WNBA 2023 Free Agency Primer: Atlanta Dream ready to make a splash?

After a mostly positive season last year, where do the Atlanta Dream stand heading into free agency?

WNBA free agency opens up in February, with qualifying offers going out beginning on Sunday, Jan. 15. The Atlanta Dream look like a team ready to use this period to take their team to the next level.

The Dream posted a 14-22 record last year. Despite the record, the season was seen as a move in the right direction for the franchise. Rhyne Howard took home WNBA Rookie of the Year. First-year head coach Tanisha Wright established herself as one of the upcoming coaches in the league and earned a five-year extension after being named AP Coach of the Year.

The franchise also extended GM Dan Padover, a two-time WNBA Executive of the Year winner. Before coming to Atlanta, Padover helped build the core of the Las Vegas Aces 2022 championship team.

The Atlanta Dream have only five players under contract going into free agency

Going into free agency, the Dream have five players under contract: Howard, Cheyenne Parker, Aari McDonald, Naz Hillmon, and Kristy Wallace.

In 2022, Parker re-established herself as a franchise cornerstone after her pregnancy, playing in all 36 games and posting multiple career highs. McDonald took a leap and emerged as Howard’s backcourt partner of the future. Howard matched her pre-draft hype and looks every bit of a future superstar.

Hillmon’s opportunities were limited until late in the season when she filled in for Monique Billings, who was out with an ankle injury. Hillmon performed very well in Billings’ absence, averaging 6.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 12 starts.

Wallace, a 26-year-old rookie from Australia, was finally able to make her WNBA debut. Originally drafted in 2018, Wallace suffered a knee injury that kept her off the court for two years. She established herself as a rugged defender and knockdown shooter — two skills that make her a great fit in Atlanta.

Parker is the only non-rookie contract on Atlanta’s books going into free agency, leaving the Dream with $942,916 in cap room per Her Hoop Stats.

The Dream have decisions to make this offseason

Atlanta has a total of seven players that are free agents this year. Three of them are unrestricted: Monique Billings, Nia Coffey, and Erica Wheeler. These players are able to negotiate with any WNBA team.

Billings has spent her entire five-year career with the Dream. Her pick-and-roll prowess, rebounding ability, and athleticism really stand out. But, she only played 17.4 minutes per game last year, the second-lowest since her rookie year. It is possible the Dream let her walk and pivot in a new direction under Wright’s system.

Coffey had a difficult year. After a career year in LA, she returned to Atlanta with the expectation of being a switchable defender and three-point sniper. Injuries limited her to only 16 games, and she struggled mightily in those. Her theoretical fit in Atlanta is good, but the Dream may opt to move on.

Wheeler came to Atlanta as part of the Chennedy Carter trade. A league favorite, Wheeler’s fit with the Dream may have only been a one-year affair as she enters the later stages of her career.

The Dream also have two restricted free agents in AD Durr and Beatrice Mompremier. Her Hoop Stats defines restricted free agents as “an out-of-contract player eligible for restricted free agency but not unrestricted free agency who had a restricted qualifying offer extended from their current team.” These players may sign offer sheets with other teams, but their previous team has the right of first refusal, meaning that they can match and keep the player for the offer sheet deal.

AD landed in Atlanta after a trade and really found their footing. The former number two overall pick became a spark plug off the bench for the Dream, averaging 10.7 points across 15 games. The Dream desperately needed their offense, and will likely aim to retain AD this offseason.

Mompremier was claimed by Atlanta in May after Connecticut waived her. She played 8.3 minutes per game in 21 games with the Dream. She brought some energy and hustle off the bench, and at just 26 years old, the Dream may opt to take a flier on her.

Maite Cazorla and Tiffany Hayes are Suspended-Contract Expired Players that the Dream will have to decide on. These players are defined as free to negotiate a contract with their own team but they may not negotiate with any other WNBA teams. Cazorla has not played in the WNBA since 2019, so it is unlikely she re-signs. Hayes is a head-scratcher.

Hayes has spent her entire 10-year career with Atlanta. She has only appeared in 30 games in the last two seasons, though, due to injury and overseas commitments. Hayes has been effective when on the court, but does the aging star fit the Dream’s vision going forward?

The Dream have a few needs that can be filled in WNBA Free Agency

The biggest need the Dream have (both literally and figuratively) is an inside presence. Parker struggled with bigger and more physical opponents and is better served playing at the power forward position. Additional shot creation would also help elevate the Dream offense. Both of these needs can be addressed in free agency.

Brionna Jones is the top free agent center this year. She will garner interest from every team, and Atlanta should go all in on the young star. Jones won Most Improved in 2021 and Sixth Player of the Year in 2022. Her hardworking attitude would fit well with what the Dream are aiming to build. Jones also brings a tremendous amount of playoff experience from her time in Connecticut.

If the Dream aren’t able to secure Jones, they could reunite with Elizabeth Williams, who will be an unrestricted free agent as well. Williams spent six seasons in Atlanta before signing with Washington last year. With the franchise in a better state than she left it, the move could work out for both sides.

As for shot creators, the market is a bit drier. One player that would fit well is Tiffany Mitchell, who may opt to move on from Indiana as they rebuild. Mitchell averaged career lows in points and minutes last season, but shot a career-high 45.1% from the floor and 38.7% from deep. At her best, Mitchell brings spacing, creation, and playmaking. At only 28 years old, she fits the Dream’s timeline pretty well, too.

The Dream could re-sign Hayes and hope she stays healthy. Keeping AD around will also help with their shot-creation deficit.

The Atlanta Dream are in a position to thrive whether they make big moves or not

It all depends on which direction they want to take. Fortunately for the Dream, the bulk of their core is secured through the next few years on rookie deals, meaning they could go all in on internal development and maintain financial flexibility for future free agency periods.

That would likely mean making marginal upgrades this season, using all three of their 2023 draft picks, and spending one more season growing. They could then position themselves to make runs at top-tier free agents next season such as A’ja Wilson, Jonquel Jones, or Kahleah Copper.