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RENEE: Since I was eight,

I've been
a professional athlete.

Since I can remember,
that has been the goal.

ANNOUNCER: Renee Montgomery
with the field.

ANNOUNCER 2:
Two points down the stretch,

and they're winning by seven.

ANNOUNCER: Montgomery, again!

ANNOUNCER 3: Through the net.

ANNOUNCER 2: Two players on
her, and she goes up wide

with the left hand.

RENEE: Sports was that
singular focus in my life.

It drove everything I did.

ANNOUNCER: Well, Montgomery
is a complete player.

McDonald's All-American
Gatorade Player of the Year.

RENEE: Like my whole life
revolved around basketball.

ANNOUNCER: Speed, the
defensiveness of Montgomery.

RENEE: Everything was
a side note to the game.

FEMALE ANNOUNCER: Montgomery
is as talented physically

as any preppy
point guard.

Rene Montgomery may
have the knowledge

and the experience, the maturity
to be in the same breath

or conversation as a Sue Bird.

ANNOUNCER: Rene Montgomery,
veteran WNBA player,

former six-man
award two-time champion.

RENEE: The WNBA,
there's only 144 spots.

You're one of 144.

ANNOUNCER:
Montgomery, at the buzzer.

Yes! For three.

ANNOUNCER: You just can't let
Rene Montgomery do that

because Montgomery
is programmed to go

until somebody stops.

RENEE: You don't
just give that up.

But I also understood that
I was trying to do something

that was just gonna
change everything.

[hip-hop music]

CHANTING: Black lives matter!

Happy draft day,
let's go!

I am not!

We are sharing secrets,
but I cannot share that one.

[chuckling]

AGENT: So the dates
I have so far

are the 19th, the 9th,

11, 13, 23rd...

I ain't gonna ever
be mad at the hustle,

I'm gonna tell you
that right now.

Like, I ain't ever
gonna be mad at that.

AGENT: That's the goal.
That's the goal.

All right then
I'll talk to you.

AGENT: I appreciate you,
good luck tonight.

Thank you.

This is crazy...

On draft day, I'm trying to
lock in our broadcast team.

I'm excited to see who we're
bringing into the family.

It's like my first.

12 years ago today,
I got drafted.

And I can remember our drafts.

I drove up from Connecticut.

It was in New York.
I was so tired.

We had just won
the championship,

and two days later, I was in
a car heading to the draft.

It's crazy. It's crazy.

And now, so, it's just
a whole different feel,

because I feel like I don't know
what's going to happen tonight,

but we're in control.

So it's a whole
different feeling.

ANNOUNCER:
What an incredible year

for Renee Montgomery
of the Atlanta Dream.

She was a player on that roster

and last year made
a very difficult decision

that she would opt out
of the 2020 season

for work that she wanted to do
around social justice

in her community.

RENEE: The reason
that I did this is

because when George Floyd
was murdered,

like, if you weren't affected
by that, something's wrong.

ANNOUNCER: She was out
at rallies speaking on panels

so many times in the community

representing that organization
and the women of the WNBA.

And she was making her voice
heard loud and clear.

RENEE: When I opted out in 2020,

I expected that to be one year

and then back like I never left.

But life kind of took a turn.

ANNOUNCER: It was important
because there was an issue

with the ownership of
the WNBA team in Atlanta.

One of the co-owners
coming out against

the Black Lives Matter movement.

That turn of events
changed everything,

changed my whole life.

ANNOUNCER:
That caused a lot of concern

and that ownership
has now changed.

The team was sold

and Renee Montgomery becomes
the first WNBA player

in history to become
a partial owner

and vice president
of a WNBA franchise.

AGENT: It is Day 41.

Day 41.

So we've had the team
for 41 days.

I love that it's
actually new for all of us.

Like, step into the fire almost.

It's crazy because it's like,
where's the manual?

I don't know.

I don't know
the rules to this stuff.

Like, I don't
know what's normal,

what's not, but all
I know is that,

like, I want to be involved.

I hadn't really
seen this happen,

where a player goes from
straight player to owner exec.

Not that I didn't think
I could do the job.

I didn't necessarily
even see myself there.

What up, everybody? Congrats!

-Hello.
-Hello again.

What up, Suzanne?
I was just talking to her.

I don't know everything,
and I don't pretend to,

but what I'm going to do is
I'm going to bring all of me

and let's figure it
out together.

I love this, by the way.

What is this system called?
Is this a thing? Like...

They say you're
the most successful

when you're doing something
you're passionate about.

So if I want to create change,

I want to stay
around my passion.

Whoa!

This is a wild girl.

I know it's my first one,
but it feels very wild.

So sports is that.

And take it a step further,
women's sports

and women's sports equality.

I pretty much went
from an employee

to a boss of a company.

You know, I was a part
of the front facing,

what people saw,
but also,

you know,
I knew what they liked.

I knew what we didn't like.

I knew what we wished
were changed.

So now that I'm a co-owner
and vice president,

players know that
everything we do

is what is going to be
something they like to do.

What's lit? What's sexy?

What's dope?
Because that's what players are.

That's what WNBA players are.
They're ballers.

You know, it's not easy
being the first of anything,

because there's a reason
you weren't-

there weren't any before you.

The first year,
there wasn't much we could do

other than try
to keep the wheels on

and make sure
that we had a season.

[indistinct PA announcement]
[crowd cheering]

RENEE: And unfortunately,
the season didn't go ideally.

REPORTER: Shocking
video with a full-on brawl

involving two Atlanta Dream
players outside of a food truck.

We were in the news a lot
for not the best of reasons.

No one feels good or happy
about what transpired.

You know, there was just a lot
of other things.

It was a tough year for us.

There was a lot of movement that
happened in management for us,

in basketball side,
and on the business side.

REPORTER: This is just
the latest of several incidents

this team has had to
deal with this past season

and they finished
the year 8-24.

RENEE: We left that season
feeling like, boy,

do we have a lot of work
to do and fast.

REPORTER: Over in WNBA,
the Washington Mystics

traded the number one
overall pick in the draft

to the Atlanta Dream.

RENEE: So now, boom, we have
a future of our franchise

to build around.

And I got to shout out
to Larry G.

He's the majority owner
of the Atlanta Dream.

It's not cheap
to upgrade a sports team.

And a lot of people say
that they want

to invest in women's sports
until they start

to get that- that- that receipt.

LARRY: The WNBA needs
investment from its owners.

It won't bear fruit
unless we have the capital,

the vision, and the tenacity

to create something.

Our goal is to build
a sports organization

that lives its values.

And the only way
to do that is with people.

Okay. Ding, ding, ding.

I guess I should've
tapped a glass,

but I'd like to talk to Tanisha.

We've come a long way from
playing against each other

in the WNBA,

to now you are having
your first draft.

So we wanted to welcome you
officially to the Dream.

We got you a little something.

I love it.

[cheering]

SUZANNE: You know, when we got
to the end of our first season,

we knew we needed to put

the right leaders
in the right places.

And so we hired Tanisha Wright
as our head coach.

This is go time.

This is go time,

and this will be a...

We're excited about
bringing in a piece

that will help our
franchise grow,

and let's go, Dream.

Let's go. Let's go.

SUZANNE:
She was a former W player.

Accountability
is really important to her.

She's incredibly competitive.

And we hired Morgan Shaw-Parker

as our president and COO,

someone who had years of
experience in sports

that we did not.

MORGAN: One of
the biggest selling points

for me in coming into this role

was the fact that Renee was
in a VP and an ownership role.

Renee understands
from all levels

that there is a process
that you have to go through

to get to being
a championship team.

And she understands
from a team perspective

that it's not
all about one person.

RENEE: Also, we have
a GM that's backing Tanisia

in Dan Padover.

And when I say not just any GM,

the Vegas Aces went on
to win a WNBA championship.

Dan Padover
put that team together.

COMMISSIONER:
With the first pick

of the 2022 WNBA draft,

Atlanta Dream,
you are now on the clock.

-Ooh.
-Mmm.

Hey, last night...
[unclear]

[laughing]

I'm pretty confident initially.

She's confident.

RENEE: Everything about
our whole organization

is a real, live, diversity
melting pot.

That was intentional.

We're building, like,
what kind of energy

do we want in the building?

What kind of humans do
we want in the building?

What kind of knowledge
do we need?

Boom.
Now we have a team identity

that's going
to guide the players

and make them basically
achieve their potential.

Here we go.

The Atlanta Dream select
Ryan Howard, Kentucky.

The Atlanta Dream
select Ryan Howard, Kentucky.

[cheering]

With the first pick
in the 2022 WNBA Draft,

the Atlanta Dream
select, Ryan Howard.

[cheering]

REPORTER: This is a special
moment for Ryan Howard.

She's put in
so much work

through the course
of her career.

She's going to an Atlanta team

that has so much potential
as a franchise front office,

rebuilding,
just a great energy in the city.

[applauding]

So let's start.

Let's just start.

I'm hyped right now.
We got Ryan Howard.

And for the Atlanta fans that
may not know what to expect,

you can expect shooting,

one-on-one, defense,
blocked shots.

You can expect her to be rookie
of the year caliber player,

superstar-level player.

Huh?

How are we gonna do what?

How are we gonna
do a segment one

if we haven't even
chosen the topic just yet.

We're gonna
go get over them through the-

We're recording it,
I know that Roy said that,

but let's try the idea
that we said originally.

I don't know.
That's not what we said.

I am Serena,
I am Renee's wife

and business partner.

Sports entertainment...
is what Serena and I are.

I know but we're supposed
to have eight to ten minute

segments anyway.

Baby, you know
that never happens.

Oh okay. Ah, okay!

I'm just, like, even
though it never happens,

we don't want to try?

Okay three, two...

What's up, what's up,
good people?

Welcome into Montgomery
and company.

I'm Renee Montgomery,
that's my snook which is my mom.

My sister, Nicole,
my wife, Serana.

She came from
the entertainment world,

she's a singer, and I came
from the sports world.

I understand the grit
and the passion

and the sacrifice
that goes into that.

It worked instantly.

SERENA:
Renee is not just an owner

and VP of the Atlanta Dream.

She went from pretty much
being focused on one thing,

basketball,
to a career as an analyst.

She works for the Hawks.

