The Atlanta Dream will retain much of their 2026 roster going into the 2027 WNBA season.
But the Dream will have to look for strategic upgrades after coming up just short in the WNBA Finals against the Golden State Valkyries.
The Dream lost to the Valkyries in seven games to cap the longest season in WNBA history. One factor that led to Atlanta's defeat centered on a lack of size: with Brionna Jones injured, Valkyries center Kiah Stokes enjoyed a superb series, and she had a Finals MVP case until Gabby Williams stole the show with a 30-point outing in Game 7.
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Jones should be healthy in 2027, and the Dream will return one of the WNBA's strongest starting fives: Reese, Jordin Canada, Allisha Gray, Naz Hillmon and Rhyne Howard.
But another factor that led to the Dream's Finals defeat was a lack of viable depth. For much of the series, Atlanta relied on rookie Isobel Borlaise and veteran DeWanna Bonner to spell the starters. They lacked a defensive stopper from the bench in addition to the aforementioned size issue.
Top 10 Unrestricted Free Agent Rankings, per Sports Illustrated: 1. Napheesa Collier 2. Kelsey Mitchell 3. Jackie Young 4. Kelsey Plum 5. Kayla Thornton 6. DeWanna Bonner 7. Tiffany Hayes 8. NaLyssa Smith 9. Natasha Cloud 10. Sophie Cunningham Honorable Mention: ▪️DiJonai Carrington ▪️Brittney Griner ▪️Odyssey Sims ▪️Cheyenne Parker-Tyus
— E J 🏀 (@EJayArrow) November 5, 2026To address that issue -- bring in a complementary depth piece that head coach Karl Smesko will trust -- The Athletic's Sabreena Merchant has written that DiJonai Carrington could be a solution.
Carrington, the WNBA's Most Improved Player and a first-team All-Defense selection in 2024, is entering free agency after an injury-plagued season with the Chicago Sky. She is a career 8.5 point-per-game scorer, so she wouldn't add a ton of offensive value. But she is a sticky, determined defender with ties to the Dream franchise already.
Carrington, Bonner and Jones were teammates with the Connecticut Sun between 2021 and 2024, while Atlanta assistant Brandi Poole was on the Sun's coaching staff in 2021 and 2022.
Carrington has playoff experience from her time in Connecticut, and she would add a competitive fire that would rival Reese in the Atlanta locker room. On paper, it looks like a good fit, though the inconsistent jumper would raise questions as to her fit in Smesko's offense.
