Near the end of the regular season, I went full doomer about the Atlanta Dream’s playoff prospects, writing:
The desire to believe in the 2025 Atlanta Dream is tempered by the city’s history of sports traumas. Surely, at the season’s most crucial moments, the 3-pointers will not fall, bunnies will be blown, passes will sail to no one, defensive rotations will be missed, dumb fouls will be committed and mindless mistakes will accumulate. The dread looms.
It wasn’t quite that bad. But the Dream’s season ended with disappointment, upset as the No. 3 seed in the first round of the WNBA playoffs by the No. 6-seed Indiana Fever. Same, old Atlanta sports.
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Or, maybe not.
After their Game 3 elimination, the team refused to wallow in worst-case scenarios. While recognizing, in the words of head coach Karl Smesko, it was a “devastating ending” and “deflating,” he and his players chose to emphasize the progress that was achieved, rather than the potential that went unfulfilled.
Smesko declared, “We’re here to bring a championship to the Dream and…it’s going to be delayed. It’s not going to be denied.” Jordin Canada echoed her coach, insisting, “And like coach said, what’s delayed is not denied. Atlanta will be back. I guarantee that…Everything happens for a reason and so we’ll learn from this and…we’ll continue to grow.”
Allisha Gray added, “A lot of people didn’t expect us to play as well and be in the position that we are in. So, I just credit Big Wheez (Smesko) for the turnaround of the team…[He] brought the vision and we believed in it and as players…I wouldn’t pick another group to be around.”
With distance from the immediacy of the series defeat, it’s easier to endorse the optimistic perspective shared by Smesko, Canada and Gray. The Dream see the 2025 season as the foundation of future success, one that will not crack and crumble after one first-round exit, but one that will be strengthened by what the team achieved in the first year of the Smesko era.
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In particular, two, big under-the-radar traits will contribute to the solid foundation that the Dream should build on in seasons to come. (As long as, at least for the moment, we presume that the 2026 WNBA season will proceed as scheduled.)
1. It’s not just the offense
Rhyne Howard swipes the ball from Azurá Stevens.
The Dream’s offense received the bulk of attention for the team’s success. And rightfully so. A reputed offensive wizard, Smesko successfully implemented a fast-paced, high-scoring offensive fueled by a high volume of 3-pointers, despite inheriting a roster featuring traditional bigs. The Dream finished with the second-best offensive rating in the league at 108.2, powered by taking and making the second-most 3-pointers per game.
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Gray was the avatar of Atlanta’s high-octane offense. A player who has improved season by season over the course of her nine-year WNBA career, Gray blossomed into superstardom in 2025, deservedly earning MVP consideration and forthcoming All-WNBA First Team honors as Smesko empowered her to maximize her aggressiveness as a scorer. She scored a career-high 18.4 points per game, launching more than six 3s per contest and converting over 38 percent of them.
However, Atlanta would not have won a franchise-record 30 games, tying for the second-best record in the league and registering the second-best net rating of 9.3, without an equally elite defense. The Dream’s 98.9 defensive rating was second only to the league-leading Minnesota Lynx. Atlanta effectively ended possessions, topping the league in defensive rebounds and defensive rebounding percentage. They also prevented opponents from cashing in on easier scores off turnovers or in transition, holding opponents to league lows in both categories.
Excelling in those defensive effort categories is evidence of the total buy in Smesko earned from his players. They did not just work to actualize his vision on the “more fun” side of the ball, but also on the less glamorous end of the floor. The defensive commitment by Rhyne Howard particularly stood out. Blessed with a blend of size, sleekness and swiftness that makes her an enviably versatile defender, Howard applied all that on the defensive end, willingly taking on tough assignments, whether that involved picking up players on the perimeter and pestering their handles or banging down low against bigger matchups. She also was essential to the Dream’s strong transition defense, frequently racing back to swat the layups of unsuspecting opponents.
That Atlanta began to build winning systems on both sides of the ball inspires confidence in the sustainability of their success.
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2. The player development is real
Naz Hillmon, Rhyne Howard and Te-Hina Paopao help up Maya Caldwell.
It’s not a coincidence when multiple players turn in career seasons. Instead, it’s a testament to an organization that is invested in helping players reach their potential.
The aforementioned Gray finished on the Most Improved Player ballot, as she vaulted from an All-Star-caliber player to one worthy of MVP votes; however, Naz Hillmon, awarded the Sixth Player of the Year, arguably experienced a more demonstrative transformation.
How she went from a hesitant 3-point shooter (1-for-5 from 3 across her first three seasons) to a viable floor spacer who confidently fired away from behind the arc (53-for-165 in her fourth season) is illustrative of her overall development, where Hillmon was committed to expanding her game in the areas necessary to help the team. That mindset also applies to Gray’s offensive outburst and Howard’s defensive dedication. It further extends to Brionna Jones, who embraced taking an average of one 3-pointer per game, even if the results didn’t quite materialize for the eight-year vet.
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Maya Caldwell’s development also shouldn’t be overlooked. Caldwell earned her first full-time WNBA season with a single squad, and she was not simply satisfied with seizing a roster spot but also demanded a rotational role. Caldwell claimed career highs in most statistical categories as she played the most minutes of her career. She showed off a multidimensional offensive skill set, taking open 3s, attacking closeouts and cutting into open space. Defensively, she demonstrated persistence, sticking to her assignment and fighting through screens.
While rookie Te-Hina Paopao’s proven ability as a pull-up shooter made her WNBA-ready from the jump, she likewise solidified her game during her debut season. She gained noticeable on-the-ball comfort and confidence over the course of the season, introducing a silky floater and craftier finishing around the rim to complement her 3-point proficiency.
General manager Dan Padover was named WNBA Basketball Executive of the Year for the third time in his career for putting together this Dream team. His shrewd moves, however, would not have been worthy of reward without the work of a coaching staff that was eager to coax improved and expanded play from players and, in turn, players who, absorbing that sense of belief instilled in them, put in the time and energy required to make it a reality.
This iteration of the Dream cannot yet claim a playoff series victory, but they can celebrate a culture that seems sure to lead to eventual postseason promise.
