Subscribe
Follow Us
With the WNBA season about to begin, teams have had to make the tough decisions on cutting down their rosters. The Atlanta Dream is one of those teams, and they recently waived former first-round pick Haley Jones.
Jones was drafted by the Dream in the 2023 WNBA Draft with the No. 6 pick. She's had an up-and-down career with the team for the past two seasons, and with new head coach Karl Smesko taking over this year, it looked like she did not fit in with his philosophy. Jones shared a message to the Dream a day after being waived.
“Thank you Dream for the last 2 seasons. I’m grateful for all of the relationships I have built and getting to play in front of the Atlanta crowd! With that, while I’m disappointed, I’m not discouraged. I’m more motivated than ever and excited for what’s next,” Jones wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Rhyne Howard then shared a message about her former teammate.
“I’m truly grateful for the bond that we built. It started way back but these past two years only made it stronger [emoji] I know I don’t tell you enough but I love you and I’m proud of you [emoji] you always have a big sister in me.. just don’t forget about me when it’s time to bake,” Howard wrote.
The Dream have now cut down their roster to the appropriate number of players, and they'll start their season on the road against the Washington Mystics on May 16.
Dream ready to start season on right note
The Dream will look a little different this season, as they made a few moves over the offseason to improve their team. Outside of hiring Smesko, they went into free agency and signed Brittney Griner, Brionna Jones, and Shatori Kimbrough-Walker, who should all play important roles with the team.
Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray will once again be the key players for the team, and the Dream's success will hinge on how good they are. To start the season, Jordin Canada will miss some time after suffering an injury during the preseason, and the bench will have to step up in her absence.
One player that many are excited about is Te-Hina Paopao, who showed during the preseason that she can be effective on both sides of the ball. It's obvious that the team has depth, and it should bode well for them this year.