Let's go!
[chanting]

Okay. Okay.

She works for NBA TV.

Heading in for WNBA Finals.
It's over.

Look at these two.

There is nobody
that can outwork Renee.

When she is running
around all over Atlanta

to do one of her many jobs,

It is a family affair
at this point.

So now, what Renee considers
her game are her jobs.

This is the legend Dr. J,
I'm judging the dunk contest.

SERENA: That's the equivalent
of her being on the court.

RENEE: He just asked me,
am I still playing overseas?

How's my team?

Oh! She owner.

RENEE: He literally
just asked me!

She front office.

The same way that I've been
a captain my whole life

on basketball teams, this
really isn't any different now.

This is going to change.

Players are going to feel it.

Just being a captain
on a different level.

ROB: Hey, you guys
crack me up.

No!

So here's the thing,
let them do their job.

Let's have them come
with some offers.

Yo, we're so excited.

Laters! Bye, Rob.

- Wow.
- That's it.

Where'd he go?

Ooh, look at that boy!

Oh, look at the dimples!

When you
put the dimples on him.

They're going to
be fighting over the baby.

SERENA: My son, Angel, I had
him really, really young.

I was 15 when
I got pregnant with him.

I grew up in a very
traditional Hispanic family.

When I got pregnant,
it was big news.

I was like, well,
I'm having this baby.

My family has to deal with it.

And then now it's like, well,
I'm engaged to a woman.

No, no. I'm sweating.

Just asking me
the tough questions.

I just, well, I just
signed to the same agents

that President Obama has.

No snack boy.

I never really planned on
having a kid in the sense of,

I was like, I'm probably going
to play until a certain age,

and then after that,
it is what it is.

SERENA: I was actually nervous
about telling him about Renee,

but he's like, Mom,
I know that's your friend,

but, you know, like,
what's actually going on?

So my mom tried to
hide it a little bit,

but I feel like before that,
I already kind of knew.

Look at him. He got
the nerve to be nervous.

He'd be embarrassed
because I'm extra.

I'm that extra one.

ANGEL: I didn't even know
she met Renee, really.

She didn't even tell me
who she met.

She said she met a WNBA player.

I don't know.
We kind of just clicked.

SERENA: He always played sports,
but he never played basketball

before he met Renee.

RENEE: Stay with it, Junior.

Talk it out. Who you got?

SERENA:
So as soon as he met Renee,

he just fell in love
with the drip.

He fell in love
with the lifestyle,

with pretty much anything,

everything that comes along
with being a baller.

RENEE: Give me that!

Hey, hey, stop talking.

PRODUCER: So when you
were in ninth grade,

were you playing already?

RENEE: I was already
playing for like 10 years.

This is only his second year.

So he's a freshman
in high school,

learning the game of basketball.

Everybody already knows so much.

[cheering]

He has like a love
and hunger for the game

because he's just now starting.

So I remember when
I started, like,

when I was excited
to learn how to dribble

or a new move or, "Oh, wow,
I didn't know I could do that."

He's in that stage right now,
and it's kind of crazy to see.

It's all right. It's all right.

Get back.

[shouting]

When I first fell in
love with basketball,

there was no such thing
as a WNBA.

[indistinct PA announcement]

It's not something you
could even have wanted to do

because there wasn't even
an organization

or a platform to do it.

[cheering]

So my very first goal
was I wanted to go to, like,

one of those big D1 schools.

That's how I told my Diddy.

I was like, "I think I want
to go to, like, a big school

that plays basketball,
like, on TV and stuff."

RON: She was only
about five years old.

She says, "Dad, I want
to play college basketball."

I said, "Baby girl,
if this is your dream,

Dad cannot want it for you

more than you
want it for yourself.

And I'm going to see
how badly you want it."

RENEE:
But then Diddy surprised me.

He made a hoop out of wood.

He made it himself,
handmade hoop.

And that's when I
was like, "It's over."

Whatever happens now,
I can control it.

We had very physical workouts
where he would lean on me.

He would push on me.

Everything about his training

was to make sure that
even though I'm undersized,

I'll still be able to handle

and play the game
at a high level.

RON: Renee was
exceptionally small.

So, what I told her, I said,

"You need to acquire
point guard skill sets."

I said, "That basketball has to
be an extension of your arm."

Get it on the left,
move, move, move.

BERTLELA:
So, they did that for years.

They did the eights.
They did all the hand drills.

So, we didn't have,
like, the big gym

or all of the equipment
and things

that they have now
that you can practice with.

We kind of made our
own instruments to use

to try to better her skills.

RENEE: All I had was a ball,

a ball that now has
no grip at all on it.

And every day,
I just ran our hills.

I ran up it, I ran down it.

That was my workout.

Looking back, I was a country
bumpkin, for sure, okay?

I come from a small town
in West Virginia.

And West Virginia,
you know, it's country.

West Virginia is over 90% white.

So that's a reality
that I grew up in.

I was the only Black kid
in my whole elementary.

BERTLELA: Being Black
in this community,

you run into people
whose parents maybe believe

that races shouldn't mix.

Maybe we're the inferior race.

And so Renee's run
into some things where people

have said mean things,
and I've always told her that,

you know, you can't let them
people determine who you are.

You can't become
what they called you.

My daughters grew up here.

On the same hill
where I grew up.

You know, back in the days
of segregation,

we could not
live everywhere.

And when I grew up here,

it was mostly
a Black neighborhood.

This community has changed
dramatically

since I grew up here.

REPORTER: Last week,
a cross was burned

in the yard of the Gore
family in St. Albans.

In these days and times,
it is shocking.

You never think that
in the community

that you live in that people
have these feelings.

What happened is
not West Virginia.

BERTLELA:
And so we've lived with that.

She's lived with that.

And she's learned how to show
that you're bigger than that.

- Oh, yes!
- There's Renee.

Yes, oh my God. She looks
just like you, so pretty!

- Who's that?
- That's me.

Oh wow.

I wish I had pictures of
my mom when she was little.

RENEE: Growing up in this area,
it's a small town,

and it was a village
that we were raised in.

BERTLELA: Let's see.

- There's Nikki.
- There's Cole. I see Cole.

- Nikki.
- Oh, wow.

NACHETTE:
Everybody knew everybody,

so we knew if anyone saw us
doing anything wrong,

it was going to get back to our
parents in some way or another.

[laughing]
That's awesome.

We were allowed to
ride our bikes

to the bottom of this hill

right here to the end
of that street right there.

And that's as far
as we could go.

So we knew that
we went down there

and we did something
we had no business doing.

We was in trouble.

[laughing]

You know the biggest tomboys
or, "Here comes Ronnie's boys!"

[laughing]

Here's Ronnie's boys.

RENEE: I'm like the youngest
sister through and through.

Don't try me, because then
that means you trying Cole,

which also means
you trying Shay.

That's our family.
That's our sister vibes.

You know, I've
always told my girls

that, you know,
not to bother everybody,

to treat everybody good.

But if somebody bothers you,
take care of yourself.

Not everyone has to depend
on a man or someone else

to be able to survive
in this world.

So he's always instilled that
into us since we were young.

I told my daughters, I said,

you can learn to do anything,

but nothing comes free.

You have to work for
everything that you get.

My parents, of course,

they've always
taught us how to lead,

how to be a good leader,

and it comes back
to our church family.

I mean, church and Sundays
are like training grounds

to give you the skills
and ability

to cope throughout life with
just about any situation.

NICOLE:
I can go to school all day

and be the only African-American
child in my grade

or possibly school,

and then I can actually
go to church,

and it was predominantly
African-Americans.

If there's anybody here

that loves God this morning,

I need to hear
from you this morning.

[applauding]

I am not ashamed of the Gospel
of Jesus Christ.

RENEE: Every Sunday,
I can remember, in my mind,

it was a race
to when church ended,

to how fast we get to the games.

- Let the church say amen.
- Amen.

RENEE: I would be listening
to the pastor,

and I'm like, okay, pastor.

And in my mind, I'm like,
oh, my goodness,

I'm missing the first quarter.

These bitty ball games
happen on a Sunday.

So y'all know Sunday's best,

how parents would have
the baubles, multiple plats.

It's just not game day hair.

Every time I walked into the gym
now, all my teammates was like,

"Ooh, okay,"
and that was stressful.

I just wanted to be
one of the guys.

Renee technically didn't
play rec league sports.

Most of the kids that
she played with were boys.

NACHETTE: It used to be such
an ego check when she would,

you know, cross him over.

She was wearing him out.

She was wearing him out
to the point even the parents

were embarrassed for their son.

Not that I wanted her to be
a good girl basketball player.

I wanted her to be
a good basketball player.

[cheering]

She was a good
basketball player.

She was a determined, tough,
little basketball player,

and I loved that.

You know, her grit came from

knowing that she had
to be really,

really good to be able to play,

you know, at the next level
with her size.

[cheering]

RENEE: This is not
the biggest gym,

but I remember we got
work done in here.

This was championships.
This was the playoffs.

This was serious.

I was going to make sure that
nobody was out working me.

It was like, I want to
go to school for free.

Where can basketball take me?

ANNOUNCER: Montgomery,
at the buzzer. Yes!

RENEE: I wanted to be
where the competition was.

I wanted to be
at the highest level.

ANNOUNCER: Rene Montgomery

celebrating her
1,000th career point.

You don't need anything other
than just your desire

and your will to want
to compete.

And no matter where you are,
West Virginia,

South Carolina,
they will find you.

RENEE: And I felt like
West Virginia,

it wasn't there,

but West Virginia
could get me there.

RENEE: Hey, that's what's up.

This is the Atlanta Dream
official practice facility now.

This is a huge step up.

One away from Georgia State.

I'm telling you, even last year.
I mean, come on.

This is a professional place.

Like this, we can get
into this now, okay?

No, this is going to be fresh.

Like, it's in
the process of turning up.

This feels like a home now.

I was playing in a church
when I first got here.

An actual church gym.

Like, I can't...

It's like you can't
even make it up.

But now, now,

we got no gravity treadmills.

What is that?

This is, like,
this is new stuff.

I know people are like,
"Girl, you ain't that old."

Well, with this...

This is like, if I tell people,

"We really are
investing, I mean,

we really are trying to make
it as easy as possible

for you to be the best you."

