forward in the WNBA for the Atlanta Dream. Through her career, she has scored 1,505 points, collected 1,041 rebounds, and has 200 assists, 242 steals, and...
, Nikki Teasley
Nikki Teasley
Nikki Teasley is a basketball player in the WNBA.She played college basketball at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill....
, Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
, Angel McCoughtry
Angel McCoughtry
Angel Lajuane McCoughtry is a professional basketball player who completed her college career at the University of Louisville in 2009. She was selected first overall by the Atlanta Dream in the 2009 WNBA Draft and is considered its franchise player...
, and Michelle Snow
Michelle Snow
Donnette Jé-Michelle Snow is an American professional basketball player from the WNBA. She currently plays the center position for the Chicago Sky.-High school years:...
.
In 2009, Atlanta reached the playoffs at 18–16, exceeding their previous record by 14 wins. Despite being in the playoffs, the Dream ended their season in disappointment and lost in the first round to the 2008 champion Detroit Shock
Detroit Shock
The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...
in a sweep. After the season, their coach, Marynell Meadors, was awarded the Coach of the Year Award
WNBA Coach of the Year Award
The Women's National Basketball Association's Coach of the Year is an annual Women's National Basketball Association award given since the league's inaugural season. The winner is selected at the end of regular season by a panel of sportswriters from the United States, each of whom casts a vote...
.
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.
The 2010 season proved even better for the Dream. Although finishing in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, the Dream sprinted through the first two rounds of the playoffs, On September 7, 2010, the Dream secured a trip to the WNBA Finals with a win over the New York Liberty
New York Liberty
The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...
, 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 Storm
The Seattle Storm is a professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
. Seattle took the first two games at home
KeyArena
KeyArena at Seattle Center , is a multipurpose arena, in Seattle, Washington. It is located north of downtown in the entertainment complex known as Seattle Center, the site of the 1962 World's Fair, the Century 21 Exposition...
with two close wins. Atlanta needed to win game three in order to keep the series alive. Seattle was too much to handle as they completed the sweep and won the series. 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
Lindsey Harding
Lindsey Marcie Harding is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA, currently playing for the Atlanta Dream. She was born in Mobile, Alabama, but grew up in Houston, Texas.-College career:...
prior to the 2011 season. Despite the major addition, the Dream struggled to open the season, starting just 2–7 due to an injury that sidelined Angel McCoughtry
Angel McCoughtry
Angel Lajuane McCoughtry is a professional basketball player who completed her college career at the University of Louisville in 2009. She was selected first overall by the Atlanta Dream in the 2009 WNBA Draft and is considered its franchise player...
and overseas commitments by Sancho Lyttle
Sancho Lyttle
Sancho Lyttle is a professional basketball player born in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, with Spanish citizenship. She is currently a power forward in the WNBA for the Atlanta Dream. Through her career, she has scored 1,505 points, collected 1,041 rebounds, and has 200 assists, 242 steals, and...
. The team did not give up, however, and went on an impressive run of 14 wins and 5 losses after the All Star break. They carried that momentum into the playoffs, sweeping the Connecticut Sun
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
and defeating the Indiana Fever
Indiana Fever
The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
to return to the WNBA Finals. But, once again they would be denied, losing to the formidable 27-7 Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota Lynx
The Minnesota Lynx are a professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1999 season...
in three games.
Current home
The Atlanta Dream currently play in Philips ArenaPhilips Arena
Philips Arena is an indoor arena in Atlanta, Georgia.Completed in 1999 to replace The Omni, at a cost of $213.5 million, it is home to the Atlanta Hawks, of the National Basketball Association, and the Atlanta Dream, of the Women's National Basketball Association...
in downtown Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
.
Season-by-season records
| Season | Team | Conference | Regular season | Playoff WNBA Playoffs The WNBA Playoffs is a best-of-three elimination tournament between eight teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association , ultimately deciding the final two teams who will play in the WNBA Finals.... Results |
Head coach | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | PCT | ||||||
| Atlanta Dream | ||||||||
| 2008 2008 WNBA season -Season Highlights:*Candace Parker becomes the second and third player in WNBA history to dunk in a regular season game.*A fight breaks out between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Detroit Shock resulting in four ejections and ten suspensions.... |
2008 2008 Atlanta Dream season The 2008 WNBA season was the first for the Atlanta Dream. The team name was unveiled on January 23, 2008, with the expansion draft held on February 6. The Atlanta Dream had seventeen straight losses... |
East Eastern Conference (WNBA) The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference... |
7th | 4 | 30 | .118 | Did not qualify | Marynell Meadors Marynell Meadors Marynell Meadors is a women's basketball coach at the college and professional level. She is currently the head coach and general manager of the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association and was one of the original eight head coaches when the WNBA started in... |
| 2009 2009 WNBA season The 2009 WNBA Season is the 13th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. It is the first WNBA season ever without a Houston franchise, the Comets having folded in December 2008... |
2009 2009 Atlanta Dream season The 2009 WNBA season is the 2nd season for the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association. The Dream successfully qualified for the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. However, they were eliminated by the Detroit Shock in a sweep in the first round.-Dispersal... |
East Eastern Conference (WNBA) The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference... |
2nd | 18 | 16 | .529 | Lost Conference Semifinals (Detroit Detroit Shock The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion... , 0–2) |
Marynell Meadors Marynell Meadors Marynell Meadors is a women's basketball coach at the college and professional level. She is currently the head coach and general manager of the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association and was one of the original eight head coaches when the WNBA started in... |
| 2010 2010 WNBA season The 2010 WNBA season was the 14th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began with a televised meeting between the defending champion Phoenix Mercury and the Los Angeles Sparks in Phoenix, Arizona on May 15. The Connecticut Sun hosted the 10th Annual All-Star... |
2010 2010 Atlanta Dream season The 2010 WNBA season is the 3rd season for the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association.-Dispersal draft:Based on the Dream's 2009 record, they would pick 9th in the Sacramento Monarchs dispersal draft... |
East Eastern Conference (WNBA) The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference... |
4th | 19 | 15 | .559 | Won Conference Semifinals (Washington Washington Mystics The Washington Mystics is a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1998 season. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment , who also owns the Mystics'... , 2–0) Won Conference Finals (New York New York Liberty The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league... , 2–0) Lost WNBA Finals (Seattle Seattle Storm The Seattle Storm is a professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began... , 0–3) |
Marynell Meadors Marynell Meadors Marynell Meadors is a women's basketball coach at the college and professional level. She is currently the head coach and general manager of the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association and was one of the original eight head coaches when the WNBA started in... |
| 2011 2011 WNBA season The 2011 WNBA season is the 15th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began on June 3 with the Los Angeles Sparks hosting the Minnesota Lynx, featuring 2011 WNBA Draft top pick Maya Moore, in a game televised on NBA TV... |
2011 2011 Atlanta Dream season The 2011 WNBA season is the 4th season for the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association. The Dream finished the regular season with a 20-14 record, good for third-best in the Eastern Conference... |
East Eastern Conference (WNBA) The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference... |
3rd | 20 | 14 | .588 | Won Conference Semifinals (Connecticut Connecticut Sun The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season... , 2–0) Won Conference Finals (Indiana Indiana Fever The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began... , 2–1) Lost WNBA Finals (Minnesota Minnesota Lynx The Minnesota Lynx are a professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1999 season... , 0–3) |
Marynell Meadors Marynell Meadors Marynell Meadors is a women's basketball coach at the college and professional level. She is currently the head coach and general manager of the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association and was one of the original eight head coaches when the WNBA started in... |
| Regular season | 61 | 75 | .449 | 2 Conference Championships | ||||
| Playoffs | 8 | 8 | .500 | 0 WNBA Championships | ||||
Former players
- Katie Feenstra-Mattera (2008)
- Chamique HoldsclawChamique HoldsclawChamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
(2009)
- Jennifer LacyJennifer LacyJennifer Lacy is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA.Lacy graduated from Agoura Hills High School in Agoura Hills, California in 2001. She played college basketball at Pepperdine, although she was recruited by Arizona, California, UC Santa Barbara, and Washington. She joined the...
(2008–2009), now a member of the Tulsa Shock - Ivory LattaIvory LattaIvory Latta is an American professional basketball player. A 5'6" guard noted for her three-point shooting and on-court enthusiasm, she played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels...
(2008–2009), now a member of the Tulsa Shock - Betty LennoxBetty LennoxBetty Bernice Lennox is an American professional basketball player most recently playing for the Tulsa Shock in the WNBA. Her nicknames include "Betty Basketball," "Betty Big Buckets," and her most popular nickname "B-Money."-Childhood:Betty grew up in the small town of Grant, OK. Daughter of...
