Renee Montgomery
A WNBA champion who stepped away from playing to buy her team, reshaping the league's future as an executive and activist owner.
Born 1986 (age 40)·American basketball player·Birthday: December 2·Millennials
Biography
Renee Montgomery didn't just play professional basketball; she changed its business model from the inside. A lightning-quick point guard out of UConn, where she won a national championship, she brought her competitive fire to an 11-year WNBA career, winning two titles with the Minnesota Lynx. But her most transformative move came in 2020. Opting out of the season to focus on social justice activism, she later retired and assembled an ownership group to purchase the Atlanta Dream from a controversial previous owner. This historic maneuver made her the first former WNBA player to become both an owner and executive of a franchise. Now as a vice president and part-owner, Montgomery operates at the intersection of sports, business, and advocacy, proving that athletes can wield power in the boardroom to directly influence the leagues they helped build.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Renee was born in 1986, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Renee Was Born
The biggest hits of 1986
#1 Movie
Top Gun
Best Picture
Platoon
#1 TV Show
The Cosby Show
Renee's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1986Born
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1991Started school
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1999Became a teenager
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2002Could drive
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2004Could vote
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2007Turned 21
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2016Turned 30
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 40
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became the first former WNBA player to transition into an owner and executive, purchasing the Atlanta Dream.
- Won two WNBA championships (2015, 2017) as a player with the Minnesota Lynx.
- Won an NCAA national championship with the University of Connecticut Huskies in 2009.
- Named a WNBA All-Star in 2011 while playing for the Connecticut Sun.
Did You Know?
She was part of the UConn team that had a historic 90-game winning streak.
Montgomery is also a part-owner of an indoor football team, the FCF Beasts.
She has worked as a basketball analyst for ESPN and SEC Network.
Her decision to opt out of the 2020 WNBA season was a high-profile stand for social justice.
“I realized I could have more impact off the court than on it.”
