"The Atlanta Dream's new franchise cornerstones reversed their matching red-leather interior Corvettes into parallel parking spots, popped the rooftops back on, then stepped out in their game-day fits -- Allisha Gray in a green crewneck, Rhyne Howard in a baby blue shirt and Naz Hillmon in a bright pink pantsuit. "It gives Powerpuff Girls," Hillmon told ESPN ahead of their regular-season finale. It's not just the colors they sported that were reminiscent of the early-2000s cartoon."
""We are never not having a great time, and the chemistry has always been there. I literally want to repost every tweet, every post that I see about them because they deserve it all," Hillmon said. "Our core, we have our values, and we knew what we wanted to accomplish, and that starts off the court.""
"This core group has been crucial to building the foundation Larry Gottesdiener wanted to establish when he bought the team in 2021. The first brick he laid was hiring general manager Dan Padover, who made several trades in the 2022 draft to acquire the No. 1 and 15 picks and select Howard and Hillmon, respectively. The next was acquiring Gray in 2023. And the latest was the hiring of Karl Smesko, who was unproven in the WNBA, but has unlocked the Dream's full potential with his distinct offensive style."
The Atlanta Dream's core of Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard and Naz Hillmon accelerated the franchise's turnaround through strong on- and off-court chemistry. The trio helped restore the team after six straight losing seasons, doubling the win total to a franchise-record 30 victories and securing the No. 3 seed in the WNBA playoffs. Close friendships shaped team culture and established shared values that guided performance. Owner Larry Gottesdiener purchased the team in 2021 and installed Dan Padover as general manager, who acquired Howard and Hillmon in 2022 and Gray in 2023. Coach Karl Smesko implemented a distinct offensive style that unlocked the team's full potential and brought the Dream one win away from the semifinals.
Read at ESPN.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]