Atlanta Dream’s free agent signings signal a ‘monumental’ moment for franchise

From the moment the Dream hired Smesko to lead the franchise, Atlanta’s vision was to build on its core talent by bringing in complimentary players who could improve the team’s success immediately. As Atlanta seeks to become one of the WNBA’s elite teams in the league again, it required the Dream to be aggressive in free agency, pursuing pieces that would aid in Smesko’s plan to orchestrate a fast-paced offensive game plan centered around ball movement, 3-point shooting and consistent offensive efficiency.

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Even with the Dream’s track record for securing first-class talent — look no further than the acquisitions of Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray and Jordin Canada — the limitations of WNBA salary caps and the changes coming to the league’s collective bargaining agreement in the next year can make it challenging to secure an influx of talent. But when Atlanta’s new additions in Brittney Griner, Brionna Jones and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough took the stage for their official team introductions, it was a pinnacle moment for the franchise.

“There’s just not often times when you are able to add three players that we’re bringing into Atlanta,” Padover said Tuesday during the franchise’s introductory news conference for the trio of players. “This is a monumental moment. … When Karl and I sat down a few months ago to look at this roster, we said, what would be the home run for us? The home run is here.”

On paper, the Dream have bolstered their roster — one that was already filled with strong guard play, top-20 scorers and one of the league’s best distributors and defenders in the backcourt — with two of the most efficient scorers in the league in Griner and Jones and a do-it-all type utility player in Walker-Kimbrough. While Padover and Smesko are thrilled to get to work on building success within the franchise, the players are excited as well, mainly due to the foundation that the Dream’s trio of Howard, Gray and Canada has laid and the connection between the franchise and the Atlanta community.

“Those three ladies right there, it started with them,” Griner said in her reason behind choosing Atlanta to begin the next chapter of her WNBA career. “Everything they’ve shown my family, meeting everyone else here. … Every time you come to play here too, you just felt the atmosphere.

Griner’s sentiments on Tuesday aligned with what the 10-time All-Star told reporters after her team in the Unrivaled league, Phantom BC, lost on Monday to Mist BC, saying all the young players on the team were “amazing people” and the genuineness in her bond with a few of them over the years was a “big selling point.”

“It’s hard to find [genuine people], unfortunately, in today’s world,” Griner said in the introductory news conference. “When you do, you got to hold on to that. … Every conversation from the moment we first started interacting, it’s just been genuine. You can’t ask for something better than that.”

The 34-year-old also desired for her son, Bash, to experience the southern culture like she did as well as her wife, Cherelle Watson. Griner grew up in Houston, Texas, while Watson is from Little Rock, Arkansas. Like Griner, Jones and Walker-Kimbrough embraced the culture that the franchise has established within the city.

“It’s hard to play in Atlanta, so I’m happy to be on this side for sure,” Walker-Kimbrough said. “It was definitely a no-brainer for me.”

Between the trio of new additions, they bring a combined 27 years of WNBA experience, two WNBA titles, 13 All-Star appearances, two WNBA scoring titles, Sixth Player of the Year recognition as well as multiple All-WNBA first and second team selections on both offense and defense. Walker-Kimbrough, 29, Jones, 29, and Griner are seasoned veterans in the league. 

Despite being older in age, the trio feels that its experience and getting a new start will be paramount in Atlanta’s success next season.

“Coming out of Connecticut, going to the [WNBA] Finals and playoffs multiple years in a row, it was time to withdraw and explore something new,” Jones said. “I’m ready to continue to grow as a player.

There are only a handful of players who have spent their entire career with one franchise in WNBA history. Despite playing all 11 seasons to this point of her WNBA career with the Phoenix Mercury, Griner made it clear that she was thrilled to begin the next installment of her journey in the league.

“When you read a book, you don’t stay in one chapter,” Griner said. “There’s multiple chapters to a book. I just thought it was time for my next chapter in my career. The history is rich here, and I wanted to be part of that. I always sit back in amazement on how [Atlanta] has trended and changed.”

With Smesko’s plan to run an uptempo style offense and one that will require consistency in rebounding, it requires Griner to run the floor more than what she did in Phoenix. But, according to the two-time scoring champ, she is up for the task.

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“I’m looking forward to getting out and running with [my teammates],” Griner said. “I know some people think that’s a little surprising to hear me say. Setting that screen and seeing that ball go up over my head, it’s going to make me very happy.”

Jones, Griner and Walker-Kimbrough all signed one-year deals to play for the Dream. Although the WNBA’s upcoming CBA has led to multiple one-year contracts, Griner said her decision to do so goes beyond the dollars and suggested that her future in A-Town will be one that extends beyond the 2025 campaign.

“It’s more than just money,” Griner said. “I don’t want people to think that everybody signed a one-year deal just because they’re money crazy. There’s a lot of other important things that are going to be in our CBA in that people are going to want to be eligible for. I’ll just say this, my track record is when I make a decision I stick with it. I’ll just leave it at that right there.”

As Smesko plans to get to work in unifying this team, he didn’t hesitate to say that a WNBA title was the goal based on the acquisitions and talent within the franchise.

“I think we’re well on the way,” Smesko said. “It has the makings for a very special team, and that is the expectation.”

The Dream will begin the 2025 season on May 16 against the Washington Mystics.