And then they come in here,
they'd be like,

"Oh, she wasn't lying."

Listen, we out here, we trying
to do some stuff for y'all.

I wanted to make sure
y'all had somewhere

that y'all could
call home, so...

This is crazy. Thank you.

Oh, yes. Hey, listen,

is this a little bit, is
this a little bit better?

Come on now. Come on now.

RENEE:
What I see the Dream being

is a destination
for free agency.

Where free agents are like,
it's hard to say no to Atlanta.

I want us to be that type
of team where we're winning

and we have
the good management,

and we have a good organization,

and the players
love to play for us.

That's where I see us
in five years.

You know what I'm saying?

RENEE: This is okay.
We trying to do some things.

We ain't just talking out here.
We ain't just talking.

Oh my gosh, I forgot.

- Okay, Atlanta Influences.
- There she is.

Atlanta Influences Everything.
What up, with it.

I was a fan of y'all's
work from afar,

so I'm happy to be
sitting here with y'all.

What you guys have been doing,
I love the murals.

I love the, you know,

the voice of authenticity
around the city.

And so I don't know
what that looks like,

but I'd be totally open
to doing something

more holistic
if you have some ideas.

I'm thinking, "Yeah,"

just because I think it all
starts with your story, Renee,

because I don't know
your complete backstory,

but I assume you were once a
little girl with a basketball

that had big basketball dreams.

You're right.

Now look at you.

Like, you're an owner
of a freaking team.

It's wild.

People treat you differently
when you're an owner.

Me and Tuffy talk about
this all the time.

We're all about ownership.

We're not trying to rent.
We're not trying to borrow.

We're trying to own.
We're trying to be you.

- You're getting me choked up.
- Oh, my gosh, I know.

This is really cool to hear.
I know.

I get choked up
thinking about it.

RENEE: The thing about owning
a sports franchise is,

yes, you have
to have enough money,

but you also have to
be allowed to be let in.

The torch keeps getting passed
to the same types of groups.

So you can't get in unless
somebody allows you in,

unless somebody chooses you
to be a part of the group.

You know, it's a club.

It's a white male boomer club.

That's part of what
we need to change.

And it's not just women
that need a seat at the table.

Opening it up
to diverse opinions,

diverse people,
might lead to a little less,

maybe a lot less toxicity.

This is probably
the scary part to the groups

that are the gatekeepers

that want to keep
things the same,

because you have to always
remember that as much

as we talk about change
and change starts with us,

there's a large group of people

that don't want
anything to change.

At some point, you know,
we'll have a drink

and I'll tell you the story

of my first board
of governors meeting.

I blew that place up.

I saw the governance
of our league.

I saw some of
the decision-making,

and I wanted instant change.

You would think by this age,

I would have learned
that's not possible.

Well, it's not possible.

So what I am learning is
that a little detachment,

a strategic vision over time,

I believe we'll get there.

So that's the approach
we're taking now.

We hope that now what you're
experiencing is a first-class,

professional sports experience.

You don't always know
what you need,

and we rely on all
of you who are here

to help us with that
and make sure that we're putting

these resources
in the right place.

You know, the business of sports

has been a certain way
for a long way.

And that certain way
was that basically

the athletes had no say.

The athletes pretty much
had no control.

You were at
the mercy of the team.

Right...

It's the positions of power

and the position in
the decision-making positions

that players don't...

they don't see that
progression for players.

Um, and we know why

because you don't want
to give up the power,

you know, like,
that's always uncomfortable

giving up power

and so when you give up
power at bare minimum,

you want to give it up to
somebody that thinks like you,

looks like you, you would
want to hang out with, but...

What tell you tell
you about this?

Look what time it is!

Look what time it is because
I told you about Kimberley.

But I didn't want
to cut you off.

RENEE: But we're late. Kimberly,
we're going to warp speed.

First of all,
you were so wonderful,

spectacular on the Consta show.

Thank you.

Are there any other issues
or any other questions,

any other areas
you wanted to get to?

The competitiveness,
like, you know,

how you're building
a different model

that's supporting other women.

Usually, you know, women
compete with each other.

But the Ted Lasso model,

we're showing love
in a competitive world.

Hey, how y'all doing?

- What up, though?
- What's up, boss lady.

- How you doing?
- What up?

- I love what you're doing.
- Appreciate you all, really.

HBCU, we got a link with that.

- Oh, you can talk about that?
- Yeah.

We're so delighted that
Renee is here with us today.

And we're going
to begin right now.

Is there anything you
would like to say?

I would like to ask the creator
and our ancestors

to subdue my inner asshole.

All and I would like
to welcome everyone here

with the spirit
of love and respect,

I thank you all from
the bottom of my heart.

And I know we're about to have
a kick-ass second season.

I know God doesn't mind that
kind of cursing for positivity.

And I'd like to say it is very
good to be the antithesis

of hate and bloodshed.

And be something different
and an alternative

so I appreciate you all.

[applauding]

KILLER MIKE: Well, someone
like Renee having ownership

and having a voice in
league and team,

what it lends itself is a voice
that was never heard before.

What you also need is
women who have played,

women who understand
the communities

that they're playing for,

women who understand that people
are not all European in descent.

So ownership is important.

PRODUCER: Five, four,
three, two, one...

So first of all, it's refreshing
to see an owner

with dope braids.

- Okay!
- Let me just say that.

In terms of HBCUs,
in a world of people thinking

stuff outside of their
community is better,

I always like
to remind people that,

you know, how their
leaders went to HBCUs.

The people that are up
on your grandpa's wall

and your grandmother's wall.

The people that are in office
right now are VP.

I mean,
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.

Absolutely.

I'm talking about, it ain't
even the past history.

I want people to know current
history went there, too.

Absolutely. And a lot of times I
think what people forget is what

we're missing a lot of times in
the African-American community

is not competence,
it's confidence.

And a lot of times
smaller classes,

a professor that looks like you
and understands you,

a professor that may be
from the same background

or a similar one.

So they pull us to
the side sometimes say,

"Hey, this is the
obstacle you're facing.

We're not going to create an
excuse to not challenge that.

We're going to overcome
that obstacle

and this is how we're
going to do it."

So a big part of historical
Black College and University

is getting that attention
and that confidence you need

to push through.

HBCUs give you the community
that grows powerful children

so we're not constantly
repairing broken men and women.

RENEE: I saw black excellence
every single day,

so I didn't have to learn
what it was.

[hip-hop music]

I had parents that
were alumni of an HBCU.

West Virginia State is an HBCU,

which is an Historically
Black College or University.

[students cheering]

It's historically Black
because it was made

strictly for Black people
because they were not allowed

to go to the white school.

[cheering]

My parents, they met on
West Virginia State's campus.

RON: I was a football player.

COACH: First and ten.

RON: When we played
back here, back then.

We played Central State,
Bowie State, Compton, Howard.

And after the game,
it was party time.

[laughing]

RENEE: Snook went
there for college,

and then she ended up being a
college professor

for 30-plus years.

I came to West Virginia State
College to work in 1980.

My grandmother was the baker

for the cafeteria here
back in the 60s.

And so I've been at
West Virginia State College

most of my life.

RENEE:
I didn't attend the school,

but I felt like I got
the full-on HBCU experience

growing up just
because I was there.

We did all attend
West Virginia State College.

We literally grew up
on the campus.

I just wanted my daughters

to be exposed to
that environment,

to recognize that
they belong there,

and to be around
educated people.

RENEE: I've definitely practiced
here plenty of times.

I've trained on this court.

And then I also think of
the pit for the step shows

because...

every homecoming here at State,
the pit turns alive.

[chanting]

When you see Black excellence
at a high level all the time,

it sets an example for you,

but it also sets an expectation.

A lot of HBCU alum
have changed the world.

If anyone's ever told
you, "You can't,"

it builds a force in you
to show them that you can.

Part of every generation's
responsibility is to share

with the next generation
what has been learned.

We don't want you doing
as well as we did.

We want you to do better.

So that you guys could
take that information

and turn it up even more so,

make it hotter in the room
for those who are comfortable.

It's like, no, you got
to get uncomfortable

because we got to grow.

We're getting a, you know,
young Gen-Z,

hip-hop, you know, get specific.

I do think so. I do think that
the WNBA is in this same phase,

basically, where people
were very upset with the,

"This one's for the girls."

And they're like, "But look
at our demographic.

This is the song
that they would love."

And then the players was like,
"Yeah, but we don't love it.

They don't feel like us."

I would say our demographic is

we need to appeal
to the players.

We need to appeal to ATL.
We need to appeal to hip hop.

MORGAN: the big question is how
do you get more people

to come and support
women's sports?

And so as a team, we've really
got to think about, you know,

how do we create this
environment that is a must-see,

must-experience,
must-be-a-part-of culture?

We've been really
talking about the fact

that no one has defined
women's basketball culture.

And that, I think,
is the coolest thing for us

is because we have the ability

to be so much more
progressive in that space.

That's got to be
really powerful.

That's got to be, Dream-related
and bringing Atlanta to life.

We got to make them have
something that they want to

come to and turn up to. Like,
you don't have to tell people

if you show them.

The main thing we're leaning
into is the city.

So it's like we lean
into Atlanta creators

because we want to be that,

you know, incubation for
people to jump off of.

I'm from Atlanta, right?

So again, I'm like,
I know what it's like.

Like, I grew here.
I wasn't flown here.

That's the whole like
inside joke thing.

So again, it's like going
back to the elements

and the roots
of what makes Atlanta, Atlanta,

and just building out these,
"Yo, this might be a really dope

artist that's coming out of
Westlake High School,

a greater Atlanta Christian."

I'm highlighting you
have those artists,

artists that are
up-and-coming to community.

If people start to see that
everything we do

connects back to us,
connects back to the city,

then I feel like the city
is just going to

want to behind us more because
they know we're behind them.

[clock ticking]

Atlanta, man.

[hip-hop music]

I bought a house in Atlanta
my second year in the WNBA.

It was just
something about Atlanta.

I'm like,
"Yo, this feels right."

The people that were
successful look like me.

I felt like I saw a lot
of Black men

and women that were running
the show here in Atlanta.

I'm like,
"That's different."

I grew up in a world that
was entirely African-American.

The west side of Atlanta
is a classical Black enclave.

