The WNBA and NBA board of governors unanimously approved the sale of the Atlanta Dream on Friday, with former UConn star Renee Montgomery among the new three-member investor group.

The team was officially sold to Larry Gottesdiener, chairman of national real estate firm Northland, whose ownership group includes Montgomery and Northland president and COO Suzanne Abair.

Montgomery, who opted out of playing with the Dream in 2020 to focus on social justice issues, recently retired after 11 pro seasons.

Now 34 years old, Montgomery played for the Huskies from 2006-09, helping UConn win a national championship in 2009. She also won two WNBA titles as a player with the Minnesota Lynx in 2015 and 2017, while earning an All-Star nod in 2011 and the Sixth Woman of the Year Award in 2012 as a member of the Connecticut Sun.

“My Dream has come true,” said Montgomery. “Breaking barriers for minorities and women by being the first former WNBA player to have both a stake in ownership and a leadership role with the team is an opportunity that I take very seriously. I invite you to join me as the Dream builds momentum in Atlanta!”

The new ownership group purchased the team from former co-owners Kelly Loeffler and Mary Brock. Loeffler, a former Georgia senator, drew criticism from many around the WNBA after objected to Dream players wearing Black Lives Matter shirts during the 2020 season.

“With the unanimous WNBA and NBA votes, today marks a new beginning for the Atlanta Dream organization and we are very pleased to welcome Larry Gottesdiener and Suzanne Abair to the WNBA,” said WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “I admire their passion for women’s basketball, but more importantly, have been impressed with their values. I am also thrilled that former WNBA star Renee Montgomery will be joining the ownership group as an investor and executive for the team. Renee is a trailblazer who has made a major impact both in the game and beyond.”

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