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Articles by Michael Waterloo
How Angel Reese became ‘Queen of the South’ in Atlanta
When a team in your city is in the championship, everyone is locked in. On Friday night in Atlanta, the city was lit up blue for the Atlanta Dream. From Jackson Hartsfield Airport, to Truist Park, to SkyView Atlanta, the city was showing out – and showing up – for the Dream. That included the Atlanta Hawks and guard C.J. McCollum, who coined a new moniker for All-Star forward and Defensive Player of the Year, Angel Reese.
Depth disparity loomed large in the Atlanta Dream’s WNBA Finals Game 1 loss
Heading into the WNBA Finals, we knew a few things. We knew that the two teams were evenly matched and that defense — with six players making the WNBA All-Defense first and second teams — was going to be a driving force. We also knew that both teams like to dictate the flow of the game, with the Dream preferring to speed up the game and the Valkyries preferring to slow it down. But what wasn’t talked about enough was the physicality that would be taking place on the court.
The Atlanta Dream are cool, calm ahead of WNBA Finals
The Atlanta Dream are ready to play basketball. With a one-week break between the semifinals and the start of the WNBA Finals – with both the Dream and the Golden State Valkyries sweeping their respective series – it left a lull in the schedule. While it gave time for both sides to get some much-needed rest, it also shifted the conversation elsewhere.
Naz Hillmon’s impact goes beyond the box score — and has the Atlanta Dream in the WNBA Finals
After the Atlanta Dream lost to the Indiana Fever in the first round of the 2025 WNBA playoffs, Dream head coach Karl Smesko and general manager Dan Padover sat in a room to discuss their vision for the future. They were bounced in the first round, yes, but they also had posted their best record in franchise history.
After outgrowing their arena, the Dream will play all home games in 2027 at State Farm Arena
Playing in State Farm Arena isn’t anything new to the Atlanta Dream. Before moving into the 3,500-seat Gateway Center Arena, the Dream called it home. Now, after experimenting with a handful of games in the 17,000-seat arena over the last few years, the team announced on Tuesday that it would play all of its home games at State Farm Arena in 2027.
Film review: How the Dream changed their approach against the Liberty
One hundred and two. That’s how many days it took for the Atlanta Dream and the New York Liberty to play for a second time during the regular season. During that first meeting in June, both teams looked a little bit different. Satou Sabally was healthy and playing a big role off the bench as she was getting her conditioning back. Sabrina Ionescu was out, nursing a back injury. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton wasn’t just with the Liberty still – she was actually playing minutes for them.
DeWanna Bonner’s veteran presence felt as Atlanta Dream advance to WNBA Semifinals
With a first-round sweep of the Washington Mystics, the Atlanta Dream are headed to the semifinals of the WNBA Playoffs for the first time since 2018. And for the core members of the Dream – Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray, and Angel Reese – it is the first time that any of them made it beyond the first round of the playoffs. It showed on Wednesday. As the final buzzer sounded, Reese and Gray were walking off the bench, waving goodbye to the fans and the Mystics after eliminating them.
How Atlanta City FC landed on its name
Josh Blank, the vice president of executive strategy for Arthur M. Blank Sports and Entertainment (AMBSE), was sitting behind his desk during a Zoom call in early July. It was an off day for Atlanta when it came to hosting the World Cup, but Blank was still dressed like it was another day at work. Button-down shirt. Hair styled. Dress pants.
Five keys for the Dream to avoid a repeat of last year’s playoffs
It was all good just a year ago in Atlanta. The Dream, under then first-year head coach Karl Smesko, overachieved compared to external expectations, finishing with 30 wins and as the No. 3 seed entering the WNBA playoffs. They were at home, hosting the No. 6 Indiana Fever, who were without Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, Aari McDonald and other key players, in what looked like it would be an easy matchup on paper. There’s a reason, however, that the game takes place on the court and not on paper.
