Thirty wins. They were the most in the history of the Atlanta Dream franchise last season.
The path the Dream took to get there and the players who led the way have been celebrated for the accomplishment many times over.
But what has possibly been overlooked was the job that the bench unit did for the Dream last year.
Dubbed “The Bench Mob,” the Dream’s reserves had the second-highest plus-minus of any team in the league, thanks in part to a league-leading 35.4 defensive rating.
“We stay ready. There’s no drop-off,” Shatori Walker-Kimbrough said last August ahead of a game against the Washington Mystics.
The players on the bench bought in last year, true. But it also helped that they were extremely talented, as well.
WNBA legend Brittney Griner came off the bench in the second half of the season. Sixth Player of the Year Naz Hillmon came off the bench in the early part of the season. Backup point guard Te-Hina Paopao played a huge role for the Dream, leading the team in effective field goal percentage last year. Maya Caldwell, Nia Coffey and Walker-Kimbrough all excelled when called upon.
It was a unit that knew its role and played it well.
But the bench unit has a different look in 2026 for the Dream.
Walker-Kimbrough, gone.
Coffey, gone.
Caldwell, gone.
Griner, gone.
The Dream will hope to replicate the success of its bench in 2025, but during the preseason, the unit has had its struggles. The games don’t count, but they’re also critical for evaluating the talent early.
“We have to develop this bench. We have a lot of good players, and their time to play against another team is very valuable,” head coach Karl Smesko said after the Dream’s preseason loss to the Mystics on Sunday. “… I think it’s only fair that they get enough time out there to show what they can do.”
It’s clear that Paopao will be back in her backup role at point guard. No concerns there.
It’s clear that once Brionna Jones returns from her offseason meniscus surgery, Hillmon will reprise her award-winning role from the bench. No concerns there.
Rookie Madina Okot is expected to play a big role for the Dream off the bench. The team has made their plans for her clear, and it’s been evident in the preseason.
“I’m really impressed with Madina’s potential and all of the things that she can do,” Smesko said. “She makes defensive plays, alters shots, scores in the post, and has a nice drive. She’s still learning a lot.”
But after Okot, it gets interesting.
The Dream are still rounding out their roster as of Tuesday. The players competing for the last roster spots are: Sika Koné, Isobel Borlase, Indya Nivar, Taylor Thierry, Maite Cazorla, Stephanie Jones, and Holly Winterburn.
Of that group of reserves, only Borlase, Cazorla, and Thierry are positive in plus-minus during the preseason.
For Cazorla, she’s one of a group of three – Stephanie Jones and Winterburn being the others – who were late arrivals to camp due to overseas commitments.
“It’s tough, and it’s not totally fair to them,” Smesko said. “They only get a week to show what they can do. We are very familiar with what they’ve done overseas, but now it’s how do they fit in what we are doing? It’s hard in a short time, and I imagine that it can be overwhelming, but hopefully they go out there and just play.”
Those players, though, do have a leg-up in one area: They are professional veterans, even if they aren’t seen as such within the WNBA lens.
Cazorla was drafted out of the University of Oregon in the 2019 draft and has enjoyed a lot of success overseas. Stephanie Jones, the sister of Brionna Jones, is 27 and went undrafted in the 2020 WNBA Draft. Winterburn, 25, is a EuroCup champion.
“Some of us were talking, and we said, ‘They look good,’” Hillmon said Sunday. “It’s because they aren’t rookies, you know? They’ve been playing for a long time. (They) know what they bring to the table.”
Not only does Koné have the potential to make the team, but she could also play a pivotal role while Brionna Jones heals up.
Last year, she played in eight games for the Dream and was used sparingly. However, she had a standout season overseas and is looking to carry that same energy over to the WNBA.
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“Coming from the bench, I’m trying to bring the energy, and that is something that (Smesko) wants from me,” Koné said Sunday. “For me, that’s something that I always bring. At any moment when I hear my name called, I want to give 100%.”
It’s something that Smesko has talked about at length, too.
During Koné’s first practice after arriving at training camp ahead of the matchup against the Sky, Smesko expressed how much he loved her “hustle” and how excited he was to have her back. Smesko is counting on her to use the aforementioned energy on both sides of the floor.
“She has great energy when she’s out there. She’s enthusiastic about playing, and she’s very talented,” Smesko said. “She can really stretch the floor, put it on the floor and get to the rim. Defensively, she can get to the rim. She’s had a really good camp.”
Koné’s inclusion still leaves two roster spots available. All eyes are on Thierry, Nivar, and Cazorla to see which one is the odd player out.
During the first week of practice, Thierry ran with the first team to give her some work with that unit after not playing much last year.
That could be viewed as a sign that Smesko wants to give her a bigger role this year, or it could be considered a test to see if she’s even capable of doing and being more assertive.
During the Dream’s game against the Mystics, she played 13 minutes, grabbing four rebounds and going 2-of-4 from three-point range.
“She makes plays, she gets deflections, and she’s someone who makes plays on the defensive end,” Smesko said of Thierry. “She’s a good shooter. We’re trying to get her to take those shots. I think she did very well.”
Nivar, who had 94 steals last season in college at North Carolina, hasn’t recorded one yet in the preseason, but the Dream remain high on her. And if there’s something that she or the other players get wrong, the vets are there to help.
“I try to help them out anyway possible,” Allisha Gray said Sunday. “If I see them make a small mistake, I’ll tell them that (Smesko) will catch it. So that he doesn’t catch it, fix this. They are amazing. They are sponges, listen to what you have to say, and are fun to be around.”
Despite positive comments from Gray and Smesko, the bench players haven’t shown flashes of being as productive as last year’s.
In four second-half quarters this preseason, the Dream have been outscored 87-74. During that time, it was mainly second-unit players playing for the Dream – including some who were cut after their win against the Sky.
Smesko knows that they have to be better. He knows that the unit was big for them last year. And he’s using every minute of the preseason and training camp to evaluate them.
“You’re going against WNBA talent. Players who are going to be very good in this league,” Smesko said. “You get to see how you’ll compete against those kinds of players.”
That bench unit will have to play against big minutes for the Dream again in 2026. With the level of talent that left the team this offseason, it’s up to the new and returning players to fill the gaps.