From 2010-2019, the Atlanta Dream has seen three Eastern Conference Championships, seven postseason appearances, and eight different WNBA All-Stars. The youngest expansion city in the league, Atlanta has been home to Olympic basketball stars, WNBA record setters, and Coaches of the Year.
At the close of the decade, join us every day this week as we break down each Dream team from the last 10 years.
2010
Only three years in as a franchise, the Atlanta Dream won the Eastern Conference and reached its first WNBA Finals. The team finished fourth in the East during the regular season behind a 19-15 record, but went on to upset the Washington Mystics in the Conference Semifinals and sweep the New York Liberty in the Eastern Conference Finals. The trio of Angel McCoughtry, Sancho Lyttle and Erika de Souza would put the league on notice for their standout performances in 2010.
Photo: Iziane Castro Marques, 2010 WNBA vs. USA Basketball participant.
- Record: 19-15
- Postseason finish: WNBA Finals, Eastern Conference Champions
- WNBA All Stars vs USA Basketball participants: Angel McCoughtry, Iziane Castro Marques, Sancho Lyttle
- All-WNBA Second Team: Angel McCoughtry
- WNBA All-Defensive: Angel McCoughtry (First Team), Sancho Lyttle (Second Team)
- Points Leader: Angel McCoughtry (716)
- Assists Leader: Shalee Lehning (159)
- Rebounds Leader: Sancho Lyttle (316)
- Steals Leader: Angel McCoughtry (66)
- Blocks Leader: Erika de Souza (40)
Second-year player Angel McCoughtry set a number of franchise records in 2010, with her 716 points, 246 made field goals and 603 field goal attempts still standing at the top of the record book. She nearly doubled her defensive statistics from her WNBA Rookie of the Year campaign from 2009 to earn an All-Defensive First Team nod from the league, and went on to lead the team in points per game in both the regular season (21.1) and the postseason (26.7).
2011
The Dream repeated as Eastern Conference Champions to reach the WNBA Finals for the second consecutive year, after finishing third in the conference in the regular season. Atlanta went 2-1 against the Indiana Fever to claim its second conference title, but fell to the Minnesota Lynx in the Finals.
On January 18th, Mary Brock and Kelly Loeffler were added to the ownership group Dream Too LLC, with Kathy Betty still as the managing partner, forming the only all-female ownership group of a professional sports franchise in Atlanta. On September 3, the two of them became sole owners of the team.
- Record: 20-14
- Postseason finish: WNBA Finals, Eastern Conference Champions
- All Stars: Angel McCoughtry
- All-WNBA: Angel McCoughtry (First Team)
- All-Defensive: Angel McCoughtry (First Team), Sancho Lyttle (Second Team), Armintie Price (Second Team)
Photo: Lindsey Harding led the Dream in assists (162) in her first season in Atlanta.
Atlanta became the first WNBA team to play in Europe when they took on the Great Britain National Team in Manchester on May 29, 2011, winning in an 82-51 decision.
Coco Miller led all Dream scorers with 21 points in the exhibition game, going 10-12 from the field and scoring seven of the Dream's first nine points in the game.
Photo: Sancho Lyttle led the WNBA in steals per game in 2011 (2.4)
- Points Leader: Angel McCoughtry (712)
- Assists Leader: Lindsey Harding (162)
- Rebounds Leader: Erika de Souza (240)
- Steals Leader: Angel McCoughtry (72)
- Blocks Leader: Alison Bales (53)
Angel McCoughtry’s 712 points led the WNBA in 2011. Her 223 made free throws and 287 attempted free throws from this season still stand as franchise records today.
2012
The Atlanta Dream started the 2012 season 12-12, leading to a mid-season coaching change. Coach Fred Williams stepped in and led the team to a 7-3 finish and a spot in the WNBA Playoffs. Angel McCoughtry led the team on the offensive side of the ball, finishing the season ranked No. 1 in the league in scoring (21.4 PPG).
