Atlanta Dream fires Tanisha Wright in WNBA's 3rd coach axe since playoffs began

The Atlanta Dream have fired coach Tanisha Wright after three seasons, the franchise announced Wednesday.

Wright took over the team in 2022 and helped them reach the playoffs the last two seasons. The Dream lost both years in the opening round of the postseason, including to New York last month. They were swept in two games both years.

“Tanisha was an important contributor in our efforts to rebuild the Dream and we want to thank her for her hard work and dedication to the Dream over the last three seasons and wish her the best in the future,” Dream Executive Vice President and GM Dan Padover said. “At this time we believe a change is needed to lead our players and organization to the next chapter in our efforts to be a top team in the WNBA.”

Atlanta went 15-25 this year and had to win its last few games to qualify for the playoffs. There's a strong young nucleus with Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray leading the way along with veteran center Tina Charles. The Dream haven't had a winning record since the 2018 season.

Wright is the third WNBA coach to be fired in the past few weeks. Curt Miller was let go in Los Angeles and Teresa Weatherspoon parted ways with Chicago. Miller was only in his second year with the Sparks and Weatherspoon completed her first in Chicago.

The Dream will being its search for a new coach immediately.