All my heroes and villains
look like me,

whether it was my mayor,
city council person,

county commissioner.

So I grew up understanding
the world was fair

if you had good character.

This city gave me
the expectation of excellence

and gave me no excuse to fail.

RENEE: I felt like this was
the land of opportunity,

but not just any
land of opportunity.

In Atlanta, it seems like
the land of Black opportunity.

LISA: Slow down.
Shoot free throws.

Slow down.

So look, once more
people come in,

we'll go two sides of free
throws to start practice.

But slow down, take your time,
and concentrate.

I call him Angel just because
I just love calling him his name

because it's just beautiful.

When I first met Angel,

he was playing in
a rec league basketball.

I think it was his first year
playing rec league basketball.

And boy, did he not know
what was going on.

He was just out there running
as fast as he can.

My best friend trains him.

So I feel very comfortable
with the type of training

that he's getting because I
know that she was trained

the same way I was.

Y'all gotta understand
the life of a student athlete.

You don't get to just be like,

"Nah, I don't wanna
do it today."

That's not how this works.

As time progressed with Lisa,
just training,

I feel like my handles
got way better,

my shot's way more consistent.

If you leave me open,
it's wrapped. I'm sorry.

It's three in your face.

LISA: Eyes up!
What are you looking at?

God! What are you looking at?

I got a son who,
he was like, you know,

"I felt morally conflicted
about setting a screen

because the other team's

teammate didn't
call the screen,"

so he knew
the player didn't see him,

and he felt morally
conflicted about setting

a very, very legal screen.

I said, "Junior,
do not play with me.

That is not morally
conflicting."

Shoot the ball up,
shoot it up, Angel.

RENEE: He literally just told me

because they just won
the championship.

And he was like, "Yeah,
but I have to talk to you

about something because I didn't
feel good about it."

I thought it was girl stuff.

Good. It's much better.

And he was, like,
because he was being serious.

And he was like,
so when that happens,

should I like pull back?

And I was like, "What?"

He was like, "I mean, because
they didn't see me at all.

I said, "What?"

He's like, "But my teammate was
going to get a wide open layup.

And I'm like, "What?"

Like, you know,
he was dead serious.

And I was like, "No, boo,
you got to set that screen."

ANNOUNCER: How about that game
Montgomery had last night?

ANNOUNCER 2: Well, Montgomery
is a complete player.

You say, wait a minute,
she's only a freshman.

RENEE: We kind of knew I was
going to be small all my life.

So I knew that I had
such little room for error.

Every day I went in
with a mentality that

I needed to be as close
to perfect as I could.

Whoever was going up against
me was standing in between

me and going to wherever
I was trying to go.

By any means necessary.

Yeah, I always had
that mentality.

When I was playing
in high school,

it was a really crazy time
for women's basketball

in West Virginia.

It was like a whole energy.

I don't know what
happened during that time.

[cheering]

BERTLELA: It was really crazy.

I mean, we were having
state tournaments

and we were selling out
the Civic Center.

MAN: You know,
Jason, really,

when you talk about
individual stars,

the girls have far more
than what the boys do.

You take a look at the crowd,
it gets bigger and bigger

every year as far as the girls'
tournament is concerned.

No one supports
women's basketball

like that, even nationwide.

But it wasn't hard to see
that they were talented.

You know, it wasn't a hard sell.

And I think the biggest thing
was people had not seen girls

play basketball that way.

ANNOUNCER: On the break,
Hornbuckle to Lisa Lee,

the layup and the foul.

I was the only senior
on the team.

We had Alexis Hornbuckle, who
was another

well sought-after
player in the state

and in the nation.

ANNOUNCER:
Hornbuckle for three.

She was doing things that
people had never seen before.

She was the star.

And then here comes Renee
as a freshman.

ANNOUNCER: Renee Montgomery
goes behind the back.

Check this out.

Megan Withrow tries it here,
but she is blocked.

RENEE: Last night's game,
it was a really big win.

I hope that we win
this game, too.

We pretty much
ran through every team.

ANNOUNCER: Another turnover.
Here comes Lisa Lee.

And Lisa Lee with four.

She has 13.

72-45.

Capital Cougars are
the champs in AAA.

27-0.
Hornbuckle scores 25 points.

RENEE: I won three
state championships

with the two teams I played
with in high school.

ANNOUNCER: The buzzer sounds,
the fans will come on the court.

Coach Gerald Berghie, all
smiles as he gets the game ball.

I don't know how else to say
this, but we grew up in a small,

predominantly white area.

And to be a star
as an African-American,

it takes a lot of effort.

REPORTER: You see
so many young ladies

that have a lot of great skills

and the size will prohibit
them from going much farther.

RENEE: Yeah, I think
that like, you know,

West Virginia,
for whatever reason,

didn't want to promote
everybody the same.

Actually, it's not
about the people

that are involved
in the situation.

I mean, we see it happen
in media everywhere.

If you look at how much media
women's sports gets,

less than five percent.

And we all understand
that Black women

are the smallest margin
in that 5%.

That's something that I
think that you can just see,

especially starting
from a young age.

But one of the things you'll
find in West Virginia

is that because we
are a small market,

some kids are handpicked

to receive the media attention.

It was not the children's fault.

Renee, when she was a freshman,

did not make the all-city team,

but she was one of
the top kids in the nation.

REPORTER: Major scouts have
been coming

to see Alexis Hornbuckle.

And in doing so, Fred,
they see Renee Montgomery.

They're coming to see
Alexis Hornbuckle,

so there's no pressure
on Renee Montgomery.

She just goes out
and plays her game.

NACHETTE: Renee was extremely
competitive,

even though it didn't show.

You wouldn't have known
that she was fighting

all these inner
battles inside, but she was.

RENEE: I've been the undersized,
underdog, my literal whole life.

LISA: There was a lot
of negativity

when she was in high school.

She's not big enough,
she doesn't do this enough.

There was sort of an agenda
that was always pushed

now that I look back, for sure.

Only certain people would be
at the top of the ladder

in the pictures
of the all-county.

RENEE: You don't
really think about,

"Oh, wow, the newspaper didn't
even have our pictures

in the paper,
and we just won the big game."

REPORTER: Here's what
I like about Renee, too.

She didn't assume
that Alexis Hornbuckle

was going to take the shot.

The media would somehow mess up.

You know, Renee could have
had 25 or 26 points that game,

and Renee might have had 21.

And then someone else
on the team

who may have only been in the
game a minute had six or seven.

RENEE: The second-best player
in the state of West Virginia.

RENEE: While we were playing,
we were on top of the world.

It was like, I didn't
even care about the media.

"Oh, wow, the newspaper,

they actually didn't
even put the right stats."

Snook has even called
the newspaper before

to let them know that they're
printing the wrong stats.

REPORTER: You know, I had her
unofficially at 15.

[chuckling]

Well, I said, did she
score that many points?

And so I called
and asked about it,

but you know, nobody's
going to admit to that.

RENEE:
If there wasn't an agenda,

it could seem like there was.

She didn't get a lot
of the accolades

that she probably deserved
while she was here.

- And why do you think that is?
- Um...

The way she looks.

We're the minority in this area,
so she wasn't a white player.

And nobody can tell you

when you've been discriminated
against because you live it.

RONs: The way you
prove people wrong

is that you succeed.

So we had to go outside
of the state

and seek a stage in which we can
display these kids' skill sets.

And that's where we come in
about control the controllables.

Hey, we're playing
the Minnesota Metro Stars.

This is our second game
of the day on a Saturday.

AAU tournament in Kansas.

RENEE: We started to play AAU,

and we're traveling
around the world.

The West Virginia Tornadoes.

RON: Go, Renee. Go, baby.

RENEE: There was a lot
of time, energy, and money

put into making sure that I was
everywhere I needed to be,

to be seen, to be able
to get to that D1 level.

Three, go, three!
[shouting]

And you know,
at that time, you know,

you're taking $6,000,
and $8,000, and $10,000

a summer out of your pocket.

Staying in hotels
and things of that nature.

RENEE: Snook used to
almost get kicked out

of the main tournament.

She would
be talking cash trash.

[Bertlela shouting]

And Diddy was going off,
we didn't waste our money

to come up here and watch
you play like that.

And I would be crying because
I didn't want to play like that.

Our summers looked
a lot different.

We was in some funky gyms.

We was with some rowdy crowds.

People... There was almost
a fight every weekend.

Families from the opposing team,
they making a sacrifice, too.

They got that same blood,
sweat, and energy too.

Every weekend, just about,
we were on the road.

It was a beautiful grind.

That's kind of how I felt
my whole career.

That's why they had to be
there at those big moments

because it was, like,
"Y'all remember that grind?"

Like, we was in them gyms.

Like that song, "You ain't with
me shooting in the gym."

My family was really with me.

Dominate on three.
One, two, three.

ALL: Dominate.

RENEE: When I think about how
many people poured into me

when I was young, the only thing
you can do is pay it forward.

[chanting]

RENEE: And especially when
it comes to the women hoopers

because I think as
a young little boy,

it's easy to want to
be LeBron James

and want to play in the NBA

because you see his
poster everywhere.

You see his pictures.
You see his commercials.

But if you're a little girl and
you want to play in the WNBA,

do you see your athlete
portrayed the same way?

How can we change that to where

women's sports is the same
as men's sports?

It is just as lit.

Stick with it
and you'll see that it's lit.

Give it up for yourselves!
Give it up. Give it up. Woo!

It's been a long time coming.

We're trying to put on
for women's sports.

Give it up for women's sports.

Come on now!

We just saw a women's final four
that had numbers,

the highest number
in viewership,

the highest number in rating,
the highest everything.

It hurt me. The UConn loss.

As you guys know, I went
to UConn. I'm a UConn Huskie.

When I think of UConn,
I think of discipline and grit.

By the book. No excuses.

ANNOUNCER:
Guard for Connecticut,

a 5'7 senior,
communications major

from St. Albans, West Virginia,

number 20,
Renee Montgomery.

RENEE: And I think that also
UConn makes you

achieve your highest.

So for me, I want to go to UConn
because I wanted to see

how good can I get.

[crowd cheering]

Home sweet home.

- What up, Coach?
- I'm leaving!

You're like, I got to get out
here and all these cameras.

