ATLANTA — Before Karl Smesko took his seat next to Atlanta Dream general manager Dan Padover inside Magnificent Room 3 at Georgia World Congress Center Tuesday afternoon, the Dream’s new head coach delivered fist bumps to Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray and Nia Coffey.
Although Smesko registered the third-best winning percentage among active Division I women’s basketball coaches and battled some of the most elite Power Four programs in raucous environments in nearly three decades of college coaching, he entered the room quietly and slightly nervous. The Dream’s new head coach is far more comfortable on the court, coaching his players and refining his team’s game plan to perfection to secure a win.
And Padover wasted no time rattling off the list of accomplishments that made the former Florida Gulf Coast women’s basketball coach the right hire to lead the Dream into their next chapter, citing his 14 Atlantic Sun (ASUN) regular season titles, 11 ASUN tournament champions and 14 consecutive 25-wins seasons, a feat only matched by UConn.
Padover and Dream owners—Larry Gottesdiener, Suzanne Abair and Renee Montgomery—worked diligently with Korn Ferry search firm to pinpoint more than 50 candidates with diverse backgrounds in search of the franchise’s next coach, according to The Athletic. Padover described Smesko as a “proven winner” and that his hire was a “great win” for the franchise.
“We wanted someone with an innovative basketball mind, and we wanted a team and culture builder,” Padover said.
The 54-year-old coach is known for his eclectic five-out system with dynamic guards and players, prioritizing efficient three-point shooting—particularly catch-and-shoot three pointers—as well as an offense that orchestrates a high pace of play, attacking the basket and the ability to score effectively from any area of the court due to his players’ willingness to share the basketball.
Last season, the Dream finished 11th in offensive rating (99.0), last in effective field goal percentage (45.2%), next to last in three-point field-goal percentage (30.8%) and among the bottom tier (ninth) of the league in three-point attempt rate.
Despite having no WNBA coaching experience, Smesko seeks to bring his flair for improving the skill set of his players and creating prolonged continuity to an Atlanta franchise looking to build on its back-to-back postseason appearances while restoring itself as one of the league’s most elite teams.
“I want this to be a fun and exciting style to watch, and I want it to be fun and enjoyable for our players,” Smesko said. “I believe in pushing the ball getting up and down the court, obviously known for utilizing the three point shot and creating a lot of space and attacking the rim and playing together and sharing the ball.”
Sitting on the front row and a couple feet away from Smesko, Howard took a turn on the mic to ask how he plans to blend his style of play in combination with the continuity that players have established up to now.
“I want to have more conversations, I want to make sure that we build a relationship,” Smesko told the two-time WNBA All-Star. “I want you to understand why we’re doing the things that we’re doing, and how it ultimately impacts winning. …It’s all going to be about putting people in the best position to be successful, and helping the Atlanta Dream win basketball games.”
Smesko’s squads didn’t soar to wins solely by having A-list athletes and great coaches. His commitment to player development and establishing quality relationships with his assistants on his coaching staff played an essential part in FGCU’s long-term success. Currently, 22 of his former players have entered the coaching ranks—including three on the current FGCU staff—and three of his former assistants are now head coaches at the collegiate level.
Coffey, a Dream forward, told reporters that she was thrilled about Smesko’s philosophy on working with players as the means of strengthening the collective whole of the franchise.
“When you’re a coach for that long and you have such a good relationship with former players and your staff and there’s little to no turnover, that is a great sign,” Coffey said. “The fact that people are set up to be leaders and coaches on their own. It just shows that he [Smesko] really is investing in relationships and development.”
As Smesko embarks on his first professional coaching stint he prioritized having assistants with WNBA coaching experience, saying that the organization has made a lot of calls and that the search for his staff is one that is fluid.
“There’s a lot of interest in the position, and we understand how important those roles are to fill with the right people,” Smesko said. “So, we’ll be making good decisions. I think it’ll be something that’ll be really positive for the organization and for our players.”
Smesko’s tenure in Atlanta comes after the franchise parted ways with former head coach Tanisha Wright in October following three seasons. The Dream’s 2024 campaign was one filled with high expectations, far beyond clawing their way to a first-round playoff appearance against the eventual WNBA champion New York Liberty.
Injuries tormented the Dream throughout the first half of season, including some of their key offseason acquisitions like Jordin Canada and Aerial Powers, resulting in Atlanta incorporating seven different starting lineups from May up until the Paris Olympics/WNBA All-Star break. But the Dream managed to register back-to-back postseason appearances for the first time since the 2013 and 2014 seasons.
But Gray said her and her teammates desire more.
“Making the playoffs is nice, but I think we’re at a point now where we want to take that step forward and make the second [round], third [round] finals, things of that nature,” Gray told reporters. “So, I mean, no better time than now with a new coach and how smart he is and how great he wants us to be. ..It’s exciting.”
After Wright’s departure, Padover made it clear that the franchise would remain focused on building around Howard. Smesko will now begin that process. Howard, Canada, Gray and Hillmon remain under contract through the 2025 season.
Over the next few months, Smesko will be tasked with figuring out what players best fit in his playing style beyond the four under contract. One key player to watch will be if Tina Charles returns to the franchise for a second season. The eight-time All-Star served as the Dream’s most consistent source of offense last season while also serving as the key veteran on a Dream squad with young stars.
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Even more, the Dream do not have a first-round pick in the 2025 WNBA draft. Currently, Atlanta holds the No. 6 pick in the second round and the No.11 pick in the third round of next April’s draft. However, Smesko believes that the franchise already has a wealth of quality players who can take bigger leaps under his leadership.
“… I think we have a roster makeup right now where this would really fit the skills of a lot of our players,” Smesko said. “…We’ve got some really talented players,” And you know, the exciting thing is, I think they can be even more productive in a style of play that I envision. …If we continue to improve throughout the year, I think, you know, we have enough quality, talented players to be really good, really soon.”
Smesko officially became the third newly hired WNBA head coach in a record seven WNBA coaching vacancies this offseason. Late Tuesday night, the Los Angeles Sparks announced the fourth in Lynne Roberts who also joins the league after a 27-year career in the college ranks. She most recently led the Utah Utes.
Smesko and Roberts join Stephanie White, who was recently hired to lead the Indiana Fever, and Ty Marsh becoming the Chicago Sky’s next head coach. The Washington Mystics, the Dallas Wings and the Connecticut Sun are still in search of their next head coaches.