(2008), now a member of the Tulsa Shock - Camille LittleCamille LittleCamille Little is a professional basketball player. In 2007 she began her career in the WNBA with the San Antonio Silver Stars. She played college basketball at North Carolina.-High school:...
(2008), now a member of the Seattle StormSeattle StormThe Seattle Storm is a professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began... - Stacey Lovelace-TolbertStacey Lovelace-TolbertStacey Lovelace-Tolbert is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA, who played in the WNBA.Lovelace-Tolbert attended college at Purdue University and graduated in 1996. On May 2, 2000 she was assigned with the Indiana Fever later in 2000 Lovelace-Tolbert played with the Seattle Storm...
(2008) - Kristen MannKristen MannKristen Cherie Mann is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA.-Childhood:Daughter of Kathy Deeds and Gene Mann. She has two brothers, Mack and Guy, and one sister named Payton, all younger than her. She was born August 10, 1983 in Lakewood, California...
(2008) - Ann StrotherAnn StrotherAnn Elise Strother is an American basketball coach, and former professional player, most recently for the Indiana Fever. Strother played at the collegiate level for the Connecticut Huskies, helping the team to two national titles....
(2008) - Nikki TeasleyNikki TeasleyNikki Teasley is a basketball player in the WNBA.She played college basketball at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill....
(2008) - Kasha TerryKasha TerryKasha NiCarra Terry, born October 21, 1983 in Nuremberg, Bavaria, West Germany) is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA. Terry is 6'3" tall and weighs 185 lbs .-High school:...
(2008) - Michelle SnowMichelle SnowDonnette Jé-Michelle Snow is an American professional basketball player from the WNBA. She currently plays the center position for the Chicago Sky.-High school years:...
(2009), now a member of the Chicago SkyChicago SkyThe Chicago Sky is a professional basketball team based in Rosemont, Illinois, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2006 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Michael J. Alter and Margaret Stender...
Owners
- Ron TerwilligerRon TerwilligerJ. Ronald Terwilliger is the Chief Executive Officer of Trammell Crow Residential. He is primarily known for being the principal owner of the Atlanta Dream, a franchise of the Women's National Basketball Association ....
(2008–2009) - Kathy Betty (2010)
- Dream Too LLC, composed of Mary Brock and Kelly Loeffler (2011–present)
Head coaches
| Atlanta Dream head coaches | |
|---|---|
Assistant coaches
- Katy StedingKaty StedingKaty Steding is a former collegiate and professional basketball player and current college basketball coach.-College career:...
(2008) - Fred Williams (2008–present)
- Sue Panek (2008–present)
- Carol Ross (2009–present)
Statistics
{| class="toccolours" width=80% style="clear:both; margin:1.5em auto; text-align:center;"|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#6495ED; color:white" | Atlanta Dream statistics
|- valign="top"
|
|-
|
The Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team based in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, playing in the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
in the Women's National Basketball Association
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
(WNBA). The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season
2008 WNBA season
-Season Highlights:*Candace Parker becomes the second and third player in WNBA history to dunk in a regular season game.*A fight breaks out between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Detroit Shock resulting in four ejections and ten suspensions....
began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta businesswomen: Mary Brock, and Kelly Loeffler. Like some other WNBA teams, the Dream has the distinction of not being affiliated with an NBA counterpart.
The Dream has qualified for the WNBA Playoffs
WNBA Playoffs
The WNBA Playoffs is a best-of-three elimination tournament between eight teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association , ultimately deciding the final two teams who will play in the WNBA Finals....
in three of its four years in Atlanta, and has reached the WNBA Finals
WNBA Finals
The WNBA Finals is the championship series of the Women's National Basketball Association and the conclusion of the sport's postseason each fall. The series was named the WNBA Championship until 2002....
twice. The franchise has been home to many high-quality players such as University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
standout Angel McCoughtry
Angel McCoughtry
Angel Lajuane McCoughtry is a professional basketball player who completed her college career at the University of Louisville in 2009. She was selected first overall by the Atlanta Dream in the 2009 WNBA Draft and is considered its franchise player...
, former Finals MVP
2004 WNBA Finals
The 2004 WNBA Finals was the championship series of the 2004 WNBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Seattle Storm, second-seeded champions of the Western Conference, defeated the Connecticut Sun, top-seeded champions of the Eastern Conference, two games to one in a...
Betty Lennox
Betty Lennox
Betty Bernice Lennox is an American professional basketball player most recently playing for the Tulsa Shock in the WNBA. Her nicknames include "Betty Basketball," "Betty Big Buckets," and her most popular nickname "B-Money."-Childhood:Betty grew up in the small town of Grant, OK. Daughter of...
, and Brazilian
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
sharpshooter Izi Castro Marques. In 2010
2010 WNBA Finals
The 2010 WNBA Finals was the championship series of the 2010 season of the Women's National Basketball Association and the conclusion of the season's playoffs...
, the Dream went to the WNBA Finals
WNBA Finals
The WNBA Finals is the championship series of the Women's National Basketball Association and the conclusion of the sport's postseason each fall. The series was named the WNBA Championship until 2002....
but fell short to Seattle
Seattle Storm
The Seattle Storm is a professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
. They lost to the Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota Lynx
The Minnesota Lynx are a professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1999 season...
in the 2011 WNBA Finals
2011 WNBA Finals
The 2011 WNBA Finals was the championship series of the 2011 season of the Women's National Basketball Association , and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Minnesota Lynx, champions of the Western Conference, swept the champions of the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Dream in three...
.
Franchise origin
Even before the success of the United States women's basketball team in the 1996 Olympic Games, the American Basketball League had interest in placing a women's professional basketball team in Atlanta. Plans were made to place a women's pro team in Atlanta as early as 1995. Eight of the twelve Olympians would play on ABL teams when the league began play in October 1996. The Atlanta GloryAtlanta Glory
The Atlanta Glory was a women's professional basketball team in Atlanta, Georgia. It was a member of the American Basketball League. The Glory played its home games in Forbes Arena.The team folded before the start of the abortive third ABL season in 1998....
played at Forbes Arena
Forbes Arena
The Forbes Arena is a 6,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. It is home to the Morehouse College Maroon Tigers basketball team. It also hosted basketball preliminaries during the 1996 Summer Olympics and was the home arena to the Atlanta Glory. It was opened in 1996 at a cost of...
and would last two seasons before folding before the start of the 1998–99 season, which would be the ABL's final.
The Dream for a New Team
Atlanta had been mentioned as a possible future city for WNBA expansion, but efforts did not come together until the beginning of 2007. An organizing committee with Atlanta businessmen and politicians began the effort to attract an expansion team. The inability of the Atlanta HawksAtlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
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, as well as pledges for season tickets.
Philips Arena
Philips Arena
Philips Arena is an indoor arena in Atlanta, Georgia.Completed in 1999 to replace The Omni, at a cost of $213.5 million, it is home to the Atlanta Hawks, of the National Basketball Association, and the Atlanta Dream, of the Women's National Basketball Association...
, the Gwinnett Arena and Alexander Memorial Coliseum
Alexander Memorial Coliseum
The Alexander Memorial Coliseum is an indoor arena located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is the home of the basketball teams of Georgia Tech and hosted the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA from 1968–1972 and again from 1997–1999...
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. By July the committee had 1,200 commitments. The next step was to find an owner for the team.
On October 16, 2007 word broke that Ron Terwilliger
Ron Terwilliger
J. Ronald Terwilliger is the Chief Executive Officer of Trammell Crow Residential. He is primarily known for being the principal owner of the Atlanta Dream, a franchise of the Women's National Basketball Association ....
, 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
Centennial Olympic Park
Centennial Olympic Park is a 21 acre public park located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA that is owned and operated by the Georgia World Congress Center Authority. The park was built by the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games as part of the infrastructure improvements for the Centennial...
, WNBA president Donna Orender
Donna Orender
Donna Orender is a sports executive and a former collegiate and professional basketball player. She was recently president of the WNBA. She grew up on Long Island, New York and was a five-sport athlete in high school, lettering in basketball, field hockey, volleyball, softball, and tennis. She is...
made the announcement that Atlanta would officially be granted a WNBA expansion franchise.
