Atlanta Dream

By
Updated: July 6, 2012

General Information


Founded
2007
Conference
Eastern
City
Atlanta, Georgia
Arena
Philips Arena
Championships
None
Conference titles   
2 (2010, 2011)
Official website
wnba.com/dream



The Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta businesswomen: Mary Brock, and Kelly Loeffler. Like some other WNBA teams, the Dream is not affiliated with an NBA counterpart.The Dream has qualified for the WNBA Playoffs in three of its four years in Atlanta, and has reached the WNBA Finals twice. The franchise has been home to many high-quality players such as University of Louisville standout Angel McCoughtry, former Finals MVP Betty Lennox, and Brazilian sharpshooter Izi Castro Marques. In 2010, the Dream went to the WNBA Finals but fell short to Seattle. They lost to the Minnesota Lynx in the 2011 WNBA Finals.

Atlanta had been mentioned as a feasible long term city for WNBA expansion, but efforts didn’t come with each other till the beginning of 2007. An organizing committee with Atlanta businessmen and politicians began the effort to entice an growth group.[3] The inability from the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA to draw crowds was a concern from the WNBA, and also the committee kicked off an work in February 2007 to achieve volunteers and petition signatures, as well as pledges for season tickets.
Philips Arena, the Gwinnett Arena and Alexander Memorial Coliseum were candidates for venues. By May 2007, the committee had over one,000 pledges for season tickets, even though the goal was 8,000 season tickets in ninety days. By July the committee had one,200 commitments. The next step was to find an owner for your team.

The 2010 season proved even better for the Dream. Even though finishing in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, the Dream sprinted through the first two rounds from the playoffs, On September 7, 2010, the Dream secured a trip to the WNBA Finals with a win more than the New York Liberty, as they swept New York in two games in the Eastern Conference Finals. They eventually faced the very best group within the league, the 28-6 Seattle Storm. Seattle took the very first two games at house with two close wins. Atlanta required to win game three to be able to keep the series alive. Seattle was too much to deal with as they completed the sweep and won the series. Although they had been swept, the Dream did not shed any game by a margin of much more than 3 points.

Addressing arguably Atlanta’s greatest concern, the group traded for All-Star point guard Lindsey Harding prior to the 2011 season. Despite the major addition, the Dream struggled to open the season, starting just 2-7 due to an injury that sidelined Angel McCoughtry and overseas commitments by Sancho Lyttle. The group didn’t quit, nevertheless, and went on an outstanding run of 14 wins and five losses after the All Star break. They carried that momentum in to the playoffs, sweeping the Connecticut Sun and defeating the Indiana Fever to return towards the WNBA Finals. But, as soon as again they would be denied, losing to the formidable 27-7 Minnesota Lynx in 3 games.