When they told me you were
coming, I said, time to leave.

This place ain't big
enough for both of us.

[laughing]

How are you doing, coach?

RENEE: All the coaches
would tell them,

you know, they take you and show
you... give you the world.

Gino said he wasn't
giving her nothing.

RON: That's her team.
That's the team.

I think I took a picture
of her somewhere.

I'm not sure though.

BERTLELA: I had been asked

by one of the newspaper
individuals,

"Well, where's Renee
going to commit?"

And I said, well, we have
Tennessee, UConn, Maryland.

And as I'm talking, he's patting
up his bag up and saying,

"Okay, whenever someone makes
an offer, just let me know."

Snook was like, okay, well,
we're going to announce

that you're going to UConn.

West Virginia didn't
even believe it.

[laughing]

GENO: The whole focus
of everyone in the country

when it came to that
particular team was Alexis.

ANNOUCNER: How about Alexis?
Listen up to these numbers.

38 points along with those
nine assists and 30 rebounds.

But I said, um,

we're going to get the other kid

and I think she's
gonna be better.

And, you know, they looked
at me and I said,

"Just a hunch."

I said, "but I think her style

and the way she plays
fits us perfectly."

So...

Wow. That's shocking.

[chuckles]

That's crazy because
everybody-

Alexis was the number one
player in the nation.

Like, young me,
if I heard that

when I was like
in high school,

I would have been going crazy.
Are you kidding me?

GENO: Some kids have to be
the focal point of the team.

And Renee comes from a program

where she's not the focal point.

I wanted somebody that knew
how to win within a team.

I mean, this is a whole
new world in here.

My goodness. Come on, Olympians.

Come on, excellence.

He shot it to me straight.

He was like,
"I mean, you're good.

It's just going to be on you,
you know, how far you go."

GENO: It was never good enough.

It was never enough.
No matter what she did,

I always found something
that I would say,

"Yeah, but you didn't do this."
And then she would do it.

And then I'd go, "yeah, but this

wasn't as good as
it could have been."

And then she would fix it.

And that's what I promised.

I'll make sure that there's
not an ounce left in her

by the time she's done
at UConn.

I've never been pushed more
past my limit than at UConn.

It was like, I thought
that was my limit,

but clearly I'm still alive
and we still have one more set.

So, now I know
I have a new limit.

There was no room for mercy.

Honestly, it was like
I just started to take on

a different mentality.

ANNOUNCER: Rene Montgomery from
St. Albans, West Virginia.

BERTLELA: My kid is so cool,
so young.

[cheering]

My freshman year, I came in
there bright-eyed, bushy-tailed,

and I'm, like, turned up, like,
let's go win a championship.

And we learned very quickly that
it just, it doesn't just happen.

ANNOUNCER: Launch! Stumbles
puts up the shot-

[cheering]

She had a shot! Duke will
go to the final four.

UConn losses for
the first time in 30 tries

on home soil.

And the second year,
I'm, like, "For sure." Boom.

ANNOUNCER:
And the Tigers do it again.

Very impressive win for these
kids from Baton Rouge.

So, then I thought
my junior year, it's like,

of course, we got to
win this year, y'all.

Come on now, like,
this is getting crazy.

ANNOUNCER: Miller unloads

and that one
will be out of bounds.

And the Stanford fans
on their feet again.

The number one team
in the country

is knocked out in
the semifinal.

RENEE: You have the best
of the best, Coach Rayema,

saying, I'm going to help
you achieve your goal.

The scary part is,
what if we don't succeed?

ANNOUNCER:
UConn, of course,

they want to go 39-0
for the second time

in their storied history.

GENO: You can't leave
the back door open

because kids love that.

It's human nature because they
just don't ever want to say,

"I sucked today."

ANNOUNCER: Montgomery wide open,
finally got one.

Montgomery, the smallest
player out there.

Pull up jumper, got it.

but when you lock the back door
and there's no way out

other than you gotta go
through the front door

and you have to admit it,
there is no bailout.

It's just me and you.
That's it.

You either do it or you don't.

And if you don't,
you own it, yours.

I think she was like,

because that's who she is.

You challenge her
and she comes right back at you.

And I challenged her, hard.

And we have a picture
of her after a bucket

where we scored
and she runs back

and she's almost
at half court

and she's in a stance

like this, staring at
the kid like, come on.

I'm gonna get goosebumps
now thinking about it.

Kids don't do that anymore.

They don't do that.
They just wanna score.

Nah, Renee wanted
to rip your heart out.

And then talk to you about it.

Dang, it's big league out here.
What up, young blood?

How you doing? Get a hug 'cause,
'cause we family, okay?

Dang, y'all been in
the gym, ain't you?

- Yeah.
- All right, goodness, okay.

Hey.

[laughing]

I learned a lot here, for real.
I'm not kidding.

- Oh, I know.
- I took it. I learned.

Like, I was trying
to take everything in.

Like, I just thank
him every time I see him,

because we've already been
burned, battle tested

through certain things that
I see people going through,

and I'm like-
- Well, he's fair.

That's all you can ask for.

Nobody gets away with it.

It works in the after life.
It helps after basketball.

Life after basketball, it helps.

GENO: I think any woman's sport

struggles in the beginning

to get their footing, right?

All those kids who played before
Renee during all that time,

they really, really,
really struggled

for it to be the way
it is today.

So, by the time Renee got here,

we had all the things

that any men's basketball
program in America would have.

So, now these kids are leaving

schools like UConn
around the country.

Their life is much
more difficult

than it is here.

You take this NIL stuff,

you're leaving here to
make less money

and to have less
of the amenities

that they have here.

Completely the opposite
of the way it should be.

You can't just say, "Hey,
we're the WNBA, come watch."

No, you have to earn it.

You have to prove
that you deserve it.

[muffled arena announcement]

GENO: Something else
has to happen.

Ah! Hello!
[squealing]

What's up? How are you?

Yes, this is Snook.

Oh my gosh.

Um, what a difference
a year makes.

There's a line wrapped
so far around the building

that it took me 20 minutes
to just from that strip.

Throw the joint out, okay?
That's how I'm feeling.

That's how we feeling.
Okay, everybody get into it,

take it in, breathe it in.

- Yeah.
- Let's make it a habit.

Ah, it feels good.

Hello, everyone, I'm Angel Grey
alongside with LaChina Robinson.

And LaChina the energy
around this franchise

is through the roof,
we're just excited

to be a part of it this season.

LACHINA: This is my favorite
time of the year.

And yes, there is an
incredible contagious energy

around the Atlanta Dream.

ANGEL: A lot of new pieces
as far as front office,

looking at the coaching staff,

and even eight new
faces on the roster.

Let's go, let's go!

We've never had that
kind of crowd before.

We definitely didn't
have to sell out

in any of the games in 2021.

Uh! Give it to me!
Give it to me!

Here we go, now we going!

ANGEL: Long shot, Rhyne Howard
comes down with the rebound.

Full court, crispy wallets
make them pay with a few.

There you go!

I don't care how much you scream
and yell and promote.

If you're not winning,
people don't care.

What game were you watching?

GENO: If they don't think you're
competing at a high level,

they don't care.

Oh, you got her!

[shouting]

Let's go!

GENO: It's not
college basketball.

This is professional sports.

You're not just a sport.

You're part
of the entertainment world.

[cheering]

They want to see what
you're going to do

to make them go, "Wow."

So, you better be really good
and you better entertain them.

When you break it all down,

Renee's a hell of
a basketball player,

but she's even better
entertainer.

So, who knows better than her?

What people are gonna buy.

Morgan!

It's happening!

Nneka Ogwumike dials it up.

One second left.
Nothing on the clock.

So, the Atlanta Dream
will walk away with win.

[cheering]

SERENA: That first
home game of the season,

it was a direct manifestation

of everything that we've
been working so hard for.

You're like, "Oh my gosh,
people actually listen?"

Like, they're paying attention?

So, after that game,
I feel like that set a tone.

Okay, so, we sold out
the first home game.

Now we gotta
keep on selling out.

Oh, the energy was great.
We love it.

ANNOUNCER: Pulls up, it's good!

I want these fans to come back.
We want them to support us.

The way you do that is by
having success at home.

Rhyne Howard with a quick start.

PODCAST HOST: All right,
so last on the list, WNBA.

The viewership is up 74%.

Yeeurp! You're saying louder
for the people in the back.

Howard for three, yes!

What's the feeling
you're getting?

Fun, immediately.
People are coming back.

[cheering]

Whether it's the team
or the audience

that brings that energy
and usually it's a mix of both.

It's how people feel
about the WBA's change

and they're acting
different at the games

Tiffany Hayes Tepes is back.

I think her and Rhyne are
definitely key to the offense.

Rhyne Howard dipsy dos
into another two!

That narrative of
women's sports is boring,

women's sports, whatever,

women's sports ain't it.

It's quickly changing.

[cheering]

And four games left very crucial

as you guys push
for the playoffs.

What's the conversation
around this team right now?

We're just taking one game
at a time one game.

I agree, yeah.

One game at a time
and they got this one done,

back to you guys
congratulations.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

RENEE: I mean the reason
I played in the WNBA,

'cause it's like we got one.

Entering our 13th WNBA season

this draft class has grown up
with the WNBA.

And the impact has been enormous
on the quality of the game.

RENEE: Like, I can remember
watching the WNBA,

and then after
every single season,

people would be like,

"We don't know if it's going
to fold as a league."

There's been some speculation
as to whether the WNBA

could be in some
real trouble.

It's a crucial time
for the WNBA,

and some difficult decisions

are probably gonna
have to be made.

RENEE: The WNBA is a right.

It's the hardest professional
sports league to make.

With the fourth pick
in the 2009 WNBA draft,

the Minnesota Lynx select

Renee Montgomery
from Connecticut.

[cheering]

This league is trying
to build a foundation.

You really are building it
for the next generation.

How will you handle
the challenge

of helping rebuild
this program?

Um, like every other season,
it's a new year.

And I, I think every
year there's a chance.

Everyone has a new chance.

And I'm just going to
look at it optimistically.

All right. Congratulations.

RENEE: During my time,
you played year-round

because the draft is four days
after the championship.

Training camp three weeks later.

Overseas two weeks
after your WNBA season.

