Last Updated on March 15, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Atlanta Dream history is built on explosive wing scorers, rugged interior anchors, flashy All-Star guards and a newer generation led by Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray. The franchise has been in the WNBA since 2008 and, through 2025, has produced 11 WNBA All-Stars, three first-place regular-season finishes, nine playoff bids and three WNBA Finals appearances. Angel McCoughtry stands above the rest as the face of the Dream’s peak era, while players like Tiffany Hayes, Erika de Souza, Sancho Lyttle and Rhyne Howard all have strong claims to all-time franchise status. (dream.wnba.com)

1. Angel McCoughtry

  • Years with Atlanta: 2009–2019
  • Position: Guard/Forward
  • Notable Achievements:
    • Franchise all-time leading scorer
    • Five-time WNBA All-Star with Atlanta
    • Two-time WNBA scoring champion
    • Named to the W25, the league’s 25 greatest and most influential players

McCoughtry gets the top spot because she was the Dream’s defining superstar and the biggest reason the franchise became a contender so quickly. Atlanta identified her as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer when she returned in 2018, and her overall league résumé was so strong that she later earned a place on the W25 list of the greatest and most influential players in WNBA history. (dream.wnba.com)

2. Tiffany Hayes

  • Years with Atlanta: 2012–2022
  • Position: Guard
  • Notable Achievements:
    • 2017 WNBA All-Star starter
    • 2018 All-WNBA First Team
    • Longtime franchise player and lead scorer
    • One of the best two-way guards in Dream history

Hayes ranks this high because of her longevity, scoring punch and importance across multiple eras of Dream basketball. Atlanta’s own coverage described her as the franchise player entering 2021, and team material from 2018 and 2017 shows she was producing at an All-Star and All-WNBA level while carrying a major offensive load. (dream.wnba.com)

3. Erika de Souza

  • Years with Atlanta: 2008–2015
  • Position: Center
  • Notable Achievements:
    • Three-time WNBA All-Star with the Dream
    • Interior anchor on three WNBA Finals teams
    • One of the most productive post players in franchise history
    • Key starter from the franchise’s rise through its peak years

De Souza belongs near the top because she was the Dream’s steady interior force during the team’s golden era. When Atlanta traded her in 2015, the team noted that she had totaled 2,527 points, 1,784 rebounds, 295 blocks and 232 steals with the franchise, while the Dream’s All-Star history confirms she was a multiple-time team All-Star. (dream.wnba.com)

4. Rhyne Howard

  • Years with Atlanta: 2022–present
  • Position: Guard
  • Notable Achievements:
    • 2022 WNBA Rookie of the Year
    • Three-time WNBA All-Star through 2025
    • Fastest player in WNBA history to reach 300 career threes
    • Already one of the most decorated young players in franchise history

Howard already has a serious case to rank this high because her peak value has been enormous almost from day one. By 2025, Atlanta said she had become just the fourth player in franchise history to make three All-Star teams as a Dream player, while also becoming the fastest player in league history to reach 300 career threes and one of the youngest players in team history to clear 2,000 points. (dream.wnba.com)

5. Sancho Lyttle

  • Years with Atlanta: 2009–2017
  • Position: Forward/Center
  • Notable Achievements:
    • 2009 WNBA All-Star
    • Six-time WNBA All-Defensive Team selection in her career
    • Elite rebounder and steal generator
    • Major frontcourt piece on multiple Finals teams

Lyttle ranks this high because she gave Atlanta toughness, rebounding and unusual defensive playmaking from the power-forward spot. Her WNBA bio shows she was an All-Star in 2009, made repeated All-Defensive teams, led the league in steals multiple times and even set a franchise single-season steals record with the Dream in 2012. (wnba.com)

6. Allisha Gray

  • Years with Atlanta: 2023–present
  • Position: Guard
  • Notable Achievements:
    • Three straight WNBA All-Star selections with Atlanta from 2023–2025
    • 2025 WNBA All-Star starter
    • 2025 All-WNBA First Team
    • One of the best recent two-way stars in franchise history

Gray has not been with Atlanta as long as some others, but her level has been too high to ignore. The Dream said her 2025 starting nod made her just the second player in franchise history to earn three straight All-Star selections with the team, and she later added All-WNBA First Team honors. (dream.wnba.com)

7. Shoni Schimmel

  • Years with Atlanta: 2014–2017
  • Position: Guard
  • Notable Achievements:
    • Two-time WNBA All-Star
    • 2014 WNBA All-Star Game MVP
    • Electric shot-maker and fan favorite
    • One of the most memorable guards in franchise history

