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Former UConn women’s basketball and WNBA star Renee Montgomery has joined a group of investors who have been approved to purchase the Atlanta Dream, the team announced on Friday.
The Atlanta Dream, co-owned by former U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler, have been sold to a three-member investor group that includes former Dream star Renee Montgomery.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 26, 2021
Montgomery will serve as a co-owner and executive for the team and returns to the WNBA after opting out of last season to focus on social justice issues, a move that eventually led to her retirement.
“With the unanimous WNBA and NBA votes, today marks a new beginning for the Atlanta Dream organization and we are very pleased to welcome Larry Gottesdiener and Suzanne Abair to the WNBA,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said. “I admire their passion for women’s basketball, but more importantly, have been impressed with their values. I am also thrilled that former WNBA star Renee Montgomery will be joining the ownership group as an investor and executive for the team. Renee is a trailblazer who has made a major impact both in the game and beyond.”
Montgomery played 11 seasons in the WNBA, spending time with the Dream, Minnesota Lynx, and Connecticut Sun. She won two WNBA titles with the links – in 2015 and 2017 – and holds the league record for consecutive games with a three-pointer.
During her time at UConn, she won a national championship as part of the program’s 39-0 2009 team and took home the Nancy Lieberman Award, which is awarded to the top point guard in women’s Division I basketball. At the time of her graduation, she finished in the top-10 in program history in points (1,977), assists (626), steals (266), and three-pointers (251).
“My Dream has come true,” Montgomery said. “Breaking barriers for minorities and women by being the first former WNBA player to have both a stake in ownership and a leadership role with the team is an opportunity that I take very seriously. I invite you to join me as the Dream builds momentum in Atlanta!”
The new ownership group takes over for former U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler, who was pressured to sell the team by Montgomery and a group of WNBA players after sending Engelbert a letter opposing the Black Lives Matter movement.