And then when you get
back from overseas,

I went straight to camp.
I did that 10 years straight.

ANNOUNCER:
Montgomery tees it up.

[announcer shouting]

PRODUCER: We're going to
do a little montage

with Renee's accolades.

What do you want me
to start with?

Oh, no, baby.

ANNOUNCER: Montgomery,
big shot for Minnesota!

No, baby, no, no, no.

11-year WNBA veteran.

And two-time WNBA champion.

ANNOUNCER: Montgomery the steal,
can she beat the buzzer?

She can!

They can taste it
at Target Center.

All-star and sixth
woman of the year.

ANNOUNCER: Montgomery.
Shot clock's coming down.

It's another one!

532 career three-pointers.

Ranked 12th all-time
in the WNBA.

Renee pops it up and in!

Four point play opportunity.

Montgomery, dribbling. Wow.

RENEE: In my era,
we could be best friends,

but when we're on that court,
it's dangerous.

It's love and war
on the court, okay?

You could love them before
and love them after,

and it's war on the court.

ANNOUNCER: A chance to go
13 and 0, a new WNBA record.

Whalen! Montgomery!

Got it!

Boom.

You want that moment.

INTERVIEWER: Renee, what's
it like to play in a place

where the standard is so high?

Or the expectations are
championship or not good enough.

Ah, it's good, um, you know,
I went to UConn, right?

[chuckles]

In 2016, when we were
focused on running it back,

there was a lot of things
that were happening

close to home
in Minnesota for us.

Philando Castile had been
murdered by the police.

[car honking]

[sirens]

And our captains came to us
and they were like,

"Hey guys," you know, like,
"We want to take a stand."

Again, this is a human issue

and we need to speak out
for change together.

Didn't go well.

Four off-duty Minneapolis police
officers that were working

security at Minnesota Lynx game

walked off the job
Saturday night in protest.

They're wading into waters

that they shouldn't be
in to begin with.

They're professional athletes.

Stick with playing ball.

It got to the point to where
the WNBA had to tell everybody

to stop wearing the shirts that
were not league approved.

You know, to the WNBA's defense,

you know, this was when
they really wanted

people to stick to sports.

And we,
as a Minnesota Lynx team,

we decided that we just
didn't want to do that.

That is a violation

of the WNBA's uniform
conduct policy.

And as a result,
those two organizations

were fined for the players
that wore those

Black Lives Matter t-shirts.

However, today the WNBA
has rescinded that fine.

RENEE: When I look back,
it's so crazy, because

now the league is issuing shirts

that say things
and say statement pieces.

And now I look at the leagues
and they're like,

yeah, we want to
stand with you guys

and stand with the athletes.

You start to see teams now
as a whole release statements

in support of
or against something,

that was unheard of.

Woo!

It's so funny because
I watch this,

and I'm like,

to me they look like
the WNBA champions,

you know, because I,
I don't do this that much.

They look so good.

RENEE: They really are sharp.

See, that's the thing about
like, we're going to be

one of those teams that
play hard, are sharp,

and like we just sometimes
might not have enough. Exactly.

Does that make sense?
Action, go!

[indistinct shouting]

Oh, yeah, we got action now.
This is what I want.

This is what I want.
Ooh, whee!

Get in there, ball. Yes!

I hadn't looked at
Atlanta when Levison owned it,

when he was getting in trouble.
- Yeah.

Look what the Hawks have done
to connect to this community.

No, honestly. Honestly.

It's amazing.

That was like eight years ago.
It was that recent.

We couldn't even get tickets.

The whole thing is the CMO
from the Hawks,

um, Melissa Proctor
came last night.

So great, but she'll tell you,
and so will Coonan,

that it took them 10 years to
get to that point

this past year where
they're starting to resonate.

But that is sobering that
it took them that long, though.

I'm not diminishing it,
by the way.

No. But they don't have you,
so, like, they don't.

To your point, though,
that is sobering

because it's like, okay, look,
there's a benchmark here.

But we can try to go out
and do it faster,

but this is us,
this is the new us

that people should
get used to us.

I told them all the time,
like, I didn't feel like

a professional when
I was playing in 2019.

You made a personal,
you made a city choice.

Yeah. 2017, flying high, I won
a championship with Minnesota.

And then I'm like, all right,
guys, I'm going to Atlanta.

And everybody's like,
yeah, you done lost it.

Like, you done
your whole mind.

In 2018 we were coming
off of a WNBA championship

with the Minnesota Lynx,
and I was a free agent

for one of the first
times in my career,

I get to decide where
I'm going to go.

And I chose Atlanta.

ANNOUNCER: A veteran on this
team, she knows when to shoot,

when not to shoot.

I don't know what it was
because even my parents

were kind of like
a little bit shocked.

Uh, really, you know,
it's interesting

because when I left Minnesota,

it was really just
a leap of faith.

A lot of people thought I was
crazy, like a lot of people.

INTERVIEWER: You had to do
some research or gamble

or whatever word
you wanted to use.

So, why, why would it work?

I have faith.

It wasn't an organization that
people were running to get to.

And I didn't play
overseas that year.

That was the first year
I didn't go overseas.

So, there was a lot
of different things.

Um, there was a lot of life
that happened in 2019.

I'm in Atlanta.

I'm really starting
to get my roots.

I went to a doctor,

and they do a mammogram scan.

They actually tell me
that they found a lump.

Something's here.
They got to remove it.

And am I going to be okay?

And so,

my parents come
to Atlanta, and, aw...

[stammers]
Here we go.

Actually, I've never talked
about this publicly,

but my parents come to
Atlanta for my surgery,

and everything goes great.

So...

I'm trying to like...

So, then it was like, all right,
let me get back to normal.

And... Hold on.

All right, I think I got it.

[exhales]

All right, so then
I was like, all right,

let me get back to normal life
and get back to everything.

So, I decided to go to
a Hawks game.

[chuckles]

♪ Oh say does that star spangled
♪

♪ Banner yet wave ♪

She went to a Hawks game,

and she meets a girl.

And I get a text message
that says, and I quote,

"She's going to be my wife."

Okay.

In a weird way, um,

thank you, Kelly Loeffler,

because, uh, she is the reason
why my wife and I met.

So, she gave, uh, Renee

some courtside seats
to that game

that I was actually singing
the national anthem to.

[chuckles]

I was there.
Um, how could I forget?

The way that Renee looked
and how she was, like, darting,

I didn't really, like,
think anything about it.

But in my head, I was like,

oh, she's probably going to try
to definitely talk to my sister.

And I was like,
"Oh, so you're a singer?

You're like, you need to sing
at our days. What's up?"

[chuckles]
Oh, boy.

It, it, it was,
it was all meant to be.

[chuckles]

People never really saw her
getting married, like, ever.

I'm trying to put it
in a nice way where...

[laughs]

A lot of people were
attracted to her spirit

let's leave it at that.

[chuckles]

RENEE: I have a girlfriend.
[gasp]

And I look like shit.

I don't know what to say about,
you know, about ballers

it's a baller lifestyle
and I hate to say that,

but she was a baller
in every sense of the word.

[sigh]

Renee, a player.

If we're going to be in
a serious relationship,

you- we gonna- some things
are going to have to change.

She's like, "Look, I let all
of them know what's up."

And I'm like, okay,
look, that- we're not-

that's not going
to fly over here.

Renee stop this.

A lot of turbulence right now.

- It's really not bad.
- Oh, yeah. Mmhm.

It's starting shakin'.

I would say being
a sports family member,

it takes up a lot of space.

[cheering]

No, no!

[cheering]

Pulled up to the Sparks game!

- The legend!
- Go Sparks!

Athletes and artists, like,

there's so many differences.

[laughs]

But I lean into
and pay attention

to my emotions a lot.

Oh, my God.

It's like I got a lot of stuff
on my sleeves right now,

and this is how Serena
wears her emotions.

Renee is the complete opposite.

You need memories,
Renee Montgomery.

You don't know if
I'm tired, if I'm sick.

As an athlete, you look
at us on the court,

you don't know
what's going on.

And it's supposed
to be that way.

RON: She ended up with
a beautiful young lady.

SERENA: First, she watched
Princess Diaries,

and apparently Mean Girls
is on her mind now.

We are making these flights.
We play around with fire.

RON: She precious little girl.
She precious little girl.

She reminds me of my
wife in the ways that

time don't mean nothing to her.

[producer laughing]

Where is your watch?

I know Tori, I was running
really, really late today.

Ridiculous.

[laughing]

We have arrived at the game,
baby. We are here.

We're late, but that's okay.

I just can't believe someone's
going to play us like this.

What a mess.

Look into the link again
and Hannah will let you in.

I'm so confused.

What is going on
with electronics today?

Oh my gosh, I'll be
the last one to the meeting.

Oh, we're in.

- Okay.
- Good, good.

Hey, Renee.
Can you hear us?

I sure can.

Anyways, I'm terrible at this.

I don't know how to run
this process.

So, why don't you take us-
Ask us questions.

Tell us where we're going.

The biggest thing, Larry,
I think is what do we ultimately

want people to feel
when they see

our brand in the market?

Is this a complete rebrand?
Is this an evolution?

What is this?

Let me jump in for a second

and just sort of give you
the general thoughts

that I think you
were maybe seeking.

I'm trying to build,
I think we all are,

a global brand.

That is recognized
throughout the world.

I want Jay-Z
wearing our hat.

Yeah, I just think
there's a buzz.

We have a little buzz
going on here.

I feel like people should feel
like it's cool to be,

"Oh, yeah, yeah,
I've been to a game."

We got to build out,
like, who are we?

I think that's pretty much
what people are asking.

That's an important piece of it.
You're a thousand percent right.

We bear the burden
in a good way

of a very powerful story.

But there's like, there's
a really fine balance

of honoring, you know,
our legacy

and the modern, fun future
of the Dream

that is not always so serious-

Exactly.

We talk a lot about the fact
that first and foremost,

we are a professional
basketball team.

We're not a political
organization,

but it's incumbent upon us
to lean in to the issues

that are really
important to women.

RENEE:
You know, it's crazy balancing

being an athlete and...

I think a lot of Black
people have understood

that you have to balance
being Black all the time.

The consensus is to not play

in tonight's slate of games
and to kneel, lock arms,

and raise fists
during the national anthem.

