WNBA can’t sidestep ‘she who must not be named’
Atlanta Hawks coach Pierce was fired less than halfway into a season that began with the Hawks’ practice on Monday morning in Miami.
“We would like to thank Lloyd for his work and commitment to not only the Hawks organization but the city of Atlanta,” Schlenk said in the statement.
The Hawks named Nate McMillan interim coach. McMillan, the former Pacers coach, was added to Pierce’s staff in the offseason. McMillan has a 661-588 record with Seattle, Portland and Indiana.
McMillan filled in for Pierce when Pierce was recently away from the team while his wife was
When WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert welcomed the new owners of the Atlanta Dream — Renee Montgomery, Larry Gottesdiener and Suzanne Abair — and commended Dream players for standing up to their previous co-owner last season, she didn’t say Kelly Loeffler’s name.
Loeffler was the WNBA’s biggest internal problem until this defacto resolution. Last season, she attempted to undermine the league’s anti-racism and social justice efforts by using her privilege as a U.S.
Senator, supporter of the
Trump administration, and co-owner of a team to criti- cize the Black Lives Matter organization.
“They threatened to burn the system down literally and figuratively if they don’t get what they want,” she said on Fox News. “This is an organization that seeks to destroy American principles and I had to draw the line.” These came after another appearance on the network when she described Black Atlanta protesters legally carrying guns after the police killing of Rayshard Brooks as “mob rule” and “unacceptable,” yet said nothing of armed white supremacists who exhibited the exact behavior she described (See: Kyle Rittenhouse and the McCloskeys). When the Dream and WNBPA
The Raptors’ game against Detroit that was scheduled for tonight is being postponed until Wednesday, a move that the NBA hopes gives the Raptors time to get back onto the floor.
The Raptors were scheduled to play Chicago on Sunday and that game was postponed indefinitely because of positive tests and contact tracing issues. The league cautioned that Wednesday is a tentative rescheduling date for the game against the Pistons, and is “pending additional test results.” called out Loeffler for her comments, she said she was a victim of cancel culture.
Yet, even as her infamous chapter of WNBA history came to a close, her actions were only ever spoken about without directly connecting her name to them by the commissioner.
“We’ve discussed what this (change in ownership) represents, the importance of having an ownership group who shares the values of the W and what we stand for,” Engetbert said. “I also want to take this time to thank the WNBA players, particularly the Dream players. They were put in a difficult position. I was proud of the way they handled the situation. They stood for their values and demonstrated professionalism, they served as role models for advocacy and continue to do so. So, huge respect.
“But today is about the
Players called on Engelbert to force Loeffler to sell her share of the team, but Engelbert declined. She sent a weak statement instead, saying the league stands for equality and would continue to use its platforms for social justice — and that Loeffler wasn’t actually involved in day-to-day activities. But much like the disconnect in Thursday’s speech, no direct line stating the league denounced Loeffler’s actions.
Loeffler’s name has, for the most part, been separated from the problem, even though the league has made it clear it stands apart from everything Loeffler embodies.
“Last year, 2020, the players of the Dream refused to just shut up and dribble. They found their collective voice and the world listened,” new majority owner Gottesdiener said. (Notice the allusion to a problem, without accounting for who/ what). “(We) will invest in the organization and in the community and create a culture with shared values that Atlanta will be proud of, that will support our players and that will amplify their message of women’s empowerment and social justice.” Even Montgomery, who recently retired from the Dream to join the ownership group, side-stepped questions on Loeffler. “For me, it’s all about looking forward right now,” she said.
When pressed, Engelbert opted to tout Loeffler’s contribution to the league, then pivot again toward moving forward.
“Mary Brock and Kelly Loeffler were the first women professional sports owners in
Georgia,” Engelbert said, “and they did make significant contributions and we thank them for that... I wasn’t around back then, but in two of the first three seasons the Dream reached the WNBA Finals… As I mentioned, (Loeffler is) in the past now.”
It is understandable that the league would want to move on from Loeffler, but to move beyond the past, it must first confront it. Loeffler represented exactly what the league has tried to combat: racism. It’s not enough just to say you denounce racism and believe in equality, you have to be accountable and hold your own team accountable.
That should have started with a statement from the commissioner saying the league does not condone Loeffler’s rhetoric. Include Loeffler’s name in the same sentence. Don’t remove her from a moral and ethical problem she created within the league.
It’s good manners not to bad mouth others, but not even to say directly that Loeffler was part of the problem is a problem.
Engelbert and the league can’t claim to stand by players, then be afraid to stand up to their peers. Anti-racism work starts at home, if anyone’s learned anything over the last year. It’s calling out people when they’re wrong.
If the league wants to claim credit for combating racism and truly standing with its players for their social justice work, denouncing Loeffler directly, was the way to do it. Not tip-toeing around her name.