The Atlanta Dream announced on Monday that assistant coach Fred Williams would replace head coach and general manager Marynell Meadors but they declined to give any reason for the move. Thus far coach Meadors has remained silent on the subject as well so we are left to speculate.
It was easy to see that things weren't exactly rosy between Meadors and All-Star forward Angel McCoughtry who sat out two games last week for what was called "personal reasons" by the team. It was the latest in a string of episodes between McCoughtry and Meadors which usually ended with a random absence or a removal from the starting lineup. However, this time it seems things went further than the point where they could be fixed which ultimately resulted in Meadors' departure.
A response on Twitter by Team USA coach Geno Auriemma seems to suggest that ownership in this case backed McCoughtry and not Meadors. That could spell disaster in the long run for new head coach Fred Williams who will be facing a locker room that very well could be divided with McCoughtry on one side and the rest of her teammates on the other.
McCoughtry is one of the most talented players in the WNBA but she also belongs on the list of the hardest to deal with. Its a delicate balance that a head coach must navigate because in these situations it is seldom the player that is packing their bags for a new destination. This whole situation once again provides proof for that statement.