Atlanta fans have been waiting all season for a big signing, and they finally have one as Erika de Souza inks her contract for the Dream.
From the Dream's press release:
"Erika de Souza is one of the best post players in the world and continues to be a cornerstone of the Atlanta Dream organization through her elite level of play, passion for the game, and consistent leadership," said Dream President and General Manager Angela Taylor. "She has meant so much to the team's success, the fans, and the Atlanta community over the course of her seven seasons, so we are thrilled that she committed to helping the Dream bring a WNBA Championship to Atlanta."
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"I'm excited to have Erika back with the Dream," said head coach Michael Cooper. "She is one of the top post players in the world and a leader on our team. I'm looking forward to continuing to work together with her towards our goal of winning a championship."
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"I'm very happy to be able to continue my career with the Atlanta Dream," said de Souza. "I've been part of the Dream since the team's first season and Atlanta has become my second home. I'm looking forward to getting back on the court with Coach Cooper, the rest of the staff and my teammates, and I'm committed to helping bring a championship to Atlanta."
Erika de Souza has started every game she has appeared in since sometime during the 2008 season. She joined the Atlanta Dream in 2008 and is the only player on the roster who has been there for every year of the franchise's history (and she is the last remaining player from the 2008 roster). Every season since 2009, she's been a part of the Atlanta's trio of stars - de Souza, Angel McCoughtry and Sancho Lyttle. She is the Dream's franchise leader in games, rebounds, blocked shots and double-doubles.
Last year, de Souza scored 13.8 ppg and 8.7 rpg. De Souza is playing this off-season in Brazil for UniNassau/America alongside Dream teammate Tiffany Hayes as well as Sandora Irvin and Tamera Young.