ATLANTA (August 14, 2025) – The Atlanta Dream announced today the hiring of Traci Messier as Vice President of Communications and External Affairs. An accomplished public relations and communications professional, Messier’s expertise in strategic communications planning, media relations and deep community engagement will strengthen the Dream’s efforts to engage with media, fans and the local community. 

“As the Atlanta Dream continue this unprecedented growth trajectory and positive momentum in the city of Atlanta, I’m thrilled to be able to bring on such a talented storyteller and communications strategist to ensure our athlete, partner and brand stories come to life on both a local and national scale,” said Morgan Shaw Parker, Atlanta Dream President and COO. “Traci is a skilled leader who understands how to align sport, culture and entertainment to deliver a product that fans embrace and we are thrilled to have her as a part of our team.”  

Messier is regarded as one of the most respected public relations executives in Atlanta, bringing with her more than two decades of experience in journalism, media relations and communications strategy. Most recently, she served as the Director of Corporate Communications for the U.S. Soccer Federation, leading public relations efforts for the governing body of American soccer related to the construction of the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center, as well as supporting planning and preparation for the FIFA World Cup in 2026. 

Prior to that, Messier spent 12 years at Jackson Spalding, the largest independent public relations and marketing agency in the Southeast. There she served as co-lead of the agency’s sports practice, providing strategic communications leadership for a host of clients where she was tasked with building and protecting their reputations. Traci was a member of Jackson Spalding’s speaker coaching team, served as the in-house culture lead for the 150-plus person agency and led account work for clients in the sports, real estate, hospitality and non-profit space. 

“The Atlanta Dream are leaders in the community, trendsetters in the industry and fierce competitors on the court, and I’m grateful to be able to join such an incredible team,” said Messier. “I’ve long been passionate about growing women’s sports, and there’s no better place to make that happen than with this franchise and the WNBA. I’m ready to get to work, building on the Dream’s existing momentum and helping tell the stories of this team and its remarkable players.” 

Messier, a Rochester, NY native, is an alum of the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, majoring in Broadcast Journalism. She began her career in sports media at CBS Sports in Manhattan. She then served as sports anchor and reporter at WENY in Elmira, NY, Time Warner Cable News and WHAM-TV in Rochester, earning a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award and was the first woman to receive the Rochester Press Radio Club Sportscaster of the Year Award. She also worked as a lead publicist for Liz Lapidus Public Relations and led marketing efforts at Reynolds Lake Oconee.  

About the Atlanta Dream 

Established in Atlanta in 2008, the Atlanta Dream is the Southeast’s only WNBA franchise, playing its home games at the Gateway Center Arena @ College Park. Dream games are telecast locally on Peachtree TV and simulcast on Peachtree Sports Network across the state of Georgia. Since 2009, the Dream has produced 12 WNBA All-Stars, earned 10 playoff bids and made three WNBA finals appearances. For more information about the Dream, visit dream.wnba.com and follow @AtlantaDream on Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok. 

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