Atlanta Dream acquire another All-Star in surprising WNBA free agency move

Brionna Jones, a three-time WNBA All-Star who has spent her entire 7-year career with the Connecticut Sun, is headed to the Atlanta Dream, ESPN’s Alexa Phillipou reported.

In Atlanta, she’ll join forces with Brittney Griner — who revealed Tuesday she’s leaving the Phoenix Mercury to head to the Dream — as well as Rhyne Howard, Jordin Canada, and Allisha Gray. The moves serves as yet another signal of Atlanta’s desire to win now, and it also marks the Dream’s successful attempt this week at luring a free agent who has spent their entire career with one organization.

Last season, Jones averaged 13.7 points and 5.5 rebounds, coming off of an Achilles tear and quickly returning to pre-injury form. In 2021, she was named the WNBA’s Most Improved Player. The following season, she was awarded Sixth Player of the Year.

With Jones as a centerpiece, the Connecticut Sun team saw considerable success; they finished with the league’s third-best record and were one game removed from another WNBA Finals appearance before falling at the hands of the Minnesota Lynx in Game 5.

But, the longtime core of Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner, and Brionna Jones is no more. Thomas is headed to the Phoenix Mercury in a sign-and-trade first reported by ESPN on Tuesday, and Bonner, her fiance and a WNBA All-Star in her own right, is an unrestricted free agent. Ty Harris, who emerged as a reliable point guard for the Sun, is headed to Phoenix as part of the trade, and Veronica Burton, the team’s midseason acquisition who took on ball-handling duties off the bench, was selected by the Golden State Valkyries in their expansion draft.

In the trade that shipped out Thomas to Phoenix, the Sun acquired Natasha Cloud, Rebecca Allen, and the 2025 No. 12 pick. Whether they’ll flip either of those players remains to be seen. But, they’re now definitively without 3 of their 5 starters from last season — and Bonner is very likely to head elsewhere. DiJonai Carrington is the only member of last year’s starting group who doesn’t control her own destiny; the 2024 Most Improved Player is a restricted free agent.

Brionna Jones’s fit in Atlanta is interesting. Neither she nor Griner have historically been able to stretch the floor, though Griner has stressed she’s working on her three-point shot while playing in Unrivaled this offseason.

Both players have similar limitations — and aren’t the prototype players you’d expect to thrive under newly-hired head coach Karl Smesko in Atlanta. As the longtime head coach of FGCU, Smesko is known for running an offense that leans heavily on analytics and three-point shooting, and it initially appeared he’d prioritize adding sharpshooters to the roster.

But, both Jones and Griner are strong defenders who are forces around the basket, and can augment a high-scoring duo of perimeter scorers in Gray and Howard. Jones could return to her previous role off the bench and provide relief for Griner — or, presumably the two would share the court to create a strong level of rim protection that may have some offensive trade-offs.

Atlanta’s front office clearly decided to go for the best available prospects, and their ability to pull of signing Griner and Jones will likely pay dividends — even if the fits aren’t perfect on paper.

The Dream players themselves seem to be excited; Allisha Gray, who has spent the last two seasons on the Dream, turned to social media to express her excitement about Jones joining the organization.