Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler, a co-owner of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream and a staunch ally of Donald Trump, says the league’s social justice efforts may exclude some fans.
“I think a lot of people feel like they may not have a place,” Loeffler told ESPN on Tuesday. “They may feel left out of this sport and other sports that make them feel that American values are not at the center of what we are doing here.”
The WNBA announced that players will wear jerseys with the names of women killed by police and in racial violence on their jerseys when the league resumes later this week. They will also wear T-shirts with the Black Lives Matter slogan during warm-ups. The announcement prompted Loeffler to write to the league’s commissioner Cathy Engelbert, objecting to the link.
“The statement, ‘Black lives matters,’ is very different from the Black Lives Matter organization,” said Loeffler. “I think we all agree that the life of every African American is important. There is no place for racism in this country, and we have to eradicate it where it exists. But there is a political organization called Black Lives Matter that I think is very important in making the distinction between its goal and where we are as a country right now.
“The Black Lives Matter political organization advocates things like cutting funds and abolishing the police, abolishing our armed forces, emptying our prisons and destroying the nuclear family. Promote violence and anti-Semitism. For me, this is not what our league represents. “
Black Lives Matter is a decentralized movement and has no official policies.
There have long been objections to Loeffler’s ownership of the Dream among WNBA fans and players, who see his conservative views as antithetical to the league’s progressive policies. However, Loeffler told ESPN that he had no plans to