Building the Dream
On November 27, 2007 Atlanta named Marynell MeadorsMarynell Meadors
Marynell Meadors is a women's basketball coach at the college and professional level. She is currently the head coach and general manager of the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association and was one of the original eight head coaches when the WNBA started in...
the first head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
/general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
in franchise history. For Meadors, a coach with extensive experience at the college level, this was her second role as a coach/general manager in the WNBA. Meadors had been one of the WNBA's first eight coaches as the head coach/general manager of the Charlotte Sting
Charlotte Sting
The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007....
when that team began in 1997. Afterwards, Meadors had served as a scouting director for the Miami Sol
Miami Sol
The Miami Sol was a women's basketball team which joined the Women's National Basketball Association in 2000. They played their games at American Airlines Arena. The team folded after the 2002 season because of financial problems...
and had been an assistant coach under Richie Adubato
Richie Adubato
Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic...
and Tree Rollins
Tree Rollins
Wayne Monte "Tree" Rollins is a retired American professional basketball player who played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association for the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic. He was primarily known under his playing name, Tree...
for the Washington Mystics
Washington Mystics
The Washington Mystics is a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1998 season. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment , who also owns the Mystics'...
.
Former NBA player Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman
Dennis Keith Rodman is a retired American Hall of Fame professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, he was nicknamed "Dennis the Menace" and "The...
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.)
On December 5, 2007, an online contest was announced for people to choose the team name and team colors – the final choice would rest with owner Ron Terwilliger. The names offered as choices were "Dream", "Flight", "Surge" and "Sizzle". There were also options for team colors such as lime green or hot pink. Voters had four different names and four different colors from which to choose.
Atlanta's WNBA franchise announced that the team name will be the Dream on January 23, 2008. The name was inspired, in part, by the famous speech of Atlanta native Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
The team colors would be sky blue, red, and white.
Atlanta held their expansion draft on February 6, 2008 when they selected one player from each of the thirteen teams in the league. Atlanta traded Roneeka Hodges
Roneeka Hodges
Roneeka Hodges is a current WNBA player for the San Antonio Silver Stars. She is the twin sister of former WNBA player Doneeka Hodges....
and their number four pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft
2008 WNBA Draft
The 2008 WNBA Draft is the league's annual process for determining which teams receive the rights to negotiate with players entering the league. The draft was held on April 9, 2008....
to the Seattle Storm
Seattle Storm
The Seattle Storm is a professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
for Izi Castro Marques and Seattle's eighth pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft. Also, the Dream traded the 18th pick and LaToya Thomas
LaToya Thomas
LaToya Monique Thomas is a professional basketball player.-College years:Thomas was a standout four-year starter at Mississippi State University....
to the Detroit Shock
Detroit Shock
The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...
for Ivory Latta
Ivory Latta
Ivory Latta is an American professional basketball player. A 5'6" guard noted for her three-point shooting and on-court enthusiasm, she played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels...
.
Living the Dream (2008–present)
From May 17, 2008 with a season opening loss against the Connecticut SunConnecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
to July 3, 2008 with a home loss against the Houston Comets
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
, 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
Chicago Sky
The Chicago Sky is a professional basketball team based in Rosemont, Illinois, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2006 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Michael J. Alter and Margaret Stender...
had previously lost 13 consecutive games, and the 2002 Detroit Shock
Detroit Shock
The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...
had opened their season 0–13. (The Portland Fire
Portland Fire
The Portland Fire joined the Women's National Basketball Association in 2000 as the counterpart to the NBA team the Portland Trail Blazers. They played their games at Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon. The team folded after the 2002 season, after just three seasons in the league...
had lost 14 straight games over two seasons, ending the 2001 season with 11 straight losses and opening 2002 with three straight losses.) They later finished with a 4–30 record.
On July 5, 2008, the Dream earned their first win in Atlanta against the Chicago Sky
Chicago Sky
The Chicago Sky is a professional basketball team based in Rosemont, Illinois, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2006 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Michael J. Alter and Margaret Stender...
, ending the losing streak. They beat the Sky 91–84.
The 2008/2009 offseason was a busy one. Head coach/general manager Marynell Meadors
Marynell Meadors
Marynell Meadors is a women's basketball coach at the college and professional level. She is currently the head coach and general manager of the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association and was one of the original eight head coaches when the WNBA started in...
did not want a repeat of 2008. She made key moves by acquiring players such as Sancho Lyttle
Sancho Lyttle
Sancho Lyttle is a professional basketball player born in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, with Spanish citizenship. She is currently a power forward in the WNBA for the Atlanta Dream. Through her career, she has scored 1,505 points, collected 1,041 rebounds, and has 200 assists, 242 steals, and...
, Nikki Teasley
Nikki Teasley
Nikki Teasley is a basketball player in the WNBA.She played college basketball at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill....
, Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
, Angel McCoughtry
Angel McCoughtry
Angel Lajuane McCoughtry is a professional basketball player who completed her college career at the University of Louisville in 2009. She was selected first overall by the Atlanta Dream in the 2009 WNBA Draft and is considered its franchise player...
, and Michelle Snow
Michelle Snow
Donnette Jé-Michelle Snow is an American professional basketball player from the WNBA. She currently plays the center position for the Chicago Sky.-High school years:...
.
In 2009, Atlanta reached the playoffs at 18–16, exceeding their previous record by 14 wins. Despite being in the playoffs, the Dream ended their season in disappointment and lost in the first round to the 2008 champion Detroit Shock
Detroit Shock
The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...
in a sweep. After the season, their coach, Marynell Meadors, was awarded the Coach of the Year Award
WNBA Coach of the Year Award
The Women's National Basketball Association's Coach of the Year is an annual Women's National Basketball Association award given since the league's inaugural season. The winner is selected at the end of regular season by a panel of sportswriters from the United States, each of whom casts a vote...
.
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.
The 2010 season proved even better for the Dream. Although finishing in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, the Dream sprinted through the first two rounds of the playoffs, On September 7, 2010, the Dream secured a trip to the WNBA Finals with a win over the New York Liberty
New York Liberty
The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...
, 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 Storm
The Seattle Storm is a professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
. Seattle took the first two games at home
KeyArena
KeyArena at Seattle Center , is a multipurpose arena, in Seattle, Washington. It is located north of downtown in the entertainment complex known as Seattle Center, the site of the 1962 World's Fair, the Century 21 Exposition...
with two close wins. Atlanta needed to win game three in order to keep the series alive. Seattle was too much to handle as they completed the sweep and won the series. 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
Lindsey Harding
Lindsey Marcie Harding is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA, currently playing for the Atlanta Dream. She was born in Mobile, Alabama, but grew up in Houston, Texas.-College career:...
prior to the 2011 season. Despite the major addition, the Dream struggled to open the season, starting just 2–7 due to an injury that sidelined Angel McCoughtry
Angel McCoughtry
Angel Lajuane McCoughtry is a professional basketball player who completed her college career at the University of Louisville in 2009. She was selected first overall by the Atlanta Dream in the 2009 WNBA Draft and is considered its franchise player...
and overseas commitments by Sancho Lyttle
Sancho Lyttle
Sancho Lyttle is a professional basketball player born in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, with Spanish citizenship. She is currently a power forward in the WNBA for the Atlanta Dream. Through her career, she has scored 1,505 points, collected 1,041 rebounds, and has 200 assists, 242 steals, and...
. The team did not give up, however, and went on an impressive run of 14 wins and 5 losses after the All Star break. They carried that momentum into the playoffs, sweeping the Connecticut Sun
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
and defeating the Indiana Fever
Indiana Fever
The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
to return to the WNBA Finals. But, once again they would be denied, losing to the formidable 27-7 Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota Lynx
The Minnesota Lynx are a professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1999 season...
in three games.
Current home
The Atlanta Dream currently play in Philips ArenaPhilips Arena
Philips Arena is an indoor arena in Atlanta, Georgia.Completed in 1999 to replace The Omni, at a cost of $213.5 million, it is home to the Atlanta Hawks, of the National Basketball Association, and the Atlanta Dream, of the Women's National Basketball Association...
in downtown Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
.
Season-by-season records
{|class="navbox wikitable" style="font-size:95%; text-align: center; width: 85%;"|-
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 10%;"| Season
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 8%;" | Team
!rowspan="2" colspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 12%;" | Conference
!colspan="3" style="background:#eee; width: 15%;"| Regular season
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 30%;"| Playoff
WNBA Playoffs
The WNBA Playoffs is a best-of-three elimination tournament between eight teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association , ultimately deciding the final two teams who will play in the WNBA Finals....
