With the 2026 WNBA season underway this week, let’s take a look at the newest roster additions for the Atlanta Dream including star Angel Reese, as well as some questions for the team to answer this season.
Atlanta Dream finalized 2026 roster
After announcing their final roster cuts, the Atlanta Dream released their roster of 12 players for the start of the 2026 season. Under the new CBA, teams are also allowed two developmental roster spots with limitations around playing time. While Atlanta had not announced any signings for those
spots as of Thursday, May 7, updates can be found on this page from Her Hoops Stats.
The team will be led by veterans Allisha Gray, Brionna Jones, and Jordin Canada, each with 8-plus years of WNBA experience:
- Allisha Gray: Three All-Star appearances, 2025 All-WNBA 1st Team, and 2017 WNBA Rookie of the Year
- Brionna Jones: Four All-Star appearances, 2021 WNBA Most Improved Player, and 2022 WNBA Sixth Player of the Year
- Jordin Canada: 2-time WNBA Champion (2018, 2020) and 2-time All-Defensive First Team selection (2019, 2023)
Four of the twelve roster spots will go to rookies:
- Center Madina Okot (2026 draft, 1st round, 13th pick)
- Guard Indya Nivar (2026 draft, 2nd round, 28th pick)
- Guard Isobel Borlase (2024 draft, 2nd round, 20th pick)
- Guard Holly Winterburn (undrafted British player, spent time with the Dream during the 2025 training camp)
The remaining players on the roster have been in the league for four years or less:
- Rhyne Howard (drafted by Atlanta number one overall in 2022, four years of experience)
- Naz Hillmon (drafted by Atlanta in the second round in 2022, four years of experience)
- Sika Koné (signed to the team during the 2025 season, three years of experience)
- Angel Reese (acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Chicago Sky this most recent offseason, two years of experience)
- Te-Hina Paopao (drafted by Atlanta in the second round in 2025, one year of experience)
Questions for the start of the Dream’s season
1. Can Atlanta’s starters stay healthy throughout 2026?
While the 2025 Atlanta Dream had eight players appearing in at least 39 games, two of their five starters were more limited, with Rhyne Howard only available for 33 games and Jordin Canada only appearing in 28 games. Brionna Jones is out indefinitely while recovering from a torn meniscus without a return date. The rest of the roster is currently healthy, but will need to remain so throughout the season for Atlanta to reach its full potential.
2. How will Atlanta rotate in the frontcourt?
Naz Hillmon won the 2025 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year award after playing in all 44 games, with just 17 starts. She notably increased her three-point shooting in 2025 and will enter the starting rotation to begin the year during Brionna Jones’s injury recovery. Hillmon will fit alongside Angel Reese or Madina Okot in the beginning of the season, but it will be interesting to see how minutes get divided up among the four frontcourt players once Jones returns.
3. Will the coaching staff take Atlanta to the next level in Karl Smesko’s second season?
Head Coach Karl Smesko’s first season in Atlanta was an unquestioned success. The team set the franchise record for wins in a season with thirty victories (albeit with more games played than any previous WNBA season) and showed dramatic shifts in approach from previous seasons. With a roster of primarily returning players, Atlanta could have the advantage of being able to gel quickly, compared to teams with more roster turnover. If opposing teams figure out how to slow Atlanta’s offense, a plateau could lead to a disappointing season.
4. Can Atlanta take advantage of an easy schedule to start the season?
In five of their first seven games through the end of May, the Dream will face the Dallas Wings twice (10-34 in 2025), the Minnesota Lynx (without Napheesa Collier) twice, and the expansion Portland Fire. While matchups with the Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix Mercury may be more difficult, both games will be in Atlanta with the Dream’s home opener against Las Vegas and the Mercury game on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. It will be important for Atlanta to get off to a hot start before three June matchups with the Indiana Fever, along with games against Seattle and New York.
What are you most excited about seeing this year for the Atlanta Dream? Let us know in the comments below!
