October 3, 2024
Locked On Women’s Basketball: Tanisha Wright fired by Atlanta Dream — why now, who will replace her?
By The Next
Dan Padover: 'This was the decision that we made to position us best moving forward and to get us where we [want] to'
On today’s episode of Locked On Women’s Basketball, hear from Atlanta Dream general manager Dan Padover about Wednesday’s decision to fire head coach Tanisha Wright after three seasons, as he addresses the media in a press conference. Then, host Howard Megdal and breaks down Padover’s responses, and what the future could look like in Atlanta.
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First, Padover was asked about the growing trend of quick coaching turnarounds in the WNBA, and whether the team felt pressure to “succeed right away.”
“There’s no doubt this league is heading into a whole new era, which I think is very great, very positive,” Padover explained. “I can only speak to kind of where we’re at, and we’re always looking at where we’re at and where we want to go. And for us, this was the decision that we made to position us best moving forward and to get us where we [want] to.”
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Then, Megdal asked Padover about what the Dream will be looking for in their next head coach, and what qualities they’re emphasizing in their upcoming search.
“The head coach is a very unique position, so I think we’re going to look for a lot of combinations,” Padover said. “I think first and foremost, we need a leader. We want someone with a lot of creativity. We want someone who brings joy to the players, the fan base, and someone that can elevate this team to take it to the next level. So we’re going to be looking for a lot of different qualities and, most importantly, find the right person.”
Then, Megdal explained more of the context around Atlanta’s decision to fire Wright
“We are in a different era of the WNBA,” Megdal said. “This is a time where there are more and more owners who take winning to another level in terms of how serious they are about it. It is a moment in which the difference between winning and losing matters in their checkbooks, just as much as it does on the court and for playing for pride, and as a result, I think some coaches are going to be held to a higher standard. I don’t know in previous eras whether we would have seen a coach who led her team to back-to-back playoff appearances would have been let go.”
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“The team has so much offensive talent,” Megdal continued. “To be 11th, I think, is a hard pill to swallow for the Dream who are looking for that number to be better. And so that helps inform, I think, what Atlanta is going to need in another head coach — somebody who has overseen success, has overseen the ability to perform at an elevated rate offensively.”
Tune in to hear more from Padover about Atlanta’s decision and from Megdal about the general state of head coaching in the WNBA. Make sure to subscribe to the Locked On Women’s Basketball podcast to keep learning about the WNBA, women’s college basketball, basketball history and much more!