Results
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 13%;"| Head coach
|-
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|W
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|L
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|PCT
|-
|colspan="9" align=center bgcolor="#6495ED" | Atlanta Dream
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2008
2008 WNBA season
-Season Highlights:*Candace Parker becomes the second and third player in WNBA history to dunk in a regular season game.*A fight breaks out between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Detroit Shock resulting in four ejections and ten suspensions....
| 2008
2008 Atlanta Dream season
The 2008 WNBA season was the first for the Atlanta Dream. The team name was unveiled on January 23, 2008, with the expansion draft held on February 6. The Atlanta Dream had seventeen straight losses...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 7th
| 4
| 30
| .118
| Did not qualify
| Marynell Meadors
Marynell Meadors
Marynell Meadors is a women's basketball coach at the college and professional level. She is currently the head coach and general manager of the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association and was one of the original eight head coaches when the WNBA started in...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2009
2009 WNBA season
The 2009 WNBA Season is the 13th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. It is the first WNBA season ever without a Houston franchise, the Comets having folded in December 2008...
| 2009
2009 Atlanta Dream season
The 2009 WNBA season is the 2nd season for the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association. The Dream successfully qualified for the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. However, they were eliminated by the Detroit Shock in a sweep in the first round.-Dispersal...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 2nd
| 18
| 16
| .529
| Lost Conference Semifinals (Detroit
Detroit Shock
The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...
, 0–2)
| Marynell Meadors
Marynell Meadors
Marynell Meadors is a women's basketball coach at the college and professional level. She is currently the head coach and general manager of the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association and was one of the original eight head coaches when the WNBA started in...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2010
2010 WNBA season
The 2010 WNBA season was the 14th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began with a televised meeting between the defending champion Phoenix Mercury and the Los Angeles Sparks in Phoenix, Arizona on May 15. The Connecticut Sun hosted the 10th Annual All-Star...
| 2010
2010 Atlanta Dream season
The 2010 WNBA season is the 3rd season for the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association.-Dispersal draft:Based on the Dream's 2009 record, they would pick 9th in the Sacramento Monarchs dispersal draft...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 4th
| 19
| 15
| .559
| Won Conference Semifinals (Washington
Washington Mystics
The Washington Mystics is a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1998 season. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment , who also owns the Mystics'...
, 2–0)
Won Conference Finals (New York
New York Liberty
The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...
, 2–0)
Lost WNBA Finals (Seattle
Seattle Storm
The Seattle Storm is a professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
, 0–3)
| Marynell Meadors
Marynell Meadors
Marynell Meadors is a women's basketball coach at the college and professional level. She is currently the head coach and general manager of the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association and was one of the original eight head coaches when the WNBA started in...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2011
2011 WNBA season
The 2011 WNBA season is the 15th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began on June 3 with the Los Angeles Sparks hosting the Minnesota Lynx, featuring 2011 WNBA Draft top pick Maya Moore, in a game televised on NBA TV...
| 2011
2011 Atlanta Dream season
The 2011 WNBA season is the 4th season for the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association. The Dream finished the regular season with a 20-14 record, good for third-best in the Eastern Conference...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 3rd
| 20
| 14
| .588
| Won Conference Semifinals (Connecticut
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
, 2–0)
Won Conference Finals (Indiana
Indiana Fever
The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
, 2–1)
Lost WNBA Finals (Minnesota
Minnesota Lynx
The Minnesota Lynx are a professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1999 season...
, 0–3)
| Marynell Meadors
Marynell Meadors
Marynell Meadors is a women's basketball coach at the college and professional level. She is currently the head coach and general manager of the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association and was one of the original eight head coaches when the WNBA started in...
|-
!colspan="4" style="background:#eee;"|Regular season
|style="background:#eee;"| 61
|style="background:#eee;"| 75
|style="background:#eee;"| .449
|colspan="2" style="background:#eee;"| 2 Conference Championships
|-
!colspan="4" style="background:#eee;"|Playoffs
|style="background:#eee;"| 8
|style="background:#eee;"| 8
|style="background:#eee;"| .500
|colspan="2" style="background:#eee;"| 0 WNBA Championships
|}
Former players
- Katie Feenstra-Mattera (2008)
- Chamique HoldsclawChamique HoldsclawChamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
(2009) - Jennifer LacyJennifer LacyJennifer Lacy is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA.Lacy graduated from Agoura Hills High School in Agoura Hills, California in 2001. She played college basketball at Pepperdine, although she was recruited by Arizona, California, UC Santa Barbara, and Washington. She joined the...
(2008–2009), now a member of the Tulsa Shock - Ivory LattaIvory LattaIvory Latta is an American professional basketball player. A 5'6" guard noted for her three-point shooting and on-court enthusiasm, she played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels...
(2008–2009), now a member of the Tulsa Shock - Betty LennoxBetty LennoxBetty Bernice Lennox is an American professional basketball player most recently playing for the Tulsa Shock in the WNBA. Her nicknames include "Betty Basketball," "Betty Big Buckets," and her most popular nickname "B-Money."-Childhood:Betty grew up in the small town of Grant, OK. Daughter of...
(2008), now a member of the Tulsa Shock - Camille LittleCamille LittleCamille Little is a professional basketball player. In 2007 she began her career in the WNBA with the San Antonio Silver Stars. She played college basketball at North Carolina.-High school:...
(2008), now a member of the Seattle StormSeattle StormThe Seattle Storm is a professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began... - Stacey Lovelace-TolbertStacey Lovelace-TolbertStacey Lovelace-Tolbert is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA, who played in the WNBA.Lovelace-Tolbert attended college at Purdue University and graduated in 1996. On May 2, 2000 she was assigned with the Indiana Fever later in 2000 Lovelace-Tolbert played with the Seattle Storm...
(2008) - Kristen MannKristen MannKristen Cherie Mann is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA.-Childhood:Daughter of Kathy Deeds and Gene Mann. She has two brothers, Mack and Guy, and one sister named Payton, all younger than her. She was born August 10, 1983 in Lakewood, California...
(2008) - Ann StrotherAnn StrotherAnn Elise Strother is an American basketball coach, and former professional player, most recently for the Indiana Fever. Strother played at the collegiate level for the Connecticut Huskies, helping the team to two national titles....
(2008) - Nikki TeasleyNikki TeasleyNikki Teasley is a basketball player in the WNBA.She played college basketball at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill....
(2008) - Kasha TerryKasha TerryKasha NiCarra Terry, born October 21, 1983 in Nuremberg, Bavaria, West Germany) is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA. Terry is 6'3" tall and weighs 185 lbs .-High school:...
(2008) - Michelle SnowMichelle SnowDonnette Jé-Michelle Snow is an American professional basketball player from the WNBA. She currently plays the center position for the Chicago Sky.-High school years:...
(2009), now a member of the Chicago SkyChicago SkyThe Chicago Sky is a professional basketball team based in Rosemont, Illinois, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2006 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Michael J. Alter and Margaret Stender...
Owners
- Ron TerwilligerRon TerwilligerJ. Ronald Terwilliger is the Chief Executive Officer of Trammell Crow Residential. He is primarily known for being the principal owner of the Atlanta Dream, a franchise of the Women's National Basketball Association ....
(2008–2009) - Kathy Betty (2010)
- Dream Too LLC, composed of Mary Brock and Kelly Loeffler (2011–present)
Head coaches
{| class="toccolours" width=90% style="clear:both; margin:1.5em auto; text-align:center;"|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#6495ED; color:white" | Atlanta Dream head coaches
|- valign="top"
|
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="15%" rowspan="2" | Name
! width="10%" rowspan="2" | Start
! width="10%" rowspan="2" | End
! width="5%" rowspan="2" | Seasons
! width="20%" colspan="4" | Regular season
! width="20%" colspan="4" | Playoffs
|-
! W !! L !! PCT !! G !! W !! L !! PCT !! G
|-
| Marynell Meadors
Marynell Meadors
Marynell Meadors is a women's basketball coach at the college and professional level. She is currently the head coach and general manager of the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association and was one of the original eight head coaches when the WNBA started in...
|| November 27, 2007 || Current || 4 || width="5%"|61 || width="5%"|75 || width="5%"|.452 || width="5%"|135 ||width="5%"|8 || width="5%"|8 || width="5%"|.500 || width="5%"|16
|}
Assistant coaches
- Katy StedingKaty StedingKaty Steding is a former collegiate and professional basketball player and current college basketball coach.-College career:...
(2008) - Fred Williams (2008–present)
- Sue Panek (2008–present)
- Carol Ross (2009–present)
Statistics
{| class="toccolours" width=80% style="clear:both; margin:1.5em auto; text-align:center;"|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#6495ED; color:white" | Atlanta Dream statistics
|- valign="top"
|
2000s
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="4%" rowspan="2"| Season
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Individual
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Team vs Opponents
|-
! width="8%"|PPG
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|APG
! width="8%"|PPG
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|FG%
Field goal percentage
Field goal percentage in basketball is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted. Its abbreviation is FG%. Three-point field goals are included in this percentage. Instead of using scales of 0 to 100%, the scale .000 to 1.000 is commonly used. A higher field goal percentage denotes...
|-
| 2008
2008 Atlanta Dream season
The 2008 WNBA season was the first for the Atlanta Dream. The team name was unveiled on January 23, 2008, with the expansion draft held on February 6. The Atlanta Dream had seventeen straight losses...
| B. Lennox
Betty Lennox
Betty Bernice Lennox is an American professional basketball player most recently playing for the Tulsa Shock in the WNBA. Her nicknames include "Betty Basketball," "Betty Big Buckets," and her most popular nickname "B-Money."-Childhood:Betty grew up in the small town of Grant, OK. Daughter of...