- Record: 19-15
- Postseason finish: Eastern Conference Semifinals
- WNBA All-Defensive: Sancho Lyttle (First Team), Armintie Price (Second Team)
- WNBA Peak Performer: Angel McCoughtry, scoring
- Points Leader: Angel McCoughtry (514)
- Assists Leader: Lindsey Harding (153)
- Rebounds Leader: Sancho Lyttle (258)
- Steals Leader: Sancho Lyttle (82)
- Blocks Leader: Aneika Henry (30)
2013
- Record: 17-17
- Postseason finish: WNBA Finals, Eastern Conference Champions
- All-WNBA Second Team: Angel McCoughtry
- WNBA All-Defensive: Armintie (Price) Herrington (First Team), Angel McCoughtry (First Team), Erika de Souza (Second Team)
- WNBA All-Stars: Angel McCoughtry (starter), Erika de Souza
- WNBA Peak Performer: Angel McCoughtry, scoring
After finishing second in the Eastern Conference (the team’s highest regular season finish since 2009), the Dream went on to defeat the Washington Mystics 2-1 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals and won its third WNBA Finals berth with a quick 2-0 defeat of the Indiana Fever.
- Points Leader: Angel McCoughtry (711)
- Assists Leader: Angel McCoughtry (146)
- Rebounds Leader: Erika de Souza (337)
- Steals Leader: Angel McCoughtry (89)
- Blocks Leader: Erika de Souza (61)
Angel McCoughtry paced the league in points per game (21.5), total points (711), made field goals (246), field goals made per game (7.5), attempted field goals (596), made free throws (196), free throws made per game (5.9), attempted free throws (238), and total steals (89) on her way to her second WNBA All-Star starting position.
Her 33 field goal attempts at Connecticut on June 23, 2013 is still the most attempted in a single game in Dream history. She also tied the Dream's single season record with 246 made field goals, a record she set previously in 2010.
2014
- Record: 19-15
- Postseason finish: Eastern Conference Semifinals
- WNBA All-Stars: Angel McCoughtry, Shoni Schimmel, Erika de Souza
- WNBA All-Star Game MVP: Shoni Schimmel
- All-WNBA: Angel McCoughtry (Second Team)
- WNBA All-Defensive First Team: Sancho Lyttle, Angel McCoughtry
With new head coach Michael Cooper leading the way, the Dream finished the year with a 19-15 record and another Playoff berth. Rookie Shoni Schimmel, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2014 WNBA Draft, rode her popularity to an All-Star Game appearance and was named MVP of the game.
- Points Leader: Angel McCoughtry (574)
- Assists Leader: Shoni Schimmel (124)
- Rebounds Leader: Sancho Lyttle (305)
- Steals Leader: Sancho Lyttle (75)
- Blocks Leader: Erika de Souza (49)
Sancho Lyttle's 75 total steals led the WNBA, while Angel McCoughtry paced the league in steals per game (2.4).
2015
The Dream finished with a losing record and missed the Playoffs for the first time since 2008 this season, finishing fifth in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta set the franchise record with a .788 percentage from the free throw line in 2015, and shot .320 from beyond the arc in 2015, the second-highest three-pointer percentage in Dream history.
- Record: 15-19
- WNBA All Stars: Angel McCoughtry, Shoni Schimmel
- All-WNBA: Angel McCoughtry (First Team)
- All-Defensive: Angel McCoughtry (First Team), Sancho Lyttle (Second Team)
- Points Leader: Angel McCoughtry (658)
- Assists Leader: Shoni Schimmel (101)
- Rebounds Leader: Sancho Lyttle (198)
- Steals Leader: Angel McCoughtry (72)
- Blocks Leader: Aneika Henry (25)
Sancho Lyttle led the WNBA in steals per game (2.3), followed by Angel McCoughtry’s 2.1 steals per game.
McCoughtry led the WNBA in attempted field goals (569), attempted free throws (221), and total steals (72). She ranked second in the league with 685 points and 178 made free throws.
2016
Behind another stellar season from All-WNBA Second Team and All-Defensive First Team member Angel McCoughtry, the Atlanta Dream reached the second round of the WNBA Playoffs. The team finished the regular season with a 17-17 mark.
- Points Leader: Angel McCoughtry (643)
- Assists Leader: Layshia Clarendon (119)
- Rebounds Leader: Elizabeth Williams (276)
- Steals Leader: Angel McCoughtry (52)
- Blocks Leader: Elizabeth Williams (79)
- Record: 17-17
- Postseason finish: Second Round
- All-WNBA Second Team: Angel McCoughtry
- All-Defensive First Team: Angel McCoughtry (First Team)
- WNBA Most Improved Player: Elizabeth Williams
Atlanta saw five overtime games this season and won four of them, both of which are Dream single-season records. The Dream’s three overtime games won on May 14 (San Antonio), May 24 (New York) and June 17 (Chicago) are the most earned consecutively in franchise history.
The Dream’s 36 made free throws at Dallas on May 27 set the record for the most free throws made in a game in franchise history. Angel McCoughtry tied the Dream record at the time with 19 attempted free throws in that game (a record that was previously set by her in 2011).
