Dan Padover Makes History: Wins 3rd Executive of the Year Award in the WNBA

Atlanta Dream’s Dan Padover: WNBA Executive of the Year for the Third Time

In an unprecedented feat, Atlanta Dream General Manager Dan Padover has been awarded the WNBA Executive of the Year award for the third time in his career. Padover, 37, surpassed the record of two victories he shared with Cheryl Reeve of Minnesota. His previous recognitions were in 2020 and 2021, when he led the Las Vegas Aces. Padover’s trajectory in the WNBA has been marked by the construction of successful teams. She began her career in New York, learning from figures like Kristin Bernert and Bill Laimbeer, and then moved to Las Vegas before arriving in Atlanta four years ago.

“I have been fortunate to be surrounded by great players, staff, and coaches,” Padover stated. “This award recognizes the work of an entire organization. It’s about a group of people. The goal is to make the work fun and create an environment where everyone can be themselves.”

Dan Padover

During this season, Padover hired coach Karl Smesko and added All-Stars Brionna Jones and Brittney Griner, who joined Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray. Under their leadership, the Dream doubled their number of wins and achieved third place in the playoffs, although they were eliminated in the first round. Padover highlighted the importance of following a step-by-step team-building process and expressed his gratitude for the league’s recognition. The award is given by a vote of the league’s 13 general managers, plus that of Toronto Tempo, which will join next season. Padover was included on 12 ballots and received eight first-place votes. Ohemaa Nyanin, from Golden State, finished second, after a historic season for the expansion franchise, which also reached the playoffs. Nick U’ren, from Phoenix, and Jamila Wideman, from Washington, completed the top four. Padover thanked Larry Gottesdiener, the team owner, for his support and for making Atlanta an attractive destination for the players. “The goal is for the players to focus on basketball, surrounded by a group of trusted people and with all the necessary resources,” added Padover. In his four years with the franchise, Padover has completely transformed Atlanta. “We have completely revamped the roster with 12 new players since I arrived. We weren’t lucky in the draft, we never got a pick in the top three,” he explained. “When I arrived, the situation was difficult before Larry bought the team. We couldn’t sign any players in free agency, so the first moves were made through trades. We made trades to get Rhyne, Naz Hillmon, Lish, and Jordin Canada.” Padover also highlighted the importance of his collaboration with the assistant general manager, Brooklyn Cartwright. “She’s from Atlanta and is fundamental to daily operations,” Padover said. “She’s been a key piece and has been here since I arrived. She’s been present every step of the way.”