The Atlanta Dream needed a spark. They’ve lost five straight games after a promising start to the season, slipping all the way to seventh place in the standings. So they called up a familiar face with a ring to her name.
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough signed a rest-of-season contract with the Dream on Tuesday, the team announced. She’s a 10-year veteran and a WNBA champion from the 2019 Washington Mystics run. To make room, Atlanta waived rookie Indya Nivar, who appeared in 19 games this season but averaged just over three minutes per night.
Why Walker-Kimbrough Makes Sense for Atlanta
This isn’t her first go-round with the Dream. She played the 2025 season in Atlanta after signing as a free agent that offseason. In 41 games, she shot 35.5 percent from three while averaging a little over eight minutes. She only started once. But she knows the system and the locker room.
Walker-Kimbrough started this season with the Indiana Fever but only played two games before getting cut. The Fever opted to keep rookie Grace VanSlooten instead. So she was sitting there, available, when the Dream came calling.
The No. 6 overall pick in the 2017 draft, Walker-Kimbrough nearly won Sixth Player of the Year in 2024. That was with the Mystics. She’s also had stops with the Phoenix Mercury and Connecticut Sun. So she’s been around, seen a lot, and knows what it takes to win in this league.
Can She Help Stop the Skid?
Atlanta’s backcourt has been searching for consistency. Walker-Kimbrough gives them a steady, experienced guard who can knock down threes and defend. She won’t log 30 minutes a night, but she doesn’t need to. The Dream just need someone who can come in, keep the offense moving, and not make costly mistakes.
The Dream host the Seattle Storm on Thursday. That’s a chance to turn things around, cut the losing streak at five, and maybe get back on track before the season gets any shakier. If Walker-Kimbrough can give them even a small jolt, that signing could look like a smart move pretty quickly.
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