RENEE: I think that's why 2020
was such a shock to people.

There's a lot of people
that didn't understand

the weight that athletes carry
on a day-to-day basis.

2020 changed the course

of the Atlanta Dream
as a franchise.

We all decided that it was time.

We have a lot of fast-moving
developments

involving COVID-19 tonight,

both in North Texas
and around the country.

President Trump
addressed the nation.

More schools and universities
are deciding to take action

and close their campuses
to keep students safe.

RENEE:
March 13th, no bleach left.

This is crazy.

There's steaks.

We didn't know it
was going to be,

as long as it was going to be.

So, in the beginning it was
like, man, I'm just going to

take this time that I have to
enjoy my family.

I mean, this is
all new to me.

And, so, we were really
enjoying,

like, just being able to be
around each other.

What's in your hand?

My marriage license.

The middle of the apocalypse,
we got married.

[chuckling]

We're eloped.

- Where are they?
- They're right here, okay?

Oh my goodness.

Can you guys see them?

REPORTER: I mean this is a crowd
that came to confront police.

They're angry.

You see the violence
that is happening.

They're here because a Black
man was killed by police.

- Yup.
- Oh my God. Fire! Shit.

MAN: I didn't want to come,
and I don't want to be here.

I'm the son of an Atlanta
city police officer.

Um...

[clears throat]

And I'm mad as hell.

I woke up wanting to see
the world burn down yesterday

because I'm tired
of seeing Black men die.

But we have to be better
than this moment.

We have to be better than
burning down our own homes.

Because if we lose Atlanta,
what else we got?

I hate all of this.

Well, it kind of makes my heart
jump just, um, talking about it.

But my son,
he was 12 at the time.

Yeah, baby, give them out.

Nice cold water, anybody?

ANGEL: So, me and my friends,
most of my friends, actually,

we talked about it quite
frequently, actually.

Just how that, that really
could've been us.

[protestors chanting]

Black lives matter!

Black lives matter!

RENEE: When I called Snook,
I was like, what should I do?

And she was like, you are
exactly where you need to be.

That felt like a call
to action, honestly.

[protestors cheering]

HARRISON: Our job as protestors
is an important for democracy.

It allows us to bring
awareness but also

throw pressure on the left
of the field.

People making laws

new policies and they
are concerned.

RENEE: A lot of players,
there was a lot of energy.

Seeing athletes talk about
personal issues so much,

never happened in sports.

Athletes were like we're
going to do this.

Now, whether the leagues come
with us or not, that's on them.

We have a voice that can
be used for the voiceless.

We have this platform to sit in
front of all these cameras

and this media and be a voice.

RENEE: Just seeing how
emotional players were,

it's a different thing.

Because, like, I talked about
everything in sports is to,

you know, don't let them
see you sweat.

I remember saying,
well, you know,

like, you guys are always taught

to just, kind of,
just keep on going, go, go, go,

and never really, you know,
like, listen to yourselves.

So, maybe you should
pay attention

to what you're feeling
right now.

So, for me, it was like,
it was, what do I want to do?

Plus, professional
sports leagues

are trying to figure out how
to start their seasons.

There's one WNBA player who
says she's going to sit out.

Hi there, Renee. Can you hear us
okay? It's Gavin in the studio.

Yeah, I can hear you.
I can hear you good.

Women's NBA star Renee
Montgomery

has decided to sit out
the 2020 season.

I, I'm shocked at how
positive it was

because when I pressed
send this morning,

I just didn't know how
it was going to go.

Do you think that the WNBA
and the NBA perhaps, as well,

could be doing anything
more, Renee?

You know, I hope they do.

The WNBA, NBA,
80% minority league.

So, the leagues have to
stand up right now.

When Renee opted out,
one of the first organizations

to reach out was
LeBron's More Than a Vote.

LeBron James'
voting rights push

could be a historically
significant,

athlete-led political campaign.

You trying to roll? You trying
to join this fight with us?

And I was like, let's go!

A lot of people don't feel
like it matters if they vote.

It does. We can see now,
it does.

Before, we used to not
be able to talk.

But now, LeBron's given
a platform for that very thing.

It helped me focus in
on what I wanted to do.

What was the tipping
point for you?

RENEE: When I was talking to
my mom that she was saying

how she lived in Detroit
during the Detroit riots

and that it's sad for her.

Her daughter is
living in Atlanta

during the Atlanta riots.

It was an unsure time for both
of us just because

we didn't know how we were
going to pay our bills.

Not having a job for
a certain amount of time

is not comfortable,
but I don't know.

I just, that's why they
call it a leap of faith.

If that's where my heart is,
that's where my heart is.

What good would I
be in the bubble,

if all I'm thinking about is
being here, in the streets

in Atlanta trying to make
something happen?

And we can plan to see you back

on the, on the Dream's
court next season?

Is that gonna be-

That would definitely
be the plan.

Like, I don't know why I didn't
think this would be a big deal.

I literally, like, thought,

all right, I'm just gonna
sit this season out.

Like, I don't know why I thought
it was not going to be this.

So, this is kind of
crazy to me.

Okay, what's up, everybody?

If y'all haven't met me,
I'm Renee Montgomery.

I play for the Atlanta Dream.

This year, the WNBA season is
supposed to start in two weeks.

Yesterday, I sent out a tweet

that was saying that I'm opting
out of this year's WNBA season,

because I wanted to fight
social justice reform.

[applause]

Yeah. So, so for me,

I didn't really know
what that meant

in a whole sense of the thing,
but we got to figure out

what we need here in Atlanta
for Atlanta to do better,

for Atlanta to be better.

So, if you have any
suggestions, let me know.

[cheering]

I think that people thought
I had this master plan,

that, yep, I'm off to now
and we're going to go do this.

The only thing I knew
I was about to do

was throw a pop-up block party
'cause it was Juneteenth.

[shouting and drumming]

It just blossomed into
something that we had no idea.

Woo!

WOMAN: I know how hard you
worked to get here, Renee.

MAN: Do you know what this
could mean for your career?

Yeah, I didn't start
this problem,

but if we don't fix it,
then who will?

My mom, she lived
through it, too.

This is a generational problem.

For me, they were just
my thoughts.

They were just my feelings.
They were just my words.

Then now, people are
calling me an activist.

When you look back at it,

my whole upbringing,
was leading me to that point.

[drumming]

WOMAN: You grew up
in West Virginia

in a predominantly white area.

MAN: How has that
life experience

informed this decision?

I know what this looks
I know what this is.

These microaggressions,
it's adding up now.

No justice, no peace!

RENEE: How I was brought up
is why I feel this way.

WOMAN: You start to get angry.

So, you start to think
about all the times

that you went through
something.

That's what made me who I am.

And then you think about
now you have nephews.

You know, she has a father.

She now has a son.

We all know what
happens in November.

We need to vote

because we have to
have a change

and voting is how
you get a change.

So...

A wide-ranging news conference
this afternoon,

courtesy of Senator
Kelly Loeffler.

The senator made it very clear

she doesn't believe politics
belongs in sports.

And I'm not going to let
a political movement,

which is what the Black Lives
Matter movement truly is,

tear our country apart.

And let me be very clear.

The statement Black Lives Matter
is very different

from this political
organization,

which has Marxist roots.

This week, they threatened
to burn the system down

literally and figuratively.

And I had to draw the line.

Leckler sent a letter to
WNBA Commissioner

Kathy Engelbert, encouraging
the league to use American flags

instead of Black Lives Matter
or say her name.

You know, I'm not even
with my team at the time,

but I'm alarmed.

Again, this is the woman
that I haven't had a huge amount

of interactions with.

But the ones that I did have,
you know, they felt very normal.

So, I reached out personally,

like, you know,
like I sent a text like,

"Hey, you know,
you want to talk?"

Has she responded to
your ask to sit down

and talk about these issues?

She has not.

They framed it in a
way where it pitted

both people against each other.

We weren't trying
to make it polarizing.

But the situation was
just polarizing in itself.

She talked about keeping
politics out of sports,

but she's a US Senator
that owns a basketball team.

That was the year where
Senator Warnock

and Kelly Loeffler were
going in a Senate runoff.

Now this has become
national news.

You know, from afar, we were
watching what was happening

in the Georgia Senate election.

And the team made
a decision in the Wubble

to support the opponent.

They come out with
the Vote Warnock shirts.

And I'm like, these players

mostly live paycheck
to paycheck.

And they're now taking
on their boss,

the person who
signs their paychecks.

I just fell in love with
that team right at that moment.

When Snook said, you are
exactly where you need to be,

when that runoff happened,

I was like, this is it.

What's up, everybody?
Renee Montgomery here.

So, listen, three,
two, one, go vote, man.

We knew that it was
a big election.

We didn't know that
the whole country

was going to be dependent
upon basically Georgia.

RENEE: It started out
with water bottles.

And now we have a chance
to change the Senate.

People were ready for change.
And I think that matters.

Georgia Democrat Raphael Warnock

will unseat Republican
Senator Kelly Loeffler,

giving Democrats
a 49th Senate seat.

Something we finally did
actually gonna make difference.

And so, I think with
Renee seeing that,

I think that's when the moment
when she was like,

I have the ability
to positively affect

change on a greater scale.

She found that she could
make an impact

in a way she had
never done before.

Okay. How do you become a player
turned owner in one year?

I remember the WMBPA had sent
a tweet out

that said, O-U-T.

I think a number
of players in our league

have expressed that,
that she's-

there's no place
in the league for her.

Larry suggested I reach out
to the commissioner,

Kathy Engelbert, and ask

if the Atlanta Dream
was for sale.

Turns out that it was.

We are aware there
are interest parties

who want to purchase
the team.

We saw all those rumblings
and Serena, she's like, look,

why don't you buy the team?

I was sitting here
thinking like,

don't you know our financial
situation the same way I do?

And then she said,
"What? That can't be done.

They would never
allow that to happen."

"They," I don't know
who the "they"

that she was talking about.

I guess the, the,
the man, the system.

RENEE:
She's not in the sports world.

She doesn't know what's normal.

She doesn't know
what's not normal.

She's in
the entertainment industry.

So, she's like,
"Yeah, own your masters."

And I was, like, "Hm."

I started reaching out
to our GM at the time,

just dead in there, nothing.

