The Atlanta Dream truly had a dream season with a 30-14 record and 6 straight wins to enter the WNBA playoffs. But it didn’t come easily. After Larry Gottesdiener bought the team back in 2021, he refurbished the franchise by making changes everywhere from the general manager role to trades and acquisitions. So, now an analyst believes that despite the Round 1 slip, the changes are enough, and it is time for them to shift gears.

The hosts of ‘The Women’s Hoops Show’, aka Jordan Robinson and Autumn Johnson, highlighted how the energy was sucked out of the stadium after the team lost the recent first round of the playoffs. Johnson discussed the next steps by saying, “I feel like maybe this wakeup call was needed to have that championship DNA. Like the standard is totally different now for the Atlanta Dream. It’s no longer about making the playoffs. It’s about contending now.”

Focusing on improving the bond and working with current players, and not getting new ones, should now be the norm. “So, the next step down the stretch, like you have to show poise in high-stakes situations. You have to close out in dominant fashion. You have to put together a full 40 minutes.”

After all, as Johnson added, “The rebuilding phase is over. The Dreams here now. They’re top four team. It’s time to contend”. The 2025 Atlanta Dream roster proved itself to be quite different from the one that missed the playoffs 4 years in a row. Even if the squad lost in the 1st round, it created history in Game 2 by setting a WNBA playoff record with their 40 points recorded in the first half.

The Dream, part of the WNBA’s 2008 expansion, has built a reputation for consistent regular-season performances and three Conference titles (2010, 2011, 2013), but they’ve yet to translate that into a true championship push. Their recent playoff exit against the underdog Indiana Fever should serve as a wake-up call.

Like the Fever and the Valkyries, the Dream must raise its ambitions beyond being a solid regular-season squad. Legacy teams aren’t remembered for standings alone, but for the ability to deliver when the stage is brightest. Fans in Atlanta will ask for that urgency to be reflected in the team’s body language, and the time to make that leap is now.

No one claims that the current roster is bad. They do claim that there is a scope for improvement. As Allisha Gray said after the elimination, “Just the organization as a whole I mean it’s in a great direction”. Meanwhile, after the Game 2 loss, head coach Karl Smesko praised the Indiana Fever by saying, “They made us pay for our mistakes”. No one is asking for a rebuild. Especially now, knowing that the roster’s efforts are gaining recognition.

Atlanta Dream GM Dan Padover Creates History As 2025 WNBA Basketball Executive of the Year

A few hours ago, the official X account of the Atlanta Dream announced that “After a historic season, General Manager Dan Padover has been named the 2025 @WNBA Basketball Executive of the Year! 🏆”. With this recent honor, Padover has become the first executive in league history to win the award three times with two different franchises. He won his first accolade back in 2020, when he was still with the Las Vegas Aces, and the 2nd one the same year he joined the Atlanta Dream.

Padover wins the award after the Atlanta Dream doubled its win total from the previous year, finishing with a franchise-record 30 wins and earning the third seed in the WNBA. As Sports Illustrated’s Grant Mona reported, the front office took the season very seriously.

Before the season even started, the executives brought in a new coach in Karl Smesko. The team also added players like Brittney Griner to give the franchise an edge. Mona also highlighted that the Dream would not have won the number of games they did if it weren’t for roster construction and thought process. For that, Padover gets the credit.

“I’ve been very fortunate to be around a lot of great players, staffs and coaches” said Padover to ESPN after the announcement. “Essentially what this award means is you were the best basketball organization of the year. It’s not one person, it’s a group of people. It’s a game, you got to have fun. I think I’m a light person and I got to create an environment where people can be themselves and be authentic. Show up to work every day and have fun.”

If Dan Padover looks to win the honor again next year, then he might want to consider Autumn Johnson’s words.