Dan Padover, General Manager of the Atlanta Dream, has been named the 2025 WNBA Basketball Executive of the Year. The announcement was made by the WNBA on September 23, 2025. This marks a historic achievement for Padover, as he is now the first executive in league history to win this award three times and with two different franchises.
Padover previously received this honor twice while working with the Las Vegas Aces in 2020 and 2021 before joining the Dream. Since his arrival in Atlanta, he has overseen significant changes to both the roster and front office, contributing to what many consider a dynamic shift within the organization.
In response to receiving the award, Padover said: “None of this is possible without the support and leadership of our owners, Larry and Robyn Gottesdiener, Suzanne Abair, and Renee Montgomery. They’ve entrusted me to help shape the future of the Dream, and I’m grateful for their vision and partnership. I also want to thank our coaches, players, and staff — all extremely talented, hardworking, and selfless teammates who make this organization so special.”
Larry Gottesdiener, majority owner of Atlanta Dream, added: “Dan and I shared a vision and philosophy from our first meeting: to create a values-based culture, to rebuild in a thoughtful and disciplined way, and to establish a perennial contender. Our performance this year proves that we are well on our way to achieving those goals.”
During his tenure with Atlanta Dream so far, Padover orchestrated a notable free agency period by signing All-Stars Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones. These additions strengthened an existing core featuring Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, Jordin Canada, Naz Hillmon—who was named 2025 WNBA Sixth Player of the Year—and rookie guard Te-Hina Paopao. All these players joined under Padover’s leadership through drafts or trades.
The recent success is also attributed to collaboration within the team’s management structure. Assistant General Manager Brooklyn Cartwright played an important role alongside Padover in executing organizational strategy. Head Coach Karl Smesko led Atlanta Dream to a franchise-record 30 wins during his first season at the helm.
Founded in 2008 as Georgia’s only WNBA franchise (Atlanta Dream official site), Atlanta Dream plays its home games at Gateway Center Arena @ College Park (Gateway Center Arena). The team has produced multiple WNBA All-Stars since its inception.