(17.5)
| E. de Souza
Erika de Souza
Érika Cristina de Souza is a Brazilian professional women's basketball player with the Atlanta Dream of the WNBA in the United States. Prior to joining the Dream for their inaugural 2008 season, DeSouza was a member of the Los Angeles Sparks in 2002, with whom she played in 11 games...
(6.6)
| I. Latta
Ivory Latta
Ivory Latta is an American professional basketball player. A 5'6" guard noted for her three-point shooting and on-court enthusiasm, she played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels...
(3.6)
| 74.5 vs 84.7
| 31.7 vs 37.2
| .396 vs .450
|-
| 2009
2009 Atlanta Dream season
The 2009 WNBA season is the 2nd season for the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association. The Dream successfully qualified for the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. However, they were eliminated by the Detroit Shock in a sweep in the first round.-Dispersal...
| I. Castro Marques (14.4)
| E. de Souza
Erika de Souza
Érika Cristina de Souza is a Brazilian professional women's basketball player with the Atlanta Dream of the WNBA in the United States. Prior to joining the Dream for their inaugural 2008 season, DeSouza was a member of the Los Angeles Sparks in 2002, with whom she played in 11 games...
(9.1)
| S. Lehning
Shalee Lehning
Shalee Lehning is an American basketball player who was selected by the Atlanta Dream of the WNBA in the 2009 WNBA Draft.-High school:...
(3.7)
| 84.1 vs 82.3
| 37.0 vs 34.5
| .449 vs .421
|}
|
The Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team based in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, playing in the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
in the Women's National Basketball Association
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
(WNBA). The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season
2008 WNBA season
-Season Highlights:*Candace Parker becomes the second and third player in WNBA history to dunk in a regular season game.*A fight breaks out between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Detroit Shock resulting in four ejections and ten suspensions....
began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta businesswomen: Mary Brock, and Kelly Loeffler. Like some other WNBA teams, the Dream has the distinction of not being affiliated with an NBA counterpart.
The Dream has qualified for the WNBA Playoffs
WNBA Playoffs
The WNBA Playoffs is a best-of-three elimination tournament between eight teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association , ultimately deciding the final two teams who will play in the WNBA Finals....
in three of its four years in Atlanta, and has reached the WNBA Finals
WNBA Finals
The WNBA Finals is the championship series of the Women's National Basketball Association and the conclusion of the sport's postseason each fall. The series was named the WNBA Championship until 2002....
twice. The franchise has been home to many high-quality players such as University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
standout Angel McCoughtry
Angel McCoughtry
Angel Lajuane McCoughtry is a professional basketball player who completed her college career at the University of Louisville in 2009. She was selected first overall by the Atlanta Dream in the 2009 WNBA Draft and is considered its franchise player...
, former Finals MVP
2004 WNBA Finals
The 2004 WNBA Finals was the championship series of the 2004 WNBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Seattle Storm, second-seeded champions of the Western Conference, defeated the Connecticut Sun, top-seeded champions of the Eastern Conference, two games to one in a...
Betty Lennox
Betty Lennox
Betty Bernice Lennox is an American professional basketball player most recently playing for the Tulsa Shock in the WNBA. Her nicknames include "Betty Basketball," "Betty Big Buckets," and her most popular nickname "B-Money."-Childhood:Betty grew up in the small town of Grant, OK. Daughter of...
, and Brazilian
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
sharpshooter Izi Castro Marques. In 2010
2010 WNBA Finals
The 2010 WNBA Finals was the championship series of the 2010 season of the Women's National Basketball Association and the conclusion of the season's playoffs...
, the Dream went to the WNBA Finals
WNBA Finals
The WNBA Finals is the championship series of the Women's National Basketball Association and the conclusion of the sport's postseason each fall. The series was named the WNBA Championship until 2002....
but fell short to Seattle
Seattle Storm
The Seattle Storm is a professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
. They lost to the Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota Lynx
The Minnesota Lynx are a professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1999 season...
in the 2011 WNBA Finals
2011 WNBA Finals
The 2011 WNBA Finals was the championship series of the 2011 season of the Women's National Basketball Association , and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Minnesota Lynx, champions of the Western Conference, swept the champions of the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Dream in three...
.
Franchise origin
Even before the success of the United States women's basketball team in the 1996 Olympic Games, the American Basketball League had interest in placing a women's professional basketball team in Atlanta. Plans were made to place a women's pro team in Atlanta as early as 1995. Eight of the twelve Olympians would play on ABL teams when the league began play in October 1996. The Atlanta GloryAtlanta Glory
The Atlanta Glory was a women's professional basketball team in Atlanta, Georgia. It was a member of the American Basketball League. The Glory played its home games in Forbes Arena.The team folded before the start of the abortive third ABL season in 1998....
played at Forbes Arena
Forbes Arena
The Forbes Arena is a 6,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. It is home to the Morehouse College Maroon Tigers basketball team. It also hosted basketball preliminaries during the 1996 Summer Olympics and was the home arena to the Atlanta Glory. It was opened in 1996 at a cost of...
and would last two seasons before folding before the start of the 1998–99 season, which would be the ABL's final.
The Dream for a New Team
Atlanta had been mentioned as a possible future city for WNBA expansion, but efforts did not come together until the beginning of 2007. An organizing committee with Atlanta businessmen and politicians began the effort to attract an expansion team. The inability of the Atlanta HawksAtlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
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, as well as pledges for season tickets.
Philips Arena
Philips Arena
Philips Arena is an indoor arena in Atlanta, Georgia.Completed in 1999 to replace The Omni, at a cost of $213.5 million, it is home to the Atlanta Hawks, of the National Basketball Association, and the Atlanta Dream, of the Women's National Basketball Association...
, the Gwinnett Arena and Alexander Memorial Coliseum
Alexander Memorial Coliseum
The Alexander Memorial Coliseum is an indoor arena located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is the home of the basketball teams of Georgia Tech and hosted the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA from 1968–1972 and again from 1997–1999...
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. By July the committee had 1,200 commitments. The next step was to find an owner for the team.
On October 16, 2007 word broke that Ron Terwilliger
Ron Terwilliger
J. Ronald Terwilliger is the Chief Executive Officer of Trammell Crow Residential. He is primarily known for being the principal owner of the Atlanta Dream, a franchise of the Women's National Basketball Association ....
, 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
Centennial Olympic Park
Centennial Olympic Park is a 21 acre public park located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA that is owned and operated by the Georgia World Congress Center Authority. The park was built by the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games as part of the infrastructure improvements for the Centennial...
, WNBA president Donna Orender
Donna Orender
Donna Orender is a sports executive and a former collegiate and professional basketball player. She was recently president of the WNBA. She grew up on Long Island, New York and was a five-sport athlete in high school, lettering in basketball, field hockey, volleyball, softball, and tennis. She is...
made the announcement that Atlanta would officially be granted a WNBA expansion franchise.
Building the Dream
On November 27, 2007 Atlanta named Marynell MeadorsMarynell Meadors
Marynell Meadors is a women's basketball coach at the college and professional level. She is currently the head coach and general manager of the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association and was one of the original eight head coaches when the WNBA started in...
the first head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
/general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
in franchise history. For Meadors, a coach with extensive experience at the college level, this was her second role as a coach/general manager in the WNBA. Meadors had been one of the WNBA's first eight coaches as the head coach/general manager of the Charlotte Sting
Charlotte Sting
The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007....
when that team began in 1997. Afterwards, Meadors had served as a scouting director for the Miami Sol
Miami Sol
The Miami Sol was a women's basketball team which joined the Women's National Basketball Association in 2000. They played their games at American Airlines Arena. The team folded after the 2002 season because of financial problems...
and had been an assistant coach under Richie Adubato
Richie Adubato
Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic...
and Tree Rollins
Tree Rollins
Wayne Monte "Tree" Rollins is a retired American professional basketball player who played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association for the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic. He was primarily known under his playing name, Tree...
for the Washington Mystics
Washington Mystics
The Washington Mystics is a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1998 season. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment , who also owns the Mystics'...
.
Former NBA player Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman
Dennis Keith Rodman is a retired American Hall of Fame professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, he was nicknamed "Dennis the Menace" and "The...
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.)
On December 5, 2007, an online contest was announced for people to choose the team name and team colors – the final choice would rest with owner Ron Terwilliger. The names offered as choices were "Dream", "Flight", "Surge" and "Sizzle". There were also options for team colors such as lime green or hot pink. Voters had four different names and four different colors from which to choose.
