Yahoo Sports Dream fire GM Chris Sienko a week after 2021 WNBA draft
Atlanta Dream president and general manager Chris Sienko drafted Aari McDonald with the No. 3 overall pick in the WNBA draft Thursday, but won't get a chance to see McDonald develop with the team. Sienko was fired Wednesday after three seasons with the team, the Dream announced.
Sienko became the club's general manager in 2017. During Sienko's first season at the helm, the Dream went 23-11 and lost in the semifinals to the Washington Mystics. The performance earned Sienko the executive of the year award.
Things have gone downhill since then. The Dream combined for a 15-41 record over the past two seasons.
Chris Sienko fired by Renee Montgomery ownership group
In a surprising twist, Sienko was fired by one of the first players he signed after becoming the Dream's general manager. Former Dream guard Renee Montgomery was part of an ownership group that purchased the team in February. Montgomery's first season with the Dream came in 2018; she was one of Sienko's first free-agent signings.
The firing comes only a week after the draft, though may have been in the works for a while. With the team sale going through in late February, it's possible Montgomery and the rest of the team owners didn't want to overhaul the front office with the draft approaching.
Now, Montgomery and the new ownership group will be tasked with finding the right person to lead the Dream back to prominence.
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