Atlanta Dream center Brionna Jones underwent right knee surgery at Emory Hospital, but newly acquired Angel Reese gives the team a cushion in the frontcourt.
The Atlanta Dream announced Monday that four-time All-Star center Brionna Jones underwent right knee surgery at Emory Hospital in Atlanta, leaving her status uncertain for the start of the WNBA season.
"Brionna Jones is currently recovering from right knee surgery performed by physicians at Emory Hospital in Atlanta. A timeline for her return to play will be provided at a later date," the team said in a statement.
Jones, who recently re-signed with Atlanta, was expected to pair with newly acquired forward Angel Reese to form one of the most imposing frontcourts in the WNBA this season.
The 30-year-old suffered a meniscus tear in late January while playing for a club in the Czech Republic. She had been expected to return in time for the start of the WNBA season and attended a news conference Friday alongside Reese and Atlanta's other returning free agents. The Dream did not say whether the surgery was related to the meniscus tear or stemmed from a new injury.
Jones averaged 12.8 points and 7.3 rebounds with 12 double-doubles last season in her first year with the Dream after spending her first eight seasons with the Connecticut Sun. While in Connecticut, she was named Sixth Player of the Year in 2022 and Most Improved Player in 2021.
If there is a silver lining for the Dream, it is the timing of the Reese acquisition. Atlanta acquired the two-time All-Star from the Chicago Sky on April 6 in exchange for first-round picks in 2027 and 2028, along with 2028 second-round swap rights.
Reese, 23, is the only player in WNBA history to average at least 12.0 rebounds per game in a season, a feat she accomplished in both 2024 and 2025. She led the league in rebounding at 12.6 per game last season and paced the league in double-doubles with 23 while also leading the Sky in scoring at 14.7 points per game and assists at 3.7 per game.
That production gives Atlanta a rebounding and interior presence capable of absorbing much of what Jones provided, even if her availability is delayed into the season. The Dream led the WNBA in rebounding as a team in 2025, and adding the league's rebounding champion to a frontcourt rotation that already produced at an elite level on the glass cushions the early-season blow.
Reese also joins a roster built to share the load. Guard Allisha Gray finished fourth in MVP voting last season, and Rhyne Howard remains one of the league's most dynamic wings. Atlanta finished 30-14 under first-year head coach Karl Smesko, improving from last in offensive rating in 2024 to second in 2025 before losing to the Indiana Fever in the first round of the playoffs.
"Angel's ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor is elite," Smesko said when the trade was announced. "Her energy, toughness and instincts will thrive in our system, and we're excited to integrate her into the style of play we are constructing here in Atlanta."
With Jones sidelined to open training camp, Naz Hillmon is the likely candidate to slide into the starting lineup. Hillmon broke out in Smesko's system last season and is positioned for an expanded role alongside Reese in the frontcourt.
The Dream also added depth behind them in last week's WNBA Draft, selecting Madina Okot with the No. 13 overall pick. Between Reese, Hillmon and Okot, Atlanta has the interior bodies to weather Jones's absence without significantly reshaping its rotation.
Atlanta opens the 2026 season at home on May 17 against the defending champion Las Vegas Aces at State Farm Arena.