2017
The Atlanta Dream played the 2017 season at McCamish Pavilion on the Georgia Tech campus. The team had a tough year, earning a 12-22 record and failing to reach the postseason. Brittney Sykes earned All-Rookie team honors and just missed winning the WNBA Rookie of the Year honors for her performance.
- Record: 12-22
- WNBA All Stars: Tiffany Hayes (starter), Layshia Clarendon, Elizabeth Williams
- Points Leader: Tiffany Hayes (538)
- Assists Leader: Layshia Clarendon (226)
- Rebounds Leader: Elizabeth Williams (246)
- Steals Leader: Sancho Lyttle (45)
- Blocks Leader: Elizabeth Williams (67)
Layshia Clarendon set the franchise record and led the WNBA for most assists in a single season with 226 (6.6 per game). She recorded 10 or more assists on five occasions in 2017, setting the franchise record. She also still holds the top three records for most assists in a single game, leading with 14 assists against Seattle on August 23, 2017.
Brittney Sykes set the record for most points scored by a Dream rookie with 471 points, making her just the second rookie with 400 or more points scored in franchise history (along with Angel McCoughtry’s 435 points in 2009).
Photo: Elizabeth Williams led the WNBA with 67 total blocks.
2018
Head Coach Nicki Collen took over as head coach and her leadership was felt throughout the organization. The 2018 team finished with a franchise-best 23-11 record and earned the No. 2 overall seed entering the WNBA Playoffs. Coach Collen would be named WNBA Coach of the Year and members of the roster were recognized for their efforts including Angel McCoughtry (WNBA All-Star), Tiffany Hayes (All-WNBA First Team, All-Defensive Second Team), and Jessica Breland (All-Defensive First Team). The team’s season came to an end in a hard fought WNBA Semifinals series against the Washington Mystics, falling in a deciding Game 5.
- Points Leader: Tiffany Hayes (534)
- Assists Leader: Renee Montgomery (125)
- Rebounds Leader: Jessica Breland (269)
- Steals Leader: Renee Montgomery (45)
- Blocks Leader: Jessica Breland (65)
Team Records:
- Best winning percentage in franchise history (.646, 24-11).
- Set the record for the highest winning percentage on the road with a 10-7 record (.588).
- Tied the record for highest winning percentage at home with a 13-2 record (.765)
- The team’s eight straight wins from July 8-July 24 are the most consecutive games won in franchise history.
- Atlanta’s 109 points at Las Vegas on August 7 set the record for most points earned in a game.
Individual Records:
- Renee Montgomery set a number of Dream records in her first season in Atlanta: Most three-point field goals in a single game, twice (first: 7 vs. New York on July 19, then 8 at New York on August 12); Most three point field goals in a season (78); Most consecutive games with at least one made three-point field goal made (14, May 20-June 27).
- Angel McCoughtry’s 39 points at New York on June 19 still holds the record for most points earned in a regulation game in Dream history.
2019
The Atlanta Dream by all accounts had a disappointing season on the court by franchise standards in 2019, but individual records did fall throughout the year. It was only the third time this decade that the team missed the Playoffs after they finished with an 8-26 record.
- Points Leader: Tiffany Hayes (427)
- Assists Leader: Renee Montgomery (90)
- Rebounds Leader: Jessica Breland (240)
- Steals Leader: Jessica Breland (42)
- Blocks Leader: Elizabeth Williams (53)
Tiffany Hayes became the Dream's all-time leading three-point scorer in 2019, and led the team in scoring for the third season in a row.
Her 273 made career three-point field goals and 857 career three-point field goal attempts are both Dream records, and her .319 career three-point field goal percentage ranks third in Dream history.
Renee Montgomery climbed up the Dream record book and now ranks second with a .348 three-point field goal percentage and third with 146 career made three-point field goals.
Her 210 three-point field goal attempts in 2019 tied the Dream record, which was previously set by her in 2018.
Her 24 consecutive games with at least one made three-point field goal was the longest active streak in the WNBA from July 12 to July 23. The streak began on August 9, 2018 and ended on July 23, 2019, and is the longest streak in Dream history.
Elizabeth Williams’ 8 blocks against Las Vegas on September 5 tied the franchise record and tied the WNBA record for the second-most blocks earned in a game.
Brittney Sykes tied the WNBA record for most points scored in a single quarter when she put up 22 at Phoenix on July 7. The record was previously set by Phoenix’s Diana Taurasi in 2006.