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Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), who co-owns the Atlanta Dream, penned a lengthy letter to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert that objected to the league’s plan to honor the Black Lives Matter movement, reports to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The WNBA announced on Monday that the 2020 season would be dedicated to social justice, launching a platform titled the Justice Movement, which will “amplify the voices and leadership of WNBA players.” The statement revealed plans for players to wear warmup jerseys that read “Black Lives Matter” and “Say Her Name,” referencing Breonna Taylor, a Black first responder who was shot eight times in her own apartment by Louisville Metro police officers in March.
Loeffler opposed the plans, claiming they were too political and exclusionary, and instead suggested the players, coaches, and fans wear jerseys and apparel with the American flag printed on them.
“I appreciate your hard work as the WNBA Commissioner, especially during these challenging moments, but I was incredibly disappointed to read about efforts to insert a political platform into the league,” she
“Players, coaches, and yes – team owners – share differing opinions on many issues. All of us have a constitutional right to hold and to express our views. But to subscribe to a particular political agenda undermines the potential of the sport and sends a message of exclusion.”
Loeffler noted that sports have become too politicized, and called for an end to politics in sports amid such an already divisive time. She also doubled down on “mob rule” comments she made on Fox News regarding the killing of a young girl over Fourth of July weekend.
“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,” she wrote. “This is not a political movement that the league should be embracing, and I emphatically oppose it.
The Senator faced backlash on Twitter from the WNBA players union along with several high profile players, including Sue Bird, Alysha Clark, and Dream guard Renee Montgomery, who wrote, “I’m pretty sad to see that my team ownership is not supportive of the movement & all that it stands for”:
Engelbert also addressed the letter in a statement on the WNBA website, which reads, “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