The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Loeffler opposes WNBA’s Black Lives message
Senator, who co-owns Atlanta team, is against ‘more politics in sports.’
U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler objects to the WNBA’s plans to honor the Black Lives Matter movement, warning Tuesday that subscribing to a “particular political agenda undermines the potential of the sport and sends a message of exclusion.”
Loeffler, a Republican who co-owns Atlanta’s WNBA franchise, urged Commissio ner Cathy Engelbert in a letter to scrap plans for players to wear warmup jerseys reading “Black Lives Matter” and “Say Her Name” and instead put an American flag on all uniforms and apparel.
“The truth is, we need less — not more politics in sports,” said Loeffler, who faces a November special election against 20 other candidates.
“In a time when polarizing politics is as divisive as ever, sports has the power to be a unifying antidote,” said Loeffler. “And now more than ever, we should be united in our goal to remove politics from sports.”
The letter faced swift and sharp criticism from players and fans, as well as the WNBA players’ union, which tweeted: “E-N-O-UG-H! O-U-T!” In a statement, the league distanced itself from Loeffler, noting she isn’t involved in day-to-day operations of the team.
“The WNBA is based on the principle of equal and fair treatment of all people and we, along with the teams and players, will continue to use our platforms to vigorously advocate for social justice,” the league said.
Loeffler, who has co-owned the Atlanta Dream since 2011, has faced increasing pressure to sell her stake in the team since her
appointment to the open seat by Gov. Brian Kemp in December.
She’s aligned herself closely with President Donald Trump and staked positions against abortion rights and as an outspoken critic of the Black Lives Matter protests demanding racial justice and equality. High-profile WNBA players such as Sue Bird, Skylar Diggins-Smith and Natasha Cloud recently urged Engelbert to sanction Loeffler after she referred to armed Black protesters gathered near the site of Rayshard Brooks shooting death in Atlanta as “mob rule.”
Dream guard Renee Montgomery, who is sitting out the 2020 WNBA season to focus on social justice initiatives, responded to the video circulating with Loeffler’s mob rule comments.
“The second amendment is a part of the Bill of Rights,” Montgomery wrote on Twitter. “The problem some may be having is who is bearing the arms.”
Loeffler, who said she wasn’t consulted about the league’s change, used the phrase in the Tuesday letter, saying the protest movement has spurred “lawless autonomous zones” in Atlanta and other cities across the nation.
“I denounced these zones of violence — for which I have been criticized,” wrote Loeffler. “However, this same group fell silent over the fourth of July weekend when an 8-year-old girl was murdered under the ‘mob rule’ that I warned about days earlier. This is not a political movement that the league should be embracing, and I emphatically oppose it.”
The league announced Monday it would kick off the season in late July with a tournament in Florida “centered around the Black Lives Matter movement” and uniforms invoking the names of women such as Breonna Taylor who was fatally shot by police in Kentucky in March.
Former Atlanta Dream and University of Louisville star Angel McCoughtry led the campaign to wear the names on jerseys during the season.
Throughout the season, players are set to wear warmup jerseys emblazoned with “Black Lives Matter” on the front and “Say Her Name” on the back. “Black Lives Matter” will also be featured on the courts during the games.
Until Tuesday, the WNBA and the players’ association have not spoken about Loeffler’s appointment or her political stances.
The Dream organization’s only statement on the matter came last year when it said that it is not a “political entity” and is focused on “building a successful team on the court and creating a top fan experience.”
Point guard Layshia Clarendon, who played for the Dream from 2016 to 2018, spoke out about her experience with Loeffler.
“I can’t believe I ever stepped foot in Kelly’s house and shared a meal with her. It’s actually really hurtful to see her true colors,” Clarendon said on Twitter. “I had no idea while I played for ATL she felt this way. Happy to own us as long as we stay quiet and perform.”
In her letter, Loeffler framed her idea for an American flag patch on WNBA uniforms as a call for a “unifying rallying point for the American people” at a tumultuous time.
”I sincerely hope you will consider my proposal. Because if we can’t acknowledge, much less unite behind our flag during this struggle, we’ll never achieve the goals we all want for each other.”