The Atlanta Dream are having their most extraordinary season in franchise history. They are in the 2026 WNBA Finals — their first in 13 years — led by Angel Reese, playing in front of record crowds, and valued at $280 million according to Sportico.
But the ownership story behind this turnaround is just as compelling as anything happening on the court. It starts with a sitting U.S. Senator, a team of players who refused to stay quiet, and a former Dream player who ended up buying the franchise she once wore a jersey for.
Who Owns the Atlanta Dream Right Now in 2026?
The Atlanta Dream are owned by a three-person investor group: Larry Gottesdiener, Suzanne Abair, and Renee Montgomery.
All three purchased the team in February 2021 following the sale forced by the controversy surrounding previous co-owner Kelly Loeffler. The purchase was approved unanimously by both the WNBA and NBA boards of governors.
Renee Montgomery made history with this purchase — she became the first former WNBA player to serve as both a co-owner and an executive of a franchise in the same league she played in. She had retired from playing to sit out the 2020 season in support of the social justice movement, and then returned as a part-owner of the very team she had called home.
Ownership and Key Stakeholders Table
| Owner | Role | Background | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Larry Gottesdiener | Managing Owner | CEO, Northland Investment Corp (real estate) | Leads long-term strategy and oversight; acquired team February 2021 |
| Suzanne Abair | Co-Owner & Day-to-Day Operations | Executive, Northland Investment Corp | Handles organizational operations and management |
| Renee Montgomery | Co-Owner & Executive | Former Dream player and WNBA champion | First former WNBA player to become both co-owner and executive of a WNBA franchise |
| Dan Padover | General Manager | WNBA front office veteran | Widely respected; instrumental in building the 2025 and 2026 rosters |
| Karl Smesko | Head Coach | Former Florida Gulf Coast University coach | Hired 2025; led Dream to their best-ever regular season record |
The Origin Story: From Expansion to Political Storm
The Atlanta Dream joined the WNBA as an expansion franchise for the 2008 season. The franchise had been in discussion since the WNBA’s founding in the mid-1990s, but it took until 2007 for Atlanta real estate executive Ron Terwilliger to commit as the founding owner.
Ownership changed hands in 2010 when Kathy Betty acquired the team from Terwilliger — and that same year, the Dream made a surprise run to the WNBA Finals, where they lost to the Seattle Storm. In 2011, the team was acquired by Mary Brock and Kelly Loeffler under the entity Dream Too LLC, with Brock holding a 51% majority and Loeffler owning 49%.
The Kelly Loeffler Controversy That Changed Everything
Few ownership controversies in WNBA history have been as politically charged or as consequential as what unfolded with Kelly Loeffler in 2020.
Loeffler had been appointed to a U.S. Senate seat in Georgia in January 2020. She publicly opposed the Black Lives Matter movement and called for the depoliticization of sports — at the precise moment the WNBA was becoming one of the most socially active leagues in professional sport.
She reportedly asked players not to wear warmup shirts bearing phrases like “Black Lives Matter” and “Say Her Name.”
The players pushed back forcefully. Dream players wore “Vote Warnock” T-shirts before games, openly campaigning for Loeffler’s Democratic opponent, Reverend Raphael Warnock, in the Georgia Senate race. Warnock won. With mounting pressure from players, the WNBA community, and sponsors, Loeffler sold her 49% stake. By February 26, 2021, the deal was complete.
How Renee Montgomery Became a Co-Owner
Renee Montgomery’s path to ownership is one of the most unique stories in professional sports.
Montgomery had played for the Atlanta Dream before announcing she would sit out the entire 2020 WNBA season to focus on social justice activism in Atlanta. She became a prominent civic voice in the city during one of the most turbulent political years in Georgia’s recent history.
When the Dream became available, Gottesdiener and Abair brought Montgomery in as a co-owner — making her the first retired player to take on both an ownership and executive role in the same WNBA franchise she had worn a jersey for. As she put it at the time: “My dream has come true.”
The Remarkable Rebuild Under Current Ownership
When the new ownership group took over in 2021, the Dream went 8–24 — last in the WNBA. The rebuild was slow and deliberate. GM Dan Padover overhauled the roster across multiple seasons, drafting carefully and developing young talent with patience.