Kejia Ran’s road to realizing her WNBA dream will start at Xavier
Inside the Xavier basketball practice facility, there’s a wall on the far end that says Musketeers, with the following words underneath: dominate, invest, character, defend, work, persevere. Maybe it was intentional for the video to be framed this way. Maybe not. But when Kejia Ran popped on to the screen for her interview with The IX Sports, those words were right above her head. The 19-year-old from Dazhour in the Sichuan province of China appeared alone on her screen.
Dream are laser-focused on the postseason with three games left
COLLEGE PARK, Ga. — It feels like a brand new season. That was the sentiment shared multiple times by fans, media, staffers and coaches at Gateway Center Arena Thursday night. The Dream went from Aug. 30 to Sept. 17 without playing a game thanks to the FIBA World Cup; and while their final win before the break was taking down the No. 1 team in the league, the Minnesota Lynx, it’s hard not to remember what took place right before that game.
Reality Check ’26: You’re Especially Special(ist)
Grand Theft Autumn
Angel Reese says the Defensive Player of the Year resides in Atlanta. Does it?
When Angel Reese took to the podium after the Dream’s 11-point win over the Phoenix Mercury on Aug. 22, she was confident. Feeling herself. Feeling her team. It’s understandable why, too, as the Dream were in the midst of a four-game road winning streak – including beating the Las Vegas Aces, who always have the Dream’s number – and it marked the third straight game where the Dream’s defensive big three – Reese, Rhyne Howard, and Jordin Canada – recorded eight or more steals in a game.
Fantasy Quid Pro Quo
Unfortunately, we couldn't come up with a more Aspiration-al title.
Why now is the right time for Atlanta to get into the NWSL business
Per a 2025 Forbes report, only one of the top five busiest highways is located outside of California: Interstate 75 in Atlanta, Ga. It’s the north/south corridor that runs from Canada to Florida, but in Atlanta, specifically, it’s the connector for main attractions within the city.
Mountainland Supply Company Turns to Thrive Technologies for Increased Inventory Profitability
Mountainland, the employee-owned wholesale distributor headquartered in Utah, has selected Thrive Technologies to rebalance inventory across its 42 branches. We are really excited about our ability to quickly reduce our dead stock.
Inside the Dream’s journey to land DeWanna Bonner
ATLANTA — Right after the WNBA trade deadline, Dream general manager Dan Padover spoke with reporters bout the team’s decision to hold tight. The IX Sports asked Padover about the other deadline on August 24th, which means that if a player is waived after that date, a team can claim that player, but they won’t be eligible for the playoff roster. Padover made it clear that his phone was on if someone became available then.
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What a bold take to say the Dodgers are ruining your competitive chances!
Just a kid from Sandersville: Becoming Allisha Gray
Two weeks before the opening of WNBA training camp, Allisha Gray was relaxing in her happy place. She was out on a lake on a Saturday afternoon, knowing that she was going to be in the public eye soon enough as a star of the Atlanta Dream. And that April 11 day on the lake was much needed.
The Next “Joshua Baez” Historic Debut Performance
Which other players could have a historic debut game?
The Atlanta Dream face a tough decision about Jaylyn Sherrod
She’s seen the bright lights before. In fact, the lights haven’t been brighter than they were in 2024 when she lifted up the WNBA Championship Trophy as a member of the New York Liberty. When Jaylyn Sherrod stepped under the lights as a member of the Atlanta Dream’s starting lineup against the Indiana Fever on Sunday, Aug. 16, though, it was the brightest lights that she’s played under as a member of her current team.
WNBA, Dream say fans covering up XX-XY shirts ‘shouldn’t have happened’
During the game between the Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream on Sunday, August 16, two fans were asked by State Farm Arena security to cover up their XX-XY shirts during the overtime period. XX-XY is not just a reference to chromosomes — these specific t-shirts were merchandise from the XX-XY brand, a company that claims to “protect women’s sports and spaces,” per the website’s mission statement.