Atlanta's WNBA franchise announced that the team name will be the Dream on January 23, 2008. The name was inspired, in part, by the famous speech of Atlanta native Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
The team colors would be sky blue, red, and white.
Atlanta held their expansion draft on February 6, 2008 when they selected one player from each of the thirteen teams in the league. Atlanta traded Roneeka Hodges
Roneeka Hodges
Roneeka Hodges is a current WNBA player for the San Antonio Silver Stars. She is the twin sister of former WNBA player Doneeka Hodges....
and their number four pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft
2008 WNBA Draft
The 2008 WNBA Draft is the league's annual process for determining which teams receive the rights to negotiate with players entering the league. The draft was held on April 9, 2008....
to the Seattle Storm
Seattle Storm
The Seattle Storm is a professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
for Izi Castro Marques and Seattle's eighth pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft. Also, the Dream traded the 18th pick and LaToya Thomas
LaToya Thomas
LaToya Monique Thomas is a professional basketball player.-College years:Thomas was a standout four-year starter at Mississippi State University....
to the Detroit Shock
Detroit Shock
The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...
for Ivory Latta
Ivory Latta
Ivory Latta is an American professional basketball player. A 5'6" guard noted for her three-point shooting and on-court enthusiasm, she played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels...
.
Living the Dream (2008–present)
From May 17, 2008 with a season opening loss against the Connecticut SunConnecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
to July 3, 2008 with a home loss against the Houston Comets
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
, 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
Chicago Sky
The Chicago Sky is a professional basketball team based in Rosemont, Illinois, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2006 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Michael J. Alter and Margaret Stender...
had previously lost 13 consecutive games, and the 2002 Detroit Shock
Detroit Shock
The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...
had opened their season 0–13. (The Portland Fire
Portland Fire
The Portland Fire joined the Women's National Basketball Association in 2000 as the counterpart to the NBA team the Portland Trail Blazers. They played their games at Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon. The team folded after the 2002 season, after just three seasons in the league...
had lost 14 straight games over two seasons, ending the 2001 season with 11 straight losses and opening 2002 with three straight losses.) They later finished with a 4–30 record.
On July 5, 2008, the Dream earned their first win in Atlanta against the Chicago Sky
Chicago Sky
The Chicago Sky is a professional basketball team based in Rosemont, Illinois, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2006 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Michael J. Alter and Margaret Stender...
, ending the losing streak. They beat the Sky 91–84.
The 2008/2009 offseason was a busy one. Head coach/general manager Marynell Meadors
Marynell Meadors
Marynell Meadors is a women's basketball coach at the college and professional level. She is currently the head coach and general manager of the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association and was one of the original eight head coaches when the WNBA started in...
did not want a repeat of 2008. She made key moves by acquiring players such as Sancho Lyttle
Sancho Lyttle
Sancho Lyttle is a professional basketball player born in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, with Spanish citizenship. She is currently a power forward in the WNBA for the Atlanta Dream. Through her career, she has scored 1,505 points, collected 1,041 rebounds, and has 200 assists, 242 steals, and...
, Nikki Teasley
Nikki Teasley
Nikki Teasley is a basketball player in the WNBA.She played college basketball at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill....
, Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
, Angel McCoughtry
Angel McCoughtry
Angel Lajuane McCoughtry is a professional basketball player who completed her college career at the University of Louisville in 2009. She was selected first overall by the Atlanta Dream in the 2009 WNBA Draft and is considered its franchise player...
, and Michelle Snow
Michelle Snow
Donnette Jé-Michelle Snow is an American professional basketball player from the WNBA. She currently plays the center position for the Chicago Sky.-High school years:...
.
In 2009, Atlanta reached the playoffs at 18–16, exceeding their previous record by 14 wins. Despite being in the playoffs, the Dream ended their season in disappointment and lost in the first round to the 2008 champion Detroit Shock
Detroit Shock
The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...
in a sweep. After the season, their coach, Marynell Meadors, was awarded the Coach of the Year Award
WNBA Coach of the Year Award
The Women's National Basketball Association's Coach of the Year is an annual Women's National Basketball Association award given since the league's inaugural season. The winner is selected at the end of regular season by a panel of sportswriters from the United States, each of whom casts a vote...
.
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.
The 2010 season proved even better for the Dream. Although finishing in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, the Dream sprinted through the first two rounds of the playoffs, On September 7, 2010, the Dream secured a trip to the WNBA Finals with a win over the New York Liberty
New York Liberty
The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...
, 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 Storm
The Seattle Storm is a professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
. Seattle took the first two games at home
KeyArena
KeyArena at Seattle Center , is a multipurpose arena, in Seattle, Washington. It is located north of downtown in the entertainment complex known as Seattle Center, the site of the 1962 World's Fair, the Century 21 Exposition...
with two close wins. Atlanta needed to win game three in order to keep the series alive. Seattle was too much to handle as they completed the sweep and won the series. 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
Lindsey Harding
Lindsey Marcie Harding is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA, currently playing for the Atlanta Dream. She was born in Mobile, Alabama, but grew up in Houston, Texas.-College career:...
prior to the 2011 season. Despite the major addition, the Dream struggled to open the season, starting just 2–7 due to an injury that sidelined Angel McCoughtry
Angel McCoughtry
Angel Lajuane McCoughtry is a professional basketball player who completed her college career at the University of Louisville in 2009. She was selected first overall by the Atlanta Dream in the 2009 WNBA Draft and is considered its franchise player...
and overseas commitments by Sancho Lyttle
Sancho Lyttle
Sancho Lyttle is a professional basketball player born in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, with Spanish citizenship. She is currently a power forward in the WNBA for the Atlanta Dream. Through her career, she has scored 1,505 points, collected 1,041 rebounds, and has 200 assists, 242 steals, and...
. The team did not give up, however, and went on an impressive run of 14 wins and 5 losses after the All Star break. They carried that momentum into the playoffs, sweeping the Connecticut Sun
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
and defeating the Indiana Fever
Indiana Fever
The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
to return to the WNBA Finals. But, once again they would be denied, losing to the formidable 27-7 Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota Lynx
The Minnesota Lynx are a professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1999 season...
in three games.
Current home
The Atlanta Dream currently play in Philips ArenaPhilips Arena
Philips Arena is an indoor arena in Atlanta, Georgia.Completed in 1999 to replace The Omni, at a cost of $213.5 million, it is home to the Atlanta Hawks, of the National Basketball Association, and the Atlanta Dream, of the Women's National Basketball Association...
in downtown Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
.
Season-by-season records
{|class="navbox wikitable" style="font-size:95%; text-align: center; width: 85%;"|-
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 10%;"| Season
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 8%;" | Team
!rowspan="2" colspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 12%;" | Conference
!colspan="3" style="background:#eee; width: 15%;"| Regular season
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 30%;"| Playoff
WNBA Playoffs
The WNBA Playoffs is a best-of-three elimination tournament between eight teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association , ultimately deciding the final two teams who will play in the WNBA Finals....
Results
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 13%;"| Head coach
|-
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|W
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|L
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|PCT
|-
|colspan="9" align=center bgcolor="#6495ED" | Atlanta Dream
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2008
2008 WNBA season
-Season Highlights:*Candace Parker becomes the second and third player in WNBA history to dunk in a regular season game.*A fight breaks out between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Detroit Shock resulting in four ejections and ten suspensions....
| 2008
2008 Atlanta Dream season
The 2008 WNBA season was the first for the Atlanta Dream. The team name was unveiled on January 23, 2008, with the expansion draft held on February 6. The Atlanta Dream had seventeen straight losses...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 7th
| 4
| 30
| .118
| Did not qualify
| Marynell Meadors
Marynell Meadors
Marynell Meadors is a women's basketball coach at the college and professional level. She is currently the head coach and general manager of the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association and was one of the original eight head coaches when the WNBA started in...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2009
2009 WNBA season
The 2009 WNBA Season is the 13th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. It is the first WNBA season ever without a Houston franchise, the Comets having folded in December 2008...
| 2009
2009 Atlanta Dream season
The 2009 WNBA season is the 2nd season for the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association. The Dream successfully qualified for the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. However, they were eliminated by the Detroit Shock in a sweep in the first round.-Dispersal...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 2nd
| 18
| 16
| .529
| Lost Conference Semifinals (Detroit
Detroit Shock
The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...
