January 7, 2025
Atlanta Dream hire two assistant coaches, promote Brooklyn Cartwright to assistant GM
Dan Padover: 'As an organization, we are committed to developing talent on and off the court'
The Atlanta Dream announced on Monday that Brandi Poole and LaToya Sanders will be assistants on head coach Karl Smesko’s staff, and Brooklyn Cartwright will serve as the franchise’s assistant general manager.
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Poole and Sanders join Atlanta nearly two months after the Dream hired Smesko as the next coach of the franchise. Poole brings both college and WNBA coaching experience to Atlanta, having served as an assistant for the Dallas Wings in 2022 under Vickie Johnson — former Dream assistant under Tanisha Wright — for one season and two seasons under former Wings coach Latricia Trammell.
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Prior to Dallas, Poole served as an assistant for five seasons with the Connecticut Sun under former head coach Curt Miller, helping the franchise notch two WNBA Finals appearances, five consecutive WNBA playoff appearances and a 105-53 record during that span. Collegiately, Poole made several stops as assistant that include Texas Tech, Indiana, Bowling Green and West Virginia, playing a huge role in player development.
“Karl Smesko is a highly respected coach, and I look forward to learning from and working beside him,” Poole said in a release. “His basketball acumen and character are second to none. I am grateful to both him and Dan Padover for believing in my abilities to contribute positively to the future of the Atlanta Dream and compete for a WNBA Championship.”
Sanders comes to the Dream after spending the last three years on the Washington Mystics’ staff under Mike and Eric Thibault and most recently serving as the associate head coach. She started coaching after her seven-year WNBA career that includes winning a WNBA title in Washington in 2019.
In addition to Washington, Sanders played for the Phoenix Mercury, Minnesota Lynx and Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA while also competing internationally in Turkey. In college, Sanders was a defensive stalwart at North Carolina, where she still holds the all-time career marks for the Tar Heels in total blocked shots and field goal percentage. She was also the 2008 ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
“LaToya [Sanders] and Brandi [Poole] bring invaluable WNBA experience, including deep postseason success, to our staff,” Smesko said in the team’s release. “Their leadership, knowledge and passion for the game will be instrumental as we continue to build a winning culture in Atlanta. We are fortunate to have them join the Dream.”
Cartwright enters a new role with the Dream after serving as the franchise’s director of basketball operations since 2021. The team’s decision to promote Cartwright comes after her working closely with Dream general manager Dan Padover, the team’s front office and coaching staff to fulfill the current and future vision of the franchise.
“This promotion is a testament to the incredible culture we’ve built — a culture that champions hard work, collaboration and a relentless pursuit of excellence,” Cartwright said. “I’m excited to continue contributing to the Dream’s growth both on and off the court.”
Padover described Cartwright’s growth in the franchise as “remarkable” and that she is “one of the rising leaders and basketball executives in the WNBA.”
“As an organization, we are committed to developing talent on and off the court, and Brooklyn is a testament to that commitment,” Padover said. “Her ability to organize, communicate and collaborate across all levels of our team has been invaluable, and I’m thrilled to see her step into this new role.”
As Atlanta finalizes its coaching staff and adjustments to the front office, the next order of business will be the players and determining what talent will be needed for the team to be successful in Smesko’s first season. Teams will begin making qualifying offers and “core player” designations during WNBA free agency from Jan. 11 to Jan. 20. Then, on Jan. 21, teams can begin negotiating with free agents. However, players are not eligible to sign contracts or offer sheets from a team until Feb. 1.
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Written by Wilton Jackson
Wilton Jackson II covers the Atlanta Dream and the SEC for The Next. A native of Jackson, Miss., Wilton previously worked for Sports Illustrated along with other media outlets. He also freelances for different media entities as well. He attended the University of Southern Mississippi, where he earned his Bachelor's degree in multimedia journalism (broadcast) before earning a Master's degree in mass communication from LSU and a second Master's degree in sport management from Jackson State University.