It was, it was an uphill battle.

There were times
where I was like,

there's just no way
this is going to happen.

People will actually
laugh at her and say,

"Oh, come on.
Like, you're not really.

What money are you going
to use to buy that team?"

So, people didn't really
see the vision at first.

Now there are renewed calls
for a new ownership group

to take over the Dream,

started by a tweet
from LeBron James himself.

LeBron James tweeting
late Tuesday night,

"Think I'm going to put an
ownership group together

for the Dream. Who's in?

RENEE: So, you know me. I said,

"Yo, Bron, and I mean this,
I'm ready when you are."

Listen, Atlanta Dream,

I'm just saying
you can do better.

[laughing]

Big shouts, you know, More
Than A Vote in that group.

They got me in contact with
the commissioner of the WNBA.

That's when things
really started to pick up.

And Kathy Engelbert
really took Renee serious.

She said, "You have to meet
somebody, Renee Montgomery."

The bid that wins, we're,
we're going to introduce you

to that group and they decide
if they want to let you in.

Larry and I talked about
what a wonderful opportunity

it would be to have
a former WNBA player

in the ownership group.

RENEE: I was talking to
Kathy on that first call.

She was making sure
I understood.

Like, you do know that you can't
be a player and an owner

at the same time.

And I'm like,
I'm ready to do that.

Diddy told me in
the kitchen last year

that this was gonna happen and-

WOMAN: Yeah, he told me, too.

I think that our last
time seeing her play

was our last time
seeing her play.

I'm going to try not to cry
because, you know,

I have been very
emotional all day.

Oh, my gosh.

Like, your heart just
instantly starts racing.

Like, whew, okay,
so, yeah.

Like, how do I- like,
what do I even say?

We have a segment coming up,

and I am...

I don't know how
to feel about this.

So, the segment is called
Dear Basketball.

I'm sure you can assume why.

And so, I've always wondered
what, like,

my Dear Basketball moment
was going to be like.

And, and now that it's here,

I'm, like, a little bit
nervous, speechless.

Making the decision
to just stop,

it was just like a...

I wanted to just start by saying

I'm retiring from the WNBA

and I enjoyed
all 11 years of it,

like, I was one of those
players that I enjoyed my time.

Go check the tape,
I enjoyed it, it was fun.

All right, so, ugh!

Just hold on, hold on, hold on.

No, she wasn't ready.

No, she wasn't ready
to retire yet.

That, that was never
in the plans.

The way she talked about it,

she felt like she could be more
effective off the court

than on the court.

This is ridiculous.

All right, I'm getting
soft in my older age.

It's probably time
for me to retire.

But, um, you know,
I need to thank my family,

Snook, starting with
you, Snook and Diddy,

uh, Cole, Shay, everybody.

And so, my whole
support system,

I need to thank
everyone like that.

I am trying to get through this.

I did not expect to cry
this much.

I knew it was coming.
What is going on?

My teammates, my family
on this wild, crazy journey.

And I'm excited just to see
where it takes us next.

So, dear basketball,

let's just keep
this momentum going.

Som I'm thankful
for my 11 years.

So, this is the thing, like,
I retired with the hope

and the faith that we
would be able to join

the ownership group
that I would be able

to be a common owner,
but that was not given.

Hey, Renee.

Hello there. Sorry about that.
Come on now. Technology?

First of all, let me say,

you know, we look at,
we look at today,

you know, Announcement Day,

as a new beginning,
a new chapter.

And I hope you all join me
and Larry and Renee in that.

What I am gonna ask
all of us to do

is to look forward,

because I think
we've got the beginning

of a great new chapter

and we're really
excited about it.

And joining us now here
on SportsCenter

is Renee Montgomery, the new
owner of the Atlanta Dream.

Executive in the front office.
I mean, this is unprecedented.

He can just ask, uh,
Renee Montgomery, uh, you know,

if I were to shut up
and just dribbled.

Um, just seeing that beautiful
Black woman today,

um, you know, be a part
of our ownership group now

with the Atlanta Dream
down in Atlanta.

[indistinct chatter]

- Hey, how you doing?
- Hey, hey!

What up with it?

- What's up?
- You good?

Oh, you already know I'm
good on this exciting-

Aye! We need all of it.

- Oh. It ain't finished.
- Okay, I mean, all of it.

All of it, all of it.

This is the wildest scenario
in all of my years of playing.

So, basically,
if we win two games,

if we win two of two of the last
games, we're in the playoffs.

But, we win one.

Then it depends on
who else wins one.

There's like six
different scenarios.

It's wild. So, this is
the night before Christmas,

meaning like, listen, we can,
we can make it special.

Control our own destiny.

That's all I'm thinking about.
It's a dub tonight.

To be able to have two games
left in the season,

and, and those games
mean everything.

Some games at the end of
the season don't mean nothing.

It's like Cancun on three.

We in the thick of it, baby.
We in this thing.

Rhyne starts off with
the ball cut off by...

[broadcaster shouting]

Yes! That's how you start
the game!

That's how we start the game!

Woo-wee!

[crowd cheering]

It's a shoot out, burn the ball,
ain't nobody missing nothing.

[buzzer blares]

I ain't mad at the players.

We've got breaking news
announced just earlier today.

Dream guard Tiffany Hayes

is currently listed
as not with the team.

I repeat, Dream guard
Tiffany Hayes

is currently listed
as not with the team.

The guard is listed with
the Azerbaijan team

and the three on three
competition

in the Islamic Games
and Turkey, Angel.

ANGEL: Perfect. Thanks, Tab.

Obviously,
that's a blow for the Dream.

I mean, Tiffany Hayes has played

in 20 playoff games
in her career.

She understands the magnitude
of what's on the line here.

RENEE:
I just know that she's probably

taking it hard herself but, man,

it's a tough situation you have
to choose between overseas

and WNBA, that's always gonna
be a tough situation.

There's a mess
happening right now.

There's a real mess
happening right now.

As a player, I get it,
and I understand it.

I just- We just wish
it was different.

You know, I wish that
players didn't have to make

so many hard decisions,

but that's the reality
we're in right now.

That's why things have to change
in the WNBA. Like, that's why.

Overseas, to me,
is a gigantic pet peeve.

Our challenge is to blow up
the salary scale

of our league because they don't
make any freaking money, yet.

RENEE: When you play overseas,

you can make double
the amount of money

you make in the WNBA.

A lot of players make triple
and quadruple that.

There are WNBA players making
a million dollars overseas,

but it's a challenge
for so many reasons.

BERTLELA:
When she was in Hungary,

she felt she was being watched
in her apartment.

It may be that you're
in a country

where it's normal
for a guy to talk crazy

to a woman, like, of course.

PRODUCER: Were you ever worried
about her playing overseas?

Oh, all the time.

Some of the places that they had
to go to make the most money

were not exactly the places
that you grow up going,

"Boy, I would love to live there
for six months every year."

And they grew up like that.

And when they came back...

[camera shutter]

They were completely
different people.

One of the realities of playing
professional basketball,

if you're a woman,
how could you not go?

This is really bad, baby.
This is like our playoffs bad.

COACH: You know, not having
Tip around definitely hurts.

But being a former player
myself, I understand

the plight of women's
basketball.

The great thing is that
we have another game

and we have to refocus,
we have to have short memory

because we got to go in New York
and we got to try to pop them.

ANNOUNCER:
The Dream need to win

if they wanna get
to the post-season.

RENEE: Cheyenne wants it. Oh!

Trying to rise up we got
Chyna with the rebound.

Now they're trying to leave it
all on the floor right now

knowing this is-

- This is it.
- Such an important game.

There is literally
no games left.

This is it.

[Renee gasping]

Natasha Howard for three.

Wow, that's a big bucket.

- I just-
- It's okay. It's okay.

I just threw up.

What a game, Angel.
That we just watched.

[sniffles]

I don't know.
Like, there was...

Everybody was, like, playing
for something just bigger.

And it just,
it just feels like, you know,

they were giving it
all they had, and,

and everybody felt it.

And so, I don't know.

It was, it was, it was...
it was cool to see.

My hands are shaking.
I don't even know what to say.

It's crazy.

But next year,
we got em, though.

RENEE: What does Twitter say?

I'm sorry, babe.
This is your first big loss.

I'm sorry, babe.
You okay?

This is my first
big loss, actually.

- It sucks that we-
- It sucks!

That is a real cap to the
season right there, you know?

And it's not always a happy
ending, but it's okay,

because it all matters
just how you come back.

And it's like, it, it is, um,
something to look forward to.

It's like, okay,
you know, it ain't over.

- RENEE: Exactly.
- Even though we lost,

everybody's feeling
like, okay, it's not over.

That's how I feel. It's almost
like a, to be continued.

I think that's what
I feel on the inside.

It's like I feel
to be continued.

I was blessed to get in
through the back door.

But we're in here now.

I want to see how far
we can take it.

Look what they've accomplished.

They took a team
that had no respect,

and it was a laughingstock,

and changed the culture
in one year.

And she's still battling.

It's going to be a battle
for many, many, many years.

It's not going to be because
she's there now, it's fixed.

Sometimes people can be cynical
about What can you really do

to change a system
that's, that's broken?

LISA: The people that
are showing up every day

and cheering on this team,

they want to feel like
they belong.

And that's what Renee
and her team have created.

They've pushed it forward,
and it's here now,

and it's not going
nowhere no time soon.

The players that
played 20 years ago

would love to have
what they have today.

The way the media
now has recognized,

wow, these guys are really good,

but they've earned that.

It wasn't just
handed to them.

This whole thing of

I'm going to try to be an owner,
you don't initially set out

for it to be an act of activism.

But it was received that way.

People saw change happening.

And whenever there's change
happening, that is activating.

RENEE: You don't really see
a lot of people

that look like me
in my position.

And now you become a part
of the gatekeepers.

So, for me, a Black woman

to be a part of
a sports ownership group,

it is radical.

The systems are still broken.

Like, I'm not saying that
it's fixed right now.

Of course it's not.

But you let enough people
in the back door, it will be.

SERENA: So, Diddy
built that board?

- Diddy built that...
- Wow.

RENEE: From the ground up.

This is crazy watching y'all.

This is a full-circle
moment, ain't it?

I spent half my life right
there.

Half my life!