By 2025, the transformation was fully visible. The Dream finished 30–14, the best record in franchise history, improving from last in offensive rating in 2024 to second in 2025 under first-year head coach Karl Smesko.
In April 2026, the Dream made the most seismic move of the WNBA offseason — acquiring two-time All-Star Angel Reese from the Chicago Sky in exchange for first-round picks in 2027 and 2028. Reese locked in her fourth-year option almost immediately, signalling a long-term commitment to Atlanta.
Angel Reese and the 2026 WNBA Finals
Angel Reese — born May 6, 2002 — is the most talked-about player in women’s basketball right now.
She led LSU to the 2023 NCAA National Championship, set the WNBA single-season rebounding record in her rookie year, and earned the 2026 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award in just her third professional season.
She has appeared at the Met Gala and in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show — making her one of the few active WNBA players to have genuine crossover celebrity status.
With Reese leading the charge, the Dream finished the 2026 regular season 30–14 and advanced to the WNBA Finals, where they face the Golden State Valkyries — their first Finals appearance in 13 years.
It is a matchup of two of the most captivating franchises in women’s basketball right now, with the Dream representing a social justice-driven ownership story and the Valkyries representing the explosive commercial growth of the modern WNBA.
Is the Atlanta Dream Affiliated with an NBA Team?
No — and this is what makes the Dream structurally unusual compared to most WNBA teams. Atlanta is home to the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, but the two franchises have no ownership connection whatsoever. The Dream operates entirely independently, which affects revenue sharing, arena access, and marketing resources.
The team plays at Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia. Some high-profile home games this season have moved to the much larger State Farm Arena to accommodate the surge in demand driven by Angel Reese’s arrival.
What Is the Atlanta Dream Worth in 2026?
Despite their on-court success, the Dream remain one of the WNBA’s lower-valued franchises financially. Sportico’s 2026 valuations placed them at $280 million, with 2025 revenues of $16 million.
This is a stark contrast to the Las Vegas Aces — whose owner Mark Davis also owns the Las Vegas Raiders of the NFL — and the Valkyries, the first women’s sports team ever valued at $1 billion. However, the Dream’s Finals run in 2026, combined with Reese’s mainstream stardom, is expected to drive their valuation meaningfully higher in the next assessment cycle.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Who owns the Atlanta Dream in 2026?
The Atlanta Dream are owned by Larry Gottesdiener, Suzanne Abair, and former Dream player Renee Montgomery, who purchased the team in February 2021.
Q2. When did the current owners buy the Atlanta Dream?
The current ownership group purchased the Dream on February 26, 2021, following the departure of former co-owner Kelly Loeffler.
Q3. Why did Kelly Loeffler sell the Atlanta Dream?
Loeffler sold her 49% stake after widespread opposition from Dream players and the WNBA community over her public stance against the Black Lives Matter movement during her Georgia Senate campaign.
Q4. Who is Renee Montgomery?
Renee Montgomery is a former Atlanta Dream player who became the franchise’s co-owner in 2021 — the first retired WNBA player to serve as both a co-owner and executive of the same franchise she played for.
Q5. Is the Atlanta Dream affiliated with an NBA team?
No. The Atlanta Dream are an independent entity with no formal ownership connection to the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks.
Q6. How much is the Atlanta Dream worth in 2026?
Sportico valued the Atlanta Dream at approximately $280 million in 2026, with 2025 revenues of $16 million.
Q7. Who did the Atlanta Dream trade for Angel Reese?
On April 6, 2026, the Dream acquired Angel Reese from the Chicago Sky in exchange for first-round draft picks in 2027 and 2028.
Q8. Are the Atlanta Dream in the 2026 WNBA Finals?
Yes. The Dream are in the 2026 WNBA Finals facing the Golden State Valkyries — their first Finals appearance in 13 years.
The Atlanta Dream are owned by Larry Gottesdiener, Suzanne Abair, and Renee Montgomery — a trio who took over in February 2021 following one of the most politically charged ownership controversies in WNBA history.
What they inherited was a last-place franchise. What they built in five seasons is a 2026 WNBA Finals contender led by Angel Reese, playing in front of sell-out crowds in College Park, Georgia. Renee Montgomery’s dual role as co-owner and executive makes this ownership story unlike any other in professional women’s sports.
Official Website: dream.wnba.com