I Have a Dream

Hoops fans? Prayers have finally been answered: The WNBA?s tipping off in Atlanta.

by DeMarco Williams

If it took an established team like the Atlanta Hawks nine seasons to make the playoffs, what in heavens gives the first-year Atlanta Dream the idea it can win the WNBA championship in five? "Give us a couple of years in the draft, and with free agency, we're looking to win the championship," Dream head coach Marynell Meadors announced about a month ago. "That's our ultimate goal- to win the championship." But you know that old adage, "You can't keep a good post-playing woman down." The Dream, a franchise tipping off at Philips Arena on May 23 against the Detroit Shock, is an exciting bunch of 15 said women. In the weeks building up to the team's debut, INsite spoke to four key components -head coach Meadors, owner Ron Terwilliger, the most recognizable player Ivory Latta and first-round draft pick Tamera Young- to find out exactly what it's going to take to make this inaugural campaign a Dream season.

Ron Terwilliger, the visionary

When did this idea of a team coming to Atlanta start to really get some legs?

It goes back a year when they called me and asked, if the Charlotte team was going to be relocated, would I be interested. I think people know that I like sports. I used to own a professional indoor soccer team. I made a bid for the Braves. I said, "Yeah, I'd be interested in knowing more about it. I don't know that much about the WNBA." Nothing really happened. That team went out of existence. Then the WNBA came to Atlanta and met with [Atlanta City Council president] Lisa Borders, [Central Atlanta Progress president] AJ Robinson and maybe the mayor (Shirley Franklin). They mayor's bought season tickets, so it's clear she's a fan. After doing some research over the spring and summer to see if there would be receptivity among the Atlantans to having a women's team, then they came to me. I'm sure not just to me. I'm sure they talked to four or five likely owners. I said, "Yeah, I'd be interested in researching it." I went out and met with David Stern and [WNBA commissioner] Donna Orender in New York. I went to Chicago to see the owner of the last franchise, the Chicago Sky. I just thought I'd give it a run. I was encouraged by Lisa and AJ and the receptivity we thought Atlanta was giving us. We'll see. So far so good. We need more sponsorship. We're working on a whole bunch of companies to be sponsors. We're somewhere north of 1,500 season tickets. We need to at least double that. We're working at it. So far so good but only time will tell.

What's one thing you'd like to change about the WNBA?

I don't care much for the attendance. It needs to be higher. Other than that, nothing. The women's game to me is a better game than the men's game in that it's more of a team game. A lot of males apparently, based on the research that we've done, don't think it's as good a game. I don't know how you measure "good." The women shoot every bit as well from the foul line and three-point line. They're the best female athletes in the world. We find them to be enjoyable young ladies who are trying to make it in sports, trying to demonstrate the women's sports are something people should follow. I just think there needs to be some more support. I can understand that people have had some reservations about the quality of the game. But we now see college games and they're fantastic. We see more press. I'm really encouraged when you see the paper. The men are a lil' higher, but you still see, further in the paper, a women's game or the women's top 10. It's coming. It's a lil' bit at a time. Obviously, we hope women support women's basketball. But I also hope men will give us a look. They'll find this is a great game played by just outstanding athletes.

What did the failed Miami and Charlotte WNBA franchises do wrong that you don't plan on repeating?

I don't have a great history. I think when [NBA commissioner] David Stern started this sport 12 years ago, he persuaded a lot of the NBA owners to support the women's NBA. Some of them supported it whole-heartedly. This is conjecture on my part. With both of the men's franchises, at varying stages have struggled. I just don't believe they had the commitment. It was the NBA owners. [They thought] We're separate. That's the way of the direction of the league. I think there are now seven [WNBA] teams with independent ownership and seven with NBA ownership. I just think this city is a better city than either of those cities. This is a big, diverse metropolitan area. Georgia Tech now has a terrific women's basketball team. Georgia has a great women's team. Vanderbilt, UNC, Duke and Tennessee [all have storied histories]. I'm thinking the tradition that's been built for women's college basketball, combined with a diverse, affluent Atlanta metro area, will make this a different experience.

Tamera Young, the chosen one

Can you all give a few thoughts about being the first Dream picks?

It's exciting. I'm also surprised to be in the first round. Just to be on the south, on the east coast, so my family can come watch me play [is great]. I'm just happy to be here in Atlanta.

You were the first player ever drafted from James Madison. How does that feel?

It's great. Going to James Madison, when they recruited me, I never knew all of this would happen. It's like all of my dreams have come true. It just feels great.

Marynell Meadors, the general

A lot of people just don't realize how good the basketball is in the WNBA.

