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Basketball
General manager Dan Padover has assembled a genuine title contender through shrewd trades and smart coaching appointments - but the Dream now need a bigger stage for their Finals run.
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Few would have predicted the Atlanta Dream would be heading to the WNBA Finals just a few years ago, but general manager Dan Padover has quietly engineered one of the most impressive roster-building projects in the league.
It started in 2022, when Padover prised the No. 1 overall pick from Washington and used it to select Rhyne Howard. Shortly after, he brought in Naz Hillmon via another trade, laying the foundations for what was to come.
The following season saw Padover add Allisha Gray in a deal that gave Atlanta a formidable core alongside Howard and Hillmon. Recognising the need for a true floor general, he then acquired Jordin Canada from Seattle.
This year's moves proved the most ambitious. Padover landed Angel Reese to bolster the Dream's championship credentials, then pulled off a late-season coup by signing veteran DeWanna Bonner following her release from the Phoenix Mercury.
Off the court, Padover moved decisively after the 2024 campaign, appointing Karl Smesko as head coach. Smesko, widely regarded as a basketball purist, was seen as the ideal fit for the culture Padover has been cultivating.
In a tight free-agency window, Padover managed to re-sign Howard, Gray, Canada and Hillmon - a testament to groundwork laid well before the negotiating period opened.
With the Finals now on the horizon, Atlanta face a rather different challenge: finding a venue big enough to match the occasion. The Dream are actively exploring options for a larger arena to accommodate surging fan demand as they chase a first championship.
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Copyright 2026 VIASPORT
Eva Hernández, Editor-in-Chief
VIASPORT uses AI to generate, enhance, and quality-assure its journalism. While we strive to create engaging and accurate material, imagery, grammar, and spelling may occasionally deviate from conventional standards.