, 0–2)
| Marynell Meadors
Marynell Meadors
Marynell Meadors is a women's basketball coach at the college and professional level. She is currently the head coach and general manager of the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association and was one of the original eight head coaches when the WNBA started in...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2010
2010 WNBA season
The 2010 WNBA season was the 14th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began with a televised meeting between the defending champion Phoenix Mercury and the Los Angeles Sparks in Phoenix, Arizona on May 15. The Connecticut Sun hosted the 10th Annual All-Star...
| 2010
2010 Atlanta Dream season
The 2010 WNBA season is the 3rd season for the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association.-Dispersal draft:Based on the Dream's 2009 record, they would pick 9th in the Sacramento Monarchs dispersal draft...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 4th
| 19
| 15
| .559
| Won Conference Semifinals (Washington
Washington Mystics
The Washington Mystics is a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1998 season. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment , who also owns the Mystics'...
, 2–0)
Won Conference Finals (New York
New York Liberty
The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...
, 2–0)
Lost WNBA Finals (Seattle
Seattle Storm
The Seattle Storm is a professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
, 0–3)
| Marynell Meadors
Marynell Meadors
Marynell Meadors is a women's basketball coach at the college and professional level. She is currently the head coach and general manager of the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association and was one of the original eight head coaches when the WNBA started in...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2011
2011 WNBA season
The 2011 WNBA season is the 15th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began on June 3 with the Los Angeles Sparks hosting the Minnesota Lynx, featuring 2011 WNBA Draft top pick Maya Moore, in a game televised on NBA TV...
| 2011
2011 Atlanta Dream season
The 2011 WNBA season is the 4th season for the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association. The Dream finished the regular season with a 20-14 record, good for third-best in the Eastern Conference...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 3rd
| 20
| 14
| .588
| Won Conference Semifinals (Connecticut
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
, 2–0)
Won Conference Finals (Indiana
Indiana Fever
The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
, 2–1)
Lost WNBA Finals (Minnesota
Minnesota Lynx
The Minnesota Lynx are a professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1999 season...
, 0–3)
| Marynell Meadors
Marynell Meadors
Marynell Meadors is a women's basketball coach at the college and professional level. She is currently the head coach and general manager of the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association and was one of the original eight head coaches when the WNBA started in...
|-
!colspan="4" style="background:#eee;"|Regular season
|style="background:#eee;"| 61
|style="background:#eee;"| 75
|style="background:#eee;"| .449
|colspan="2" style="background:#eee;"| 2 Conference Championships
|-
!colspan="4" style="background:#eee;"|Playoffs
|style="background:#eee;"| 8
|style="background:#eee;"| 8
|style="background:#eee;"| .500
|colspan="2" style="background:#eee;"| 0 WNBA Championships
|}
Former players
- Katie Feenstra-Mattera (2008)
- Chamique HoldsclawChamique HoldsclawChamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
(2009) - Jennifer LacyJennifer LacyJennifer Lacy is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA.Lacy graduated from Agoura Hills High School in Agoura Hills, California in 2001. She played college basketball at Pepperdine, although she was recruited by Arizona, California, UC Santa Barbara, and Washington. She joined the...
(2008–2009), now a member of the Tulsa Shock - Ivory LattaIvory LattaIvory Latta is an American professional basketball player. A 5'6" guard noted for her three-point shooting and on-court enthusiasm, she played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels...
(2008–2009), now a member of the Tulsa Shock - Betty LennoxBetty LennoxBetty Bernice Lennox is an American professional basketball player most recently playing for the Tulsa Shock in the WNBA. Her nicknames include "Betty Basketball," "Betty Big Buckets," and her most popular nickname "B-Money."-Childhood:Betty grew up in the small town of Grant, OK. Daughter of...
(2008), now a member of the Tulsa Shock - Camille LittleCamille LittleCamille Little is a professional basketball player. In 2007 she began her career in the WNBA with the San Antonio Silver Stars. She played college basketball at North Carolina.-High school:...
(2008), now a member of the Seattle StormSeattle StormThe Seattle Storm is a professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began... - Stacey Lovelace-TolbertStacey Lovelace-TolbertStacey Lovelace-Tolbert is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA, who played in the WNBA.Lovelace-Tolbert attended college at Purdue University and graduated in 1996. On May 2, 2000 she was assigned with the Indiana Fever later in 2000 Lovelace-Tolbert played with the Seattle Storm...
(2008) - Kristen MannKristen MannKristen Cherie Mann is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA.-Childhood:Daughter of Kathy Deeds and Gene Mann. She has two brothers, Mack and Guy, and one sister named Payton, all younger than her. She was born August 10, 1983 in Lakewood, California...
(2008) - Ann StrotherAnn StrotherAnn Elise Strother is an American basketball coach, and former professional player, most recently for the Indiana Fever. Strother played at the collegiate level for the Connecticut Huskies, helping the team to two national titles....
(2008) - Nikki TeasleyNikki TeasleyNikki Teasley is a basketball player in the WNBA.She played college basketball at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill....
(2008) - Kasha TerryKasha TerryKasha NiCarra Terry, born October 21, 1983 in Nuremberg, Bavaria, West Germany) is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA. Terry is 6'3" tall and weighs 185 lbs .-High school:...
(2008) - Michelle SnowMichelle SnowDonnette Jé-Michelle Snow is an American professional basketball player from the WNBA. She currently plays the center position for the Chicago Sky.-High school years:...
(2009), now a member of the Chicago SkyChicago SkyThe Chicago Sky is a professional basketball team based in Rosemont, Illinois, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2006 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Michael J. Alter and Margaret Stender...
Owners
- Ron TerwilligerRon TerwilligerJ. Ronald Terwilliger is the Chief Executive Officer of Trammell Crow Residential. He is primarily known for being the principal owner of the Atlanta Dream, a franchise of the Women's National Basketball Association ....
(2008–2009) - Kathy Betty (2010)
- Dream Too LLC, composed of Mary Brock and Kelly Loeffler (2011–present)
Head coaches
{| class="toccolours" width=90% style="clear:both; margin:1.5em auto; text-align:center;"|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#6495ED; color:white" | Atlanta Dream head coaches
|- valign="top"
|
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="15%" rowspan="2" | Name
! width="10%" rowspan="2" | Start
! width="10%" rowspan="2" | End
! width="5%" rowspan="2" | Seasons
! width="20%" colspan="4" | Regular season
! width="20%" colspan="4" | Playoffs
|-
! W !! L !! PCT !! G !! W !! L !! PCT !! G
|-
| Marynell Meadors
Marynell Meadors
Marynell Meadors is a women's basketball coach at the college and professional level. She is currently the head coach and general manager of the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association and was one of the original eight head coaches when the WNBA started in...
|| November 27, 2007 || Current || 4 || width="5%"|61 || width="5%"|75 || width="5%"|.452 || width="5%"|135 ||width="5%"|8 || width="5%"|8 || width="5%"|.500 || width="5%"|16
|}
Assistant coaches
- Katy StedingKaty StedingKaty Steding is a former collegiate and professional basketball player and current college basketball coach.-College career:...
(2008) - Fred Williams (2008–present)
- Sue Panek (2008–present)
- Carol Ross (2009–present)
Statistics
{| class="toccolours" width=80% style="clear:both; margin:1.5em auto; text-align:center;"|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#6495ED; color:white" | Atlanta Dream statistics
|- valign="top"
|
2000s
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="4%" rowspan="2"| Season
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Individual
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Team vs Opponents
|-
! width="8%"|PPG
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|APG
! width="8%"|PPG
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|FG%
Field goal percentage
Field goal percentage in basketball is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted. Its abbreviation is FG%. Three-point field goals are included in this percentage. Instead of using scales of 0 to 100%, the scale .000 to 1.000 is commonly used. A higher field goal percentage denotes...
|-
| 2008
2008 Atlanta Dream season
The 2008 WNBA season was the first for the Atlanta Dream. The team name was unveiled on January 23, 2008, with the expansion draft held on February 6. The Atlanta Dream had seventeen straight losses...
| B. Lennox
Betty Lennox
Betty Bernice Lennox is an American professional basketball player most recently playing for the Tulsa Shock in the WNBA. Her nicknames include "Betty Basketball," "Betty Big Buckets," and her most popular nickname "B-Money."-Childhood:Betty grew up in the small town of Grant, OK. Daughter of...
(17.5)
| E. de Souza
Erika de Souza
Érika Cristina de Souza is a Brazilian professional women's basketball player with the Atlanta Dream of the WNBA in the United States. Prior to joining the Dream for their inaugural 2008 season, DeSouza was a member of the Los Angeles Sparks in 2002, with whom she played in 11 games...
(6.6)
| I. Latta
Ivory Latta
Ivory Latta is an American professional basketball player. A 5'6" guard noted for her three-point shooting and on-court enthusiasm, she played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels...
