Dream move up in WNBA Draft, now poised to make No. 1 pick

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The Atlanta Dream traded up two spots to get the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft so they could get the player they feel can help turn around the franchise, which has struggled the last few seasons.

The leading candidates are Rhyne Howard from Kentucky and NaLyssa Smith of Baylor. And on Monday night, players, families and friends will attend the draft in person for the first time since 2019.

"Rhyne is a pro. She’s a game changer. She’s an elite talent," ESPN analyst LaChina Robinson said. "When you look at all the different things she can do on the basketball court, she can score it from 3, she has a pull-up game, she can get to the rim. There really just isn’t anything else from a scoring standpoint that you could ask for."

Atlanta finished 8-24 last season and has missed the playoffs four of the past five seasons. The franchise got new ownership last year, brought in a new coach in Tanisha Wright and have a new general manager in Dan Padover.

The Dream had the No. 1 pick in 2009 and used it to draft Angel McCoughtry.

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FILE - Kentucky's Rhyne Howard (10) is guarded by LSU's Khayla Pointer (3) in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game at the women's Southeastern Conference tournament Friday, March 4, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. Howard is expected to be drafted high in the WNBA draft on Monday, April 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)

"We’re in a rebuild right now, and we’re also looking to add pieces that can be with us for a long time," Padover said. "I think having the No. 1 pick in 2022, our hope is this person comes in with fresh energy and sparks something underneath our