Schimmel lands here because her Atlanta peak was unforgettable even if it was brief. Her official WNBA bio notes she was a two-time All-Star and the 2014 All-Star Game MVP as a rookie, while the league’s All-Star records show that MVP came in an Atlanta uniform. (wnba.com)

8. Cheyenne Parker

  • Years with Atlanta: 2021–2023
  • Position: Forward/Center
  • Notable Achievements:
    • 2023 WNBA All-Star
    • Productive frontcourt scorer and defender
    • Major piece in Atlanta’s playoff return
    • Strong two-way presence in the early 2020s

Parker makes the list because she was one of the best bigs of Atlanta’s post-rebuild stretch. Dream coverage from 2023 highlighted her as an All-Star and noted she was averaging nearly 15 points, almost seven rebounds, plus steals and blocks, showing how complete her season was. (dream.wnba.com)

9. Iziane Castro Marques

  • Years with Atlanta: 2010–2013
  • Position: Guard/Forward
  • Notable Achievements:
    • 2010 Eastern Conference Player of the Week honoree
    • High-volume scorer on an early Finals team
    • Productive starter in Atlanta’s rise
    • One of the better perimeter scorers of the early Dream era

Castro Marques belongs on the list because she was a real offensive weapon during one of Atlanta’s first great runs. WNBA coverage from 2010 had her as the league’s sixth-ranked scorer at 17.8 points per game when she won Player of the Week, and Atlanta later described her as a starter over four seasons with the Dream. (wnba.com)

10. Elizabeth Williams

  • Years with Atlanta: 2016–2021
  • Position: Center
  • Notable Achievements:
    • 2017 WNBA All-Star
    • 2020 All-Defensive First Team
    • Reliable rim protector
    • Important defensive anchor in the late 2010s

Williams makes the top 10 because she gave Atlanta dependable interior defense and earned league recognition for it. The Dream noted she was a 2017 All-Star, and team coverage from 2020 confirms she later earned All-Defensive First Team honors. (dream.wnba.com)

11. Betty Lennox

  • Years with Atlanta: 2008–2009
  • Position: Guard
  • Notable Achievements:
    • Inaugural-era star
    • Holds the franchise single-game scoring record
    • Early face of the expansion team
    • Former WNBA Finals MVP before arriving in Atlanta

Lennox ranks here because she mattered a lot to the franchise’s beginning and still owns one of its biggest scoring records. Atlanta’s own statistical notes state that Lennox holds the Dream single-game scoring record with 44 points, which keeps her place in team history secure even though her stay was short. (dream.wnba.com)

12. Renee Montgomery

  • Years with Atlanta: 2018–2019
  • Position: Guard
  • Notable Achievements:
    • Veteran leader on a playoff team
    • Set a single-season franchise record for made three-pointers in 2018
    • Important backcourt scorer and organizer
    • Later became part of the franchise ownership story

Montgomery gets the final spot because her Atlanta tenure was shorter than most names here, but it was still meaningful. The Dream’s 2018 season recap said she set the single-season franchise record with 78 made threes while starting all 34 games and helping Atlanta earn the No. 2 seed. (dream.wnba.com)

Strong Honorable Mentions

  • Courtney Williams
  • Layshia Clarendon
  • Naz Hillmon
  • Brittney Sykes
  • Alex Bentley
  • Bria Holmes

The toughest cuts are mostly players from later Dream teams who had clear peaks but not quite enough franchise longevity or historical weight to crack the main 12. Courtney Williams made the 2021 All-Star team, Naz Hillmon became the first Dream player to win Sixth Player of the Year in 2025, and several others had strong multi-year stretches that still matter in franchise history. (dream.wnba.com)

Sources:
Atlanta Dream — Rhyne Howard Named 2025 AT&T WNBA All-Star
Atlanta Dream — Angel McCoughtry Announces Return to Atlanta Dream
Atlanta Dream — Dream Announce 2021 Training Camp Roster
Atlanta Dream — Dream Finalize Three-Team Trade with Minnesota and Chicago
WNBA — Sancho Lyttle Bio
Atlanta Dream — Allisha Gray Named 2025 WNBA All-Star Starter
WNBA — Shoni Schimmel Bio
Atlanta Dream — Atlanta Dream’s Allisha Gray and Cheyenne Parker Are All-Stars
WNBA — Marques Named Eastern Conference Player of the Week
Atlanta Dream — Elizabeth Williams Signs Multi-Year Contract Extension with Atlanta Dream
Atlanta Dream — Unpacking the Numbers: Angel McCoughtry’s Career Night
Atlanta Dream — Renee Montgomery 2018 Season Recap
Atlanta Dream — Courtney Williams Named AT&T WNBA All-Star