Gotham FC’s interim head of business operations Kristin Bernert still has her hands in basketball. Bernert’s company, KB2 Sports, is leading the search for the Atlanta Dream’s next general manager, according to The Next.
Bernert has extensive experience in WNBA front offices, having recently served in a major role with the New York Liberty. Prior to joining the Liberty, Bernert was president of the Los Angeles Sparks and vice president of the Detroit Shock.
Bernert’s search comes at a critical time for the Dream, who are dealing with the fallout from multiple recent controversies.
In April, the team fired president and general manager Chris Sienko. Then, right before the start of the 2021 season, head coach Nicki Collen announced she was leaving to take over the Baylor women’s basketball program. In July, interim coach Mike Petersen stepped down citing health reasons. In the interim, Darius Taylor has served as head coach.
Along with significant turnover at the top, the Dream are working to address several internal issues. After a video surfaced on Sunday showing Dream players Courtney Williams and Crystal Bradford getting into a fight outside of an Atlanta club back in May, Williams has apologized and the Dream and the WNBA have said they are gathering more information on the incident.
In the aftermath, co-owner Renee Montgomery has said the team knew of the fight back in May but didn’t realize the “magnitude” of the situation until watching the full clip. The players’ agent said he’s been informed that the Dream will not re-sign either player.
In addition to the video, second-year guard Chennedy Carter has been posting cryptic tweets since the end of the season, alluding to her frustration with the team. Carter was suspended in July following a reported altercation in the locker room during a game.
“We want to build a foundation of accountability, we want to build a foundation of integrity,” Montgomery said on ESPN this week. “But we also still want to continue to believe our players.”