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Portrait of Renee Montgomery

Renee Montgomery

Basketball, Sports Administration, Sports Media · Queer · American

About

Renee Montgomery is a former WNBA player, sports executive, team owner, broadcaster, entrepreneur, and social justice advocate. A two-time WNBA champion and former All-Star, she became the first former WNBA player to hold both an ownership stake and an executive position with a WNBA team.

Biography

Renee Montgomery built a successful professional basketball career after a standout run at the University of Connecticut, where she helped the Huskies win the 2009 NCAA championship. Selected fourth overall by the Minnesota Lynx in the 2009 WNBA Draft, she played 11 WNBA seasons with Minnesota, the Connecticut Sun, the Seattle Storm, and the Atlanta Dream. She was named an All-Star in 2011 and won Sixth Woman of the Year in 2012, both while playing for Connecticut. After returning to Minnesota, she won WNBA championships with the Lynx in 2015 and 2017.

Montgomery chose not to play in the 2020 season so she could focus on social reform and racial justice. She announced her retirement in February 2021, and later that month joined the group approved to purchase the Atlanta Dream. As a team owner and Vice President, she became the first former WNBA player to hold both an ownership stake and an executive role with a WNBA team.

Since leaving the court, Montgomery has worked across sports media, entrepreneurship, and entertainment. She and her wife, Sirena Grace, founded Think Tank Productions, a media company that supports underrepresented creators and innovators of color in telling their own stories. Montgomery has also worked as a broadcaster and hosts Montgomery & Co., a podcast covering sports, business, and entertainment.

Her career connects elite basketball, team ownership, media, and a continuing commitment to social justice and representation.

Notable Works

  • WNBA Career (2009 – 2019)

    Eleven-season WNBA career, including two championships with the Minnesota Lynx, an All-Star selection, and the 2012 Sixth Woman of the Year Award.

  • Atlanta Dream Ownership and Executive Leadership (2021 – present)

    Became the first former WNBA player to hold both an ownership stake and executive position with a WNBA team; currently Partner and Vice President of the Atlanta Dream.

  • Think Tank Productions

    Media company founded by Montgomery and Sirena Grace focused on creating opportunities for underrepresented creators and innovators of color.

  • A Radical Act: Renee Montgomery (2024)

    Feature documentary chronicling Montgomery’s journey from WNBA player to Atlanta Dream co-owner and executive.

  • Montgomery & Co.

    Sports, business, and entertainment podcast featuring Montgomery and members of her family, including her wife, Sirena Grace.

  • Women’s Sports Now (2026)

    Women’s sports studio program featuring Montgomery as a host and covering athletes, culture, and major stories across women’s sports.

Learn More

BQW Impact

Renee Montgomery’s career demonstrates the expanding influence of Black queer women in professional sports, from elite athletics to social justice advocacy, media, entrepreneurship, and team ownership. Her transition from WNBA player to Atlanta Dream owner and executive, alongside her work supporting representation and underrepresented creators, makes her a significant example of Black queer women’s leadership in sports and beyond.

Profile details

  • Fields: Sports
  • Roles: Basketball, Sports Administration, Sports Media
  • Gender Identity: Woman
  • LGBTQ Identity: Queer
  • Nationality: American
  • Ethnicity: African American
  • Topics: WNBA, Professional

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