(3.6)
| 74.5 vs 84.7
| 31.7 vs 37.2
| .396 vs .450
|-
| 2009
2009 Atlanta Dream season
The 2009 WNBA season is the 2nd season for the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association. The Dream successfully qualified for the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. However, they were eliminated by the Detroit Shock in a sweep in the first round.-Dispersal...
| I. Castro Marques (14.4)
| E. de Souza
Erika de Souza
Érika Cristina de Souza is a Brazilian professional women's basketball player with the Atlanta Dream of the WNBA in the United States. Prior to joining the Dream for their inaugural 2008 season, DeSouza was a member of the Los Angeles Sparks in 2002, with whom she played in 11 games...
(9.1)
| S. Lehning
Shalee Lehning
Shalee Lehning is an American basketball player who was selected by the Atlanta Dream of the WNBA in the 2009 WNBA Draft.-High school:...
(3.7)
| 84.1 vs 82.3
| 37.0 vs 34.5
| .449 vs .421
|}
|
2010s
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="4%" rowspan="2"| Season
! width="20%" colspan="3"| Individual
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Team vs Opponents
|-
! width="8%"|PPG
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|APG
! width="8%"|PPG
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|FG%
Field goal percentage
Field goal percentage in basketball is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted. Its abbreviation is FG%. Three-point field goals are included in this percentage. Instead of using scales of 0 to 100%, the scale .000 to 1.000 is commonly used. A higher field goal percentage denotes...
|-
| 2010
2010 Atlanta Dream season
The 2010 WNBA season is the 3rd season for the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association.-Dispersal draft:Based on the Dream's 2009 record, they would pick 9th in the Sacramento Monarchs dispersal draft...
| A. McCoughtry
Angel McCoughtry
Angel Lajuane McCoughtry is a professional basketball player who completed her college career at the University of Louisville in 2009. She was selected first overall by the Atlanta Dream in the 2009 WNBA Draft and is considered its franchise player...
(21.1)
| S. Lyttle
Sancho Lyttle
Sancho Lyttle is a professional basketball player born in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, with Spanish citizenship. She is currently a power forward in the WNBA for the Atlanta Dream. Through her career, she has scored 1,505 points, collected 1,041 rebounds, and has 200 assists, 242 steals, and...
(9.9)
| S. Lehning
Shalee Lehning
Shalee Lehning is an American basketball player who was selected by the Atlanta Dream of the WNBA in the 2009 WNBA Draft.-High school:...
(4.8)
| 85.4 vs 83.1
| 38.8 vs 34.1
| .444 vs .435
|-
| 2011
2011 Atlanta Dream season
The 2011 WNBA season is the 4th season for the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association. The Dream finished the regular season with a 20-14 record, good for third-best in the Eastern Conference...
| A. McCoughtry
Angel McCoughtry
Angel Lajuane McCoughtry is a professional basketball player who completed her college career at the University of Louisville in 2009. She was selected first overall by the Atlanta Dream in the 2009 WNBA Draft and is considered its franchise player...
(21.6)
| E. de Souza
Erika de Souza
Érika Cristina de Souza is a Brazilian professional women's basketball player with the Atlanta Dream of the WNBA in the United States. Prior to joining the Dream for their inaugural 2008 season, DeSouza was a member of the Los Angeles Sparks in 2002, with whom she played in 11 games...
(7.5)
| L. Harding
Lindsey Harding
Lindsey Marcie Harding is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA, currently playing for the Atlanta Dream. She was born in Mobile, Alabama, but grew up in Houston, Texas.-College career:...
(4.8)
| 82.5 vs 80.8
| 36.1 vs 34.6
| .446 vs .431
|}
|}
Media coverage
Currently, some Dream games are broadcast on Fox Sports South (FS-S) and SportSouthSportSouth
SportSouth is a regional sports network in the United States, with its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. SportSouth, formerly Turner South, relaunched on October 13, 2006...
(SSO), which are local television stations for the Southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
. More often than not, NBA TV
NBA TV
NBA TV is a television specialty channel that is dedicated to showcasing the sport of basketball in the United States. The network is financially backed by the National Basketball Association , which also uses NBA TV as a way of advertising their out of market package NBA League Pass, and partner...
will pick up the feed from the local broadcast, which is shown nationally. Broadcasters for the Dream games are Bob Rathbun and LaChina Robinson. Prior to the 2010 season, the Dream had a deal with Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast (CSS). Games on that station were called by Art Eckman and LaChina Robinson.
All games (excluding blackout games, which are available on ESPN3.com) are broadcast to the WNBA LiveAccess game feeds on the league website. Furthermore, some Dream games are broadcast nationally on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, ESPN2 and ABC
ESPN on ABC
ESPN on ABC is the brand used for sports programming on the ABC television network. Officially the broadcast network retains its own sports division; however, for all practical purposes, ABC's sports division has been merged with ESPN, a sports cable network majority-owned by ABC's parent, The...
. The WNBA has reached an eight year agreement with ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, which will pay right fees to the Dream, as well as other teams in the league.
Regular season attendance
- A sellout for a basketball game at Philips ArenaPhilips ArenaPhilips Arena is an indoor arena in Atlanta, Georgia.Completed in 1999 to replace The Omni, at a cost of $213.5 million, it is home to the Atlanta Hawks, of the National Basketball Association, and the Atlanta Dream, of the Women's National Basketball Association...
is 18,729.
{| class="toccolours" width=70% style="clear:both; margin:1.5em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#6495ED; color:white" | Regular season all-time attendance
|- valign="top"
|
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|- align="center" style="background:#eee;color:#000000;"
|width=75 |Year
|width=150|Average
|width=100|High
|width=100|Low
|width=75 |Sellouts
|width=150|Total for year
|width=150|WNBA game average
|- align="center"
| 2008 || 8,468 (6th) || 11,609 || 5,844 || 0 || 143,950 || 7,948
|- align="center"
| 2009 || 7,102 (11th) || 11,304 || 5,424 || 0 || 120,737 || 8,039
|- align="center"
| 2010 || 6,293 (10th) || 9,598 || 2,515 || 0 || 106,983 || 7,834
|- align="center"
| 2011 || 6,487 (10th) || 8,038 || 4,423 || 0 || 110,278 || 7,954
|}
Draft picks
- 2008 Expansion Draft: Carla Thomas, Erika de Souza, Katie Feenstra, Roneeka Hodges, Ann Strother, LaToya Thomas, Kristen Mann, Ann Wauters, Jennifer Lacy, Kristin Haynie, Chantelle Anderson, Betty Lennox, Yelena Leuchanka
- 2008: Tamera Young (8), Morenike Atunrase (24), Danielle Hood (32)
- 2009 HoustonHouston CometsThe Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
Dispersal Draft: Sancho Lyttle (1) - 2009: Angel McCoughtry (1), Shalee Lehning (25), Jessica Morrow (27)
- 2010 SacramentoSacramento MonarchsThe Sacramento Monarchs were a basketball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Women's National Basketball Association from 1997 until folding on November 20, 2009...
Dispersal Draft: selection waived - 2010: Chanel Mokango (9), Brigitte Ardossi (21), Brittainey Raven (33)
- 2011: Ta'Shia Phillips (8), Rachel Jarry (18), Kelsey Bolte (32)
Trades
- February 6, 2008: The Dream traded LaToya Thomas and the 18th pick in the 2008 Draft to the Detroit Shock in exchange for Ivory Latta.
- February 6, 2008: The Dream traded the fourth pick in the 2008 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 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 the a second-round pick in the 2009 Draft to the San Antonio Silver Stars in exchange for Camille Little, draft rights to Chioma Nnamaka, and the a first-round pick in the 2009 Draft.
- June 22, 2008: The Dream traded Camille Little to the Seattle Storm in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2009 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 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 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 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 Draft to the Washington Mystics in exchange for Lindsey Harding and second-round pick in 2012 Draft.
All-Stars
- 2008: No All-Star Game
- 2009: Erika de Souza, Sancho Lyttle
- 2010: Izi Castro Marques, Sancho Lyttle, Angel McCoughtry
- 2011: Angel McCoughtry
Honors and awards
- 2009 Rookie of the Year: Angel McCoughtry
- 2009 Coach of the Year: Marynell Meadors
- 2009 All-Defensive Second Team: Angel McCoughtry
- 2009 All-Rookie Team: Angel McCoughtry
- 2010 All-WNBA First Team: Angel McCoughtry
- 2010 All-Defensive First Team: Angel McCoughtry
- 2010 All-Defensive Second Team: Sancho Lyttle
- 2011 All-WNBA First Team: Angel McCoughtry
- 2011 All-Defensive First Team: Angel McCoughtry
- 2011 All-Defensive Second Team: Sancho Lyttle
- 2011 All-Defensive Second Team: Armintie Price
External links
