CHAMBLEE, Ga. — There is a lot of fresh blood among the Atlanta Dream as the WNBA team prepares to enter a new season and the team is determined to use it to its advantage.
Monday kicked off the first day of training camp for the Atlanta Dream and there are a lot of new faces that are a part of this franchise. The sole veteran on the team, Tiffany Hayes, was not present for training camp because she is still playing overseas basketball in Turkey.
For brand new head coach Tanisha Wright there are three adjectives that she’s using to set the precedent for this new era for the Dream: accountability, energy, and effort. When looking at all three of those, day one of training camp was a success.
“They did great, I mean they really did great on things that we want to focus on and the type of culture that we want to bring to our organization and our franchise," she said. "They really exhibited that today, so I was really proud of them for owning it and going out there and executing it."
Among the fresh faces is the No. 1 overall WNBA Draft pick Rhyne Howard.
“I’m super excited to see what we can do. Everyone is super stoked to be here, super ready to be back on top," Howard said. "We all want to have a winning season or be a contender for a championship. To be a part of that is going to be something special."
Two other young ladies who signed contracts to attend training camp with the Atlanta Dream are former Georgia Bulldogs Maya Caldwell and Que Morrison.
Morrison said she appreciated the infectious zeal of the team.
“I love that. The lock-in, the positive energy. I’m a positive person, I like to smile so I love it,” said Morrison.
Caldwell soaked in every bit of the training, calling it the chance of a lifetime.
“This is something that I’ve been working towards and praying for," she said. It’s the ultimate goal to play in the WNBA and now that I’m finally here at this training camp, that I get the opportunity to make something happen is truly a blessing."
Fresh faces and new energy are just factors heading into a new season. The Atlanta Dream is laying a new foundation for the franchise and Coach Wright is leading the charge.
When asked what it's like to guide an organization in the middle of a rebuild she was honest.
"I don't know, I've never done it," she said.
She also mentioned that it's an exciting time for the team as she works with them to walk into a new era of basketball.