Renee Montgomery

Renee Danielle Montgomery (born December 2, 1986) is an American former professional basketball player, sports broadcaster and an activist; who is currently vice president, part-owner, and investor of the Atlanta Dream, and one of three owners of the FCF Beasts Indoor Football Team; making her the first player in the WNBA to become an owner and executive of a team and first female owner in the FCF. During her 11-year playing career in the Women's National Basketball Association, she won two championships with the Minnesota Lynx in 2015 and 2017. During her college playing career, she won a national championship with the UConn Huskies in 2009. In 2020, Montgomery opted-out of the WNBA season in protest of police brutality, bringing forth awareness throughout the league and leading multiple campaigns dedicated to human rights.

High school Montgomery was a high school teammate of fellow future WNBA player Alexis Hornbuckle at South Charleston High School, where she was a captain each year of her high school career. She led the school to the West Virginia state Championships three times, averaging 22.5 points, six assists, five rebounds and five steals while leading the school to the West Virginia Class AAA Final as a senior. She also played on the varsity soccer team. She finished her career in the Top Ten of many categories in the UConn women's basketball recordbooks including No. 1 in games played (150), No. 6 in career points (1,990), No. 6 in FG's (703), No. 4 in 3pt FG's (254), No. 9 in FT's (330), No. 3 in Assists (632), and No. 5 in Steals (266). She was the first Husky to be recognized in the "Huskies of Honor" while still playing in a Husky uniform.

On July 20, 2015, Montgomery was reacquired by the Minnesota Lynx in a trade for Monica Wright. Montgomery ended up winning her first WNBA championship with the Lynx after they defeated the Indiana Fever in the Finals.

In 2016, Montgomery played a full season for the Lynx for the first time since her rookie season. She averaged 7.5 ppg off the bench and the Lynx were in the hunt to win back-to-back championships, but lost to the Los Angeles Sparks in the Finals.

In 2017, Montgomery averaged 8.0 ppg and achieved a new career-high in field goal shooting percentage. Montgomery also started in 12 of 34 games played while Whalen was sidelined with a hand injury. The Lynx continued to be a championship contender in the league after making it to the Finals for the sixth time in seven seasons, setting up a rematch with the Sparks. This time the Lynx would win in 5 games, winning their fourth championship in seven seasons, tying the now-defunct Houston Comets for most championship titles.

On February 1, 2018, Montgomery signed a multi-year contract with the Atlanta Dream. She would be the starting point guard for the team. On August 12, 2018, Montgomery scored a season-high 30 points along with a career-high 8 three-pointers in an 86–77 victory over the New York Liberty, tying the regular season record for most three-pointers in a game. She also hit 7 of her 8 three-pointers in the second half, breaking the WNBA record for most three-pointers in a half. By the end of the season, Montgomery set the franchise record for most three-pointers made in a season. The Dream finished 23–11 with the number 2 seed in the league, receiving a double-bye to the semi-finals. Without the team's leading scorer Angel McCoughtry, who was sidelined with a knee injury, the Dream were short-handed in the playoffs and lost in five games to the Washington Mystics.

In June 2020, Montgomery announced that she would forgo the 2020 WNBA season due to concerns of racism and the coronavirus. In February 2021, she announced her retirement from the WNBA. In 2017, Montgomery signed with Maccabi Ramat Hen of the Israeli League for the 2017-18 off-season. Loeffler had previously refused a visit with Montgomery on social justice initiatives.

Broadcasting In 2020, Montgomery began working as a studio analyst for Fox Sports Southeast's broadcasts of Atlanta Hawks games. She had previously appeared on the network as a guest analyst.

Montgomery called 2021 NCAA women's basketball tournament games for ESPN alongside Beth Mowins.

In September 2021, Montgomery joined Meadowlark Media, for which she makes the podcast Montgomery & Co.

Other ventures

Montgomery is an investor in MOORvision Technologies and Ucam, a camera built to capture athlete's point of view during games.

Documentary In 2024, A Radical Act: Renee Montgomery, a feature documentary chronicling Montgomery's journey from WNBA star to team co-owner and activist, was released on Roku Originals. Produced by LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s UNINTERRUPTED and directed by Emmy Award winner Sandrine Orabona, the film explores Montgomery's impact on sports, social justice, and community leadership. The documentary premiered at the Uninterrupted Film Festival and screened at the Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival.

Personal life In April 2020, Montgomery married music artist Sirena Grace. She has a stepson named Angel Wiley, and a clip from 2023 featuring them dancing in their seats at an Atlanta Dream game went viral on social media in January 2025, in which Wiley is referred to as "Chopped Chin" in reference to the appearance of her chin.

Awards and honors 2005 McDonald's All-America. 2005 Gatorade West Virginia High School Player of the Year. 2005 Street & Smith Third Team All-America. 2005 Associated Press West Virginia Player of the Year. 2005 WBCA Honorable Mention All-America. 2004 Street & Smith Third Team All-America. 2003 Street & Smith Honorable Mention All-America 2009 Nancy Lieberman Award – Top Point Guard