Ryan „Dayfri“ Conger chats with teammates during a game break.
Doyle RaderRyan Conger is picking up the controller and returning to competitive gaming. Conger, the 2022 NBA 2K League Most Valuable Player and 2022 NBA 2K League Defensive Player of the Year, is stepping down as the head coach of Mavs Gaming to resume his career as a player.
“[I’m] super excited to be back playing for my hometown team,” Conger said in a release. “[I’m] ready to get back to the winning ways of Mavs Gaming and ultimately bring a championship to the City of Dallas.”
After retiring as a player in 2022, Conger, who goes by the gamer tag Dayfri, assumed the role of head coach of Mavs Gaming. He stepped down from that role earlier in September when Wizards District Gaming, his former team, retained his rights as a player.
The move led Mavs Gaming to acquire Conger in a trade with Wizards District Gaming. Mavs Gaming also received Justin “Kapp” Kaplan and a 2025 second-round draft pick in exchange for a 2024 first-round draft pick, a 2024 second-round draft pick—via Raptors GC—and a 2025 first-round draft pick.
This is the second trade Mavs Gaming has made this month. On September 7, the team sent Reid “Reizey” Hill and a 2025 second-round draft pick to NetsGC in exchange for Connor “Shotz” Rodrigues and a 2025 third-round draft pick.
Although Conger only spent a year as a coach before returning as a player, the organization feels it was a valuable learning experience. They think it will help him and, in turn, help Mavs Gaming achieve new heights in competition.
“We are grateful to Ryan for the leadership and culture he brought to Mavs Gaming as our head coach. As a coach, his knowledge of the game and his ability to communicate that knowledge increased throughout the season,” Senior Director of Mavs Gaming Brad Freeman said in a statement.
“We believe that knowledge, coupled with his growing passion to play in the league again, has made him a better player than he has ever been. For us to work out a trade to bring Ryan and Kapp to Mavs Gaming is incredible for our organization. The future is bright!”