After falling just one game short of the Finals in 2018, the Dream completely fell apart last season, finishing 8-26, which was the worst record in the league, and second worst in team history.
Following such a disappointing campaign, the roster was overhauled in the offseason. Franchise legend Angel McCoughtry left in free agency, they swung a trade for Kalani Brown, signed Courtney Williams in free agency and drafted Chennedy Carter with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2020 Draft.
Now, they'll head into the bubble at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, with hopes that they can bounce back from last season's disaster, and get back into the playoffs. Ahead of opening day, here's everything you need to know about the Dream.
Dream roster
| PLAYER | POSITION |
|---|---|
Jaylyn Agnew | F |
Monique Billings | F |
Brittany Brewer | F |
Kalani Brown | C |
Chennedy Carter | G |
Blake Dietrick | G |
Glory Johnson | F |
Alexis Jones | G |
Betnijah Laney | G-F |
Erica McCall | F |
Shekinna Stricklen | F |
Courtney Williams | G |
Elizabeth Williams | F-C |
Players sitting out: Tiffany Hayes, Renee Montgomery
Dream schedule
All times Eastern
| DATE | TIME | OPPONENT | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
July 26 | 5 p.m. | Dallas Wings | CBS Sports Network |
July 29 | 10 p.m. | Las Vegas Aces | CBS Sports Network |
July 31 | 7 p.m. | New York Liberty | WNBA League Pass |
Aug. 2 | 4 p.m. | Indiana Fever | WNBA League Pass |
Aug. 4 | 7 p.m. | Phoenix Mercury | ESPN 2 |
Aug. 6 | 6 p.m. | Seattle Storm | ESPN 2 |
Aug. 8 | 12 p.m. | Dallas Wings | ESPN 2 |
Aug. 10 | 6 p.m. | Connecticut Sun | WNBA League Pass |
Aug. 12 | 10 p.m. | Seattle Storm | WNBA League Pass |
Aug. 14 | 10 p.m. | Phoenix Mercury | WNBA League Pass |
Aug. 16 | 4 p.m. | Chicago Sky | WNBA League Pass |
Aug. 19 | 7 p.m. | Washington Mystics | CBS Sports Network |
Aug. 21 | 7 p.m. | Los Angeles Sparks | WNBA League Pass |
Aug. 23 | 4 p.m. | Minnesota Lynx | WNBA League Pass |
Aug. 26 | 7 p.m. | Washington Mystics | WNBA League Pass |
Aug. 28 | 7 p.m. | Minnesota Lynx | WNBA League Pass |
Aug. 30 | 8 p.m. | Los Angeles Sparks | WNBA League Pass |
Sept. 1 | 8 p.m. | Indiana Fever | WNBA League Pass |
Sept. 3 | 7 p.m. | New York Liberty | WNBA League Pass |
Sept. 5 | 6 p.m. | Las Vegas Aces | WNBA League Pass |
Sept. 9 | 8 p.m. | Chicago Sky | CBS Sports Network |
Sept. 11 | 7 p.m. | Connecticut Sun | WNBA League Pass |
Key storylines
No more McCoughtry: In 2009, ahead of their second season of existence, the Dream won the No. 1 overall pick, and selected Angel McCoughtry; it was the best decision they've ever made. During her decade with the club, she won Rookie of the Year, made five All-Star Games, six All-WNBA teams, eight All-Defensive teams and captured two scoring titles. And though they fell short each time, she also helped Atlanta to three Finals appearances.
But as she sat out last season while rehabbing from a knee injury, her relationship with the franchise soured -- so much so that the Dream let her walk in free agency. Now, a new era begins in Atlanta, and the team will have to figure out how to move on without the best player in franchise history.
A whole new team: This winter's free agency period was the wildest in league history, and no team was as active as the Dream. They turned over pretty much the entire roster, adding Courtney Williams, Glory Johnson, Shekinna Stricklen, Kalani Brown, Alexis Jones and Blake Dietrick during the offseason. During the draft they took Chennedy Carter with the No. 4 pick, and Brittany Brewer at No. 17. And if all that wasn't enough, they've signed Betnijah Laney, Jaylyn Agnew and Erica McCall in the past few weeks.
All told, that's 11 new additions, and with Tiffany Hayes and Renee Montgomery sitting out the season, they're returning zero double-digit scorers and only one player -- Elizabeth Williams -- who averaged over 20 minutes per game. In short, this is basically a brand new team, and it's going to be fascinating to see what head coach Nicki Collen is able to do with this group.
Stars sitting out: Nearly a dozen players have announced their intentions to sit out the 2020 season so far, including two key members of the Dream. Montgomery was the first player in the league to opt out of playing, and one of the few to do so specifically in order to continue fighting for social justice. "There's work to be done off the court in so many areas in our community," Montgomery said in her announcement. "Social justice reform isn't going to happen overnight, but I do feel that now is the time and moments equal momentum."
A short time later, Hayes announced she would be following suit, though she didn't cite a specific reason. "This was not an easy decision but I believe it is in my best interest with everything that is going on right now," Hayes said. "Although I love playing this game, I believe there are much more important things to be thinking about in this moment."
First and foremost, they deserve respect for their decisions, which could not have come easy; at the current moment, staying healthy and fighting for a better world are more important than basketball. Still, there is a season to play, and not having those two is a big loss for their backcourt, even with the additions of Williams and Carter.
A change in ownership?: Earlier this month, the WNBA announced that the 2020 season would be dedicated to social justice. Players will be wearing special jerseys and warm-up shirts to honor the victims of police and racial violence, "Black Lives Matter" will be painted on the side of the courts and a social justice council was formed. While most celebrated those ideas, Dream co-owner Kelly Loeffler was not among them. The Republican senator from Georgia wrote a letter to commissioner Cathy Engelbert decrying the decision.
The Dream players responded with a statement of their own, saying they would not back down, and players across the league have called for Loeffler's removal due to her political stances and hurtful comments. In a press release, the WNBA said Loeffler is "no longer involved in the day-to-day business of the team," and it seems they view the matter as settled. It's unlikely the players feel the same way, and this is yet another distraction the Dream will have to deal with as the season goes along.
Hollywood Carter: The Dream lost their franchise superstar this offseason when McCoughtry headed West for Las Vegas, but if things go as planned, they've already found their replacement in Chennedy Carter. The No. 4 overall pick, nicknamed "Hollywood," is going to be thrust into the spotlight.
With McCoughtry and Sykes both gone, and Hayes and Montgomery sitting out, the Dream are all of a sudden quite thin in the backcourt. As a result, Carter is going to have every opportunity to show why she was a lottery pick, and one of the favorites for Rookie of the Year. A scoring machine in college, Carter is, in theory, exactly what Atlanta needs after turning in a historically bad offensive performance last season.