Behind the Dream’s decision to hold at the WNBA trade deadline
The Atlanta Dream are in a similar spot to where they were last year at this point in the season. It’s easy to say that, but there’s one important piece of context that can’t be left out in those discussions: expectations. See, last year, the Dream weren’t picked to finish around seventh in the league by most outlets during the 2025 preseason.
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The 2026 Fantasy Baseball Alphabet
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Is the tide shifting from bigs to wings in DPOY conversations?
When the Washington Mystics visited the Atlanta Dream in early June, the scouting report was easy for head coach Karl Smesko when it came to his defensive assignments: put Rhyne Howard on Sonia Citron and don’t have her leave her side. It was a recipe for success for the Dream, as she was the primary defender on Citron for 94% of the plays where they shared the floor. Citron ended up scoring just six points against Howard in the game – three of them via a transition bucket.
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Give up on the 2024 Angels' outfield. John Mozeliak certainly has.
5 keys for the Atlanta Dream in the second half
It’s up to each individual to decide on how to break up the WNBA season into parts. It can be 44 individual games that carry the same weight. Or maybe two 22-game parts. Universally, it’s looked at through the lens of a pre- and post-All-Star break as two halves. For the Dream, it’s not only about playing a full 40 minutes in a game, a phrase that is preached to every player from Karl Smesko, but a full 44 games over the course of a season – no matter how you cut it.
She’s unapologetically Angel Reese, and Atlanta is better for it
“Your three-time WNBA All-Star, future Defensive Player of the Year and future MVP of the league, Angel Reese.” It’s how the communications manager for the Dream introduces Reese to the media before each and every scrum. It’s his job, of course, to hype up his own players. He does it for all of them. But when he does it for Reese, it resonates more. Perhaps it’s because she has made the All-Star game in all three of her WNBA seasons.
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He’s one of many multi-time All-Stars who’re potentially worth a drop.
Angel Reese, Sandy Brondello offer statements following ‘protected species’ comments
ATLANTA, GA – Following the Toronto Tempo and Atlanta Dream game on Friday night, audio was released where Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello was heard calling Dream forward Angel Reese a “protected species” after Reese fouled Nyara Sabally. After the post-game interviews, upon the audio leaking, Reese took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to post the following.
BREAKING: Atlanta Dream forward Brionna Jones set to make season debut tonight
Atlanta Dream forward Brionna Jones has been out and about in Atlanta. It’s her second year in the city, and she continues to explore the neighborhoods and attractions. When people in Atlanta see her out and about, they always ask her the same question. “Everywhere I go, I hear it, and people ask me, ‘When are you going to come back?’” Jones said before the Dream’s game Monday night. “I definitely feel it, and I definitely want to get out there and be able to help this team the best way I can.
Naz Hillmon is working through a ‘different’ year
Forty-five minutes before the doors open for fans to enter Gateway Center Arena, the first group of Atlanta Dream players are on the floor for their pregame warmups. One of those players is Naz Hillmon. After Hillmon goes through her warmups with a mix of catch-and-shoot 3-pointers, work inside the perimeter and on-the-go 3-pointers, she rounds out her sessions with free-throw shots before heading to the bench to hydrate. But the work doesn’t end there.
Your Midseason Fantasy Baseball Press Conference
P.S., I Love You
How the Atlanta Dream are navigating their 5-game losing streak
The Atlanta Dream find themselves in an unfamiliar position. Well, at least within the Karl Smesko era. For the first time since Smesko took over as the head coach of the Dream last season, the team is in the midst of a five-game losing streak. But it actually goes deeper than that when it comes to Smesko. He started coaching in 1997 at Walsh University, and across stops at Walsh, Purdue Fort Wayne, Florida Gulf Coast University, and the Dream, Smesko has never lost five games in a row. Until now.
Reality Check ’26: Hey Now, You’re An All-Star (Now Go Produce)
Don’t let Toronto’s All-Star success be your team’s downfall.