There are just great values that are with team sports, all sports, in general. There are role models for the young people growing up. There are opportunities for young, professional women to have an opportunity to play this game. Our game of basketball is terrific. It's at an all-time high. The skill level is unbelievable. And until people come in and watch the players play the games, they won't realize that. They have this perception that it's like 20 years ago and that it's high school [style]. It is nothing like that. It is a true basketball game. It's like what John Wooden said, "The women play the true basketball game." They play teamwork. They cheer for each other. They want to succeed. And they work hard. I had a real interesting conversation with one of the coaches that I've coached with, Ron Rothstein, he's an assistant coach now with the Miami Heat. He was a coach with the Miami Sol. Our players were diving on the floor and trying to get the ball and things like that. He looked at me and said, "Men would never do that." I said, "Women are tougher." That's part of our game. We go after loose balls. We go after jump balls. We go after rebounds. [That applies to] pretty much all through the league- especially on this team. I look at my board up here. We've got a fantastic group of young women coming in that are leaders. They are great role models for kids. They love to talk to kids. Kids need that. I think our fans need that, too. They will talk to grown-ups, too, but they really value talking to young people and trying to mold their minds and mold their ideas about things- especially the young girls that never thought they'd have the chance to play at this level. They now have an opportunity to watch it and then work on their skills.

Coach, are things solidified with the starting lineup, or are you working with a blank slate?

You always put me on the spot. There are no starters really. There are 13 of us right now. With the addition of [Young and fellow draft pick Chioma Nnamaka], that makes it 15. We're all from different environments. We've all got to get to know each other. They got to get to know the system, and I have to get to know a little better about their game. I think we're going to be a very competitive team. I think we're going to run the basketball, push it up the court. We're going to play half-court defense and make the other teams have to adjust to us. Size-wise, I think we're a huge team—compared to the other teams in the WNBA. I noticed a lot of them were drafting a lot of post players, so they could try to match up with us. We have seven fours and fives that stand 6-4 or taller, so we're really excited about that. And our threes are 6-3, 6-2 and 6-0. We're a very, very big team. I think the match-up problems could be an issue with some of the teams.

What impresses you most about Ivory Latta?

There's a lot of things that impress me about Ivory. I've never had the opportunity to coach her, but I've seen her play a lot of games, both at the collegiate level and at the professional level. Her fire and passion for playing the game, and her competitiveness all goes into the crowd. She gets everybody in the arena involved. If she sees one person that's not looking like they're really cheering for everything, she makes sure that she points it out. She'll go up to them and say, "Hey!" She gets everybody involved. A prime example of that is that she's playing in Israel right now. She doesn't know what they're saying. They're not sure what she's saying, but they all come to the game to see her. I was with the Washington Mystics last year. We go up to play Detroit and the fans are there early to get autographs and talk to her. She never gets on the floor, but they don't care! She just has that "It." Nobody knows what it is, but she has it. She just involves everybody. If you look at our roster and everything, with her playing the point guard, Betty Lennox playing the two and Iziane Castro playing at three. [Ivory] will get the ball to them. If they get covered up, she'll knock it down herself. She's just so team-oriented that she will take this team, embrace'em and make sure that everybody around her is better. She's just that kind of a player.

Ivory Latta, the heart 'n soul

What are you most looking forward to with life in Atlanta?

I'm looking forward to being in a great atmosphere. Atlanta is a great place to have a WNBA team and I'm really excited to be a part of the franchise.

Of course, you all would like to make the playoffs, but what's a safer, realistic team goal for this first season?

It's always good to make goals for the season, especially for a first year team. Making the playoffs is a realistic goal but, at the same time, we know it will take hard work and dedication to get to that point.

What are your expectations of fans?

I expect the fans in Atlanta to come out and support their first women's [WNBA] franchise. I'm expecting them to be loud at every game and very passionate about the game as we are. I know they will support the Dream team and I'm really excited to play in front of a great crowd.

Beyond being a defense's worst nightmare, what else do you love doing?

I love playing video games, riding four-wheelers, and I love just hanging with my family and friends. I love to watch baseball and football games. But my favorite thing to do is sleep. I just enjoy every moment of my life.

For the curious reader who's never been to a WNBA game, what are they missing?

If you've never been to a WNBA game, you are really missing out. We play hard. We love to compete against each other. Everybody wants to win. It's fun and exciting to watch a WNBA game and also to play in the WNBA. You may see a couple of dunks here and there but mostly nice lay-ups or long three-point shots.

Ivory, what do you think about Tamera and Chioma joining your squad?

They're definitely great players. Playing against my ACC rival (Latta went to North Carolina; Chioma attended Georgia Tech), I definitely know the things that she can do. And coming back from Israel, I watched [Tamera] play. They're definitely great players. They're going to contribute to the team. I'm definitely gonna be looking for them on the wing. We'll make a good combination.

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