July 24, 2020
Kalani Brown, Glory Johnson announce positive COVID-19 tests
Brown and Johnson tested positive during the initial quarantine period after arriving at IMG Academy
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Los Angeles Sparks center Kalani Brown (21) looks to shoot during the WNBA game between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Connecticut, USA on June 06, 2019. Photo Credit: Chris Poss
Kalani Brown tested positive for COVID-19 on July 9 during the initial quarantine period after arriving at IMG Academy, the Atlanta Dream center announced via her Twitter on Friday morning.
For the last two weeks, she’s been in isolation off-site and in the WNBA medical protocol. After dealing with the symptoms of the virus, as detailed in her statement, Dream coach Nicki Collen said Friday that they’re hopeful Brown is on her way to recovery.
“Isolation is not an easy thing,” Collen said. “Usually people that have it are isolated at home and they’re at least around family, but she’s been in a hotel room dealing with the symptoms of it. We’ve been in a lot of contact with her every day, had a long conversation with her yesterday. She’s really starting to feel better, so hopefully she’s over the hump. When we can get a couple negatives and get her back over here, I think it’ll be really, really a good thing for her.”
Hours later, Glory Johnson announced her own positive test on her Instagram. Unlike Brown, she’s been asymptomatic the entire time and has already had a negative test.
Before Brown and Johnson can rejoin the team, they will have to have consecutive negative tests and go through medical testing, including a cardiology screening and a physical exam. The timeline for those tests is unknown.
In addition to Brown and Johnson’s absences, Atlanta has been without Courtney Williams so far in training camp. Williams has yet to join the Dream at IMG and Collen said Friday they hope to get Williams “very, very soon.” To join the team, Williams would have to go through a four-day quarantine after arrival at IMG.
Because Atlanta had less than 10 active players earlier in training camp, they signed Erica McCall under a hardship exemption. She began practicing at the beginning of this week. If the Dream are able to get all three of Brown, Williams and Johnson back in action, they would have to cut a player from the current roster to be under the 12-player limit.
But at this point, with two days until Atlanta opens the 2020 season against the Dallas Wings, Collen doesn’t expect roster moves for at least a week.
“For players that aren’t here, they do have to go through the four-day quarantine upon arrival,” Collen said. “We probably won’t have a roster that looks any different than it does today for at least probably our first two games.”
