This week is bookended by big Atlanta Dream news.
On Monday, the Chicago Sky traded All-Star forward Angel Reese to the Dream in exchange for Atlanta’s 2027 and 2028 first-round draft picks.
On Friday, longtime WNBA analyst and Connecticut Sun sideline reporter Terrika Foster-Brasby reported that the Sun “are finalizing a 7-figure deal” to sign 10-time All-Star center Brittney Griner in WNBA free agency. ESPN’s Alexa Philippou seconded Foster-Brasby’s report shortly afterward.
Griner, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, spent her first 11 seasons with the Phoenix Mercury, who drafted her No. 1 overall in 2013.
The Mercury won the WNBA championship in 2014, and Griner became a mainstay alongside basketball legend Diana Taurasi in Phoenix. Once Taurasi retired following the 2024 season, Griner signed with the Dream in February 2025.
Griner is an eight-time blocks champion, a seven-time All-Defensive selection, a six-time All-WNBA selection, a two-time scoring champion, and a two-time Defensive Player of the Year.
Rosters are in flux across the WNBA as free agency is underway. Teams can officially begin signing players on Saturday. Griner’s reported arrival might be a clue to what 2012 WNBA MVP and multi-time All-WNBA and All-Star center Tina Charles might do, whether that be sign elsewhere in free agency or retire.
It’s difficult to analyze Griner’s fit with the Sun, but it is exciting to think that Houston native Brittney Griner could be on the Sun when the franchise relocates from Connecticut to Houston in 2027.
As for what this means for the Dream, Reese has already seen a stark increase in average ticket price and sold out Reese’s No. 5 jersey within hours of the trade. Reese, three-time All-Star guard Allisha Gray, and three-time All-Star guard Rhyne Howard form a dynamic “Big 3” that could compete for a title in 2026.