From FOMO To ROMO
(Featuring Geraldo Perdomo.)
Izzy Borlase is writing her own script, one day at a time
“Do you prefer Isobel or Izzy?” “Izzy. Thank you.” It’s how the Atlanta media and fans were introduced to Isobel Izzy Borlase during the Atlanta Dream’s training camp. A new player to the team. A new person to the country. A new face in an established place. It wasn’t just the media getting acclimated with Borlase, but it was Borlase getting acclimated with not just the media, but the city, her teammates, the league and, well, an entire continent.
Reality Check: Austin Riley Is MLB’s Breanna Stewart
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Reality Check ’26: Blazing It Up
Meet a few players who might help your team catch fire.
The IX Basketball film session: Jordin Canada
It was a travel day, hours after the Atlanta Dream defeated the Toronto Tempo at State Farm Arena, and players were in and out of the Gateway Center Arena for a final walkthrough before jumping on the plane to their West Coast trip. But when Jordin Canada enters a room, she commands attention in a different way. Not because of the black Los Angeles Dodgers hat. Not because of the Jordan hoodie or Jordan 4 White Cements that she had on.
The Atlanta Dream are dominating the 4th quarter at a historic rate
The Atlanta Dream moved to 10-4 on the season Thursday night with a win against the Indiana Fever, a team that has had their number since outing them from the first round of the playoffs last season. No, this isn’t a game recap — we don’t do those here. But it is a look at a trend that we’ve seen through 14 games of the Dream’s season so far: For just the third time this year, despite leaving with the win, the Dream lost the battle of the fourth quarter.
What goes into the pregame handshake?
There were more than 17,000 fans in attendance at State Farm Arena. For a team that plays regularly in an arena that holds about 4,000 fans, the atmosphere was different and amped up. What’s more, it was the home opener, so this was the closest that an Atlanta Dream home game felt to Ballhalla out in California. CM, the Dream’s public address announcer, was running through the opening night roster for the Dream.
Reality Check ’26: There’s Some Horwitz In This House
The Pirates’ first baseman is climbing the right field wall.
The limit does not exist when it comes to Madina Okot’s ceiling
There was a sequence at Core 4 in Chamblee, Ga., the home of the Atlanta Dream’s training facility where Madina Okot showed why the Dream drafted her in the first round. The next sequence down the court, though, Okot grabbed an offensive rebound and instead of going up strong for an easy layup, she pulled the ball out. The highs and lows are going to happen with a player like Okot throughout her rookie season. See, it’s important to remember that she only started playing basketball six years ago.
Rhyne Howard’s growth is happening on and off of the court
Paige Bueckers has played a lot of basketball in her life. A lot. And when the Dallas Wings guard got the moniker “Paige Buckets,” it was for a reason. Because she’s a walking bucket. But, for the first time in a long time, in a May matchup against the Dream, the buckets didn’t come easy for Bueckers. And that’s because of the defense of Atlanta’s All-WNBA defender Rhyne Howard, who drew close to 90% of the coverage on Bueckers, holding her to just 7 points. Seven.
Building A Starting Pitcher Watchlist ’26: June Edition
Share: Remember Gage Wood? You should. Full access to this article is for Premium Baseball Prospectus subscribers. Sign up today to get access to insightful analysis for the discerning baseball fan. Super-Premium - $99.95 / yearPremium - $74.95 / yearPremium Monthly - $19.95 / month
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Pride of the Yankees? Not quite yet.
Brionna Jones’ impact on the Dream is felt both on and off of the court
Her presence was sensed right away, despite exchanging her jersey and shorts for street clothes. In the Atlanta Dream’s season-opener against the Minnesota Lynx, Angel Reese had a chance to put her new team ahead with a second-chance look from inside five feet, but missed the shot. Jordin Canada corralled the offensive rebound and the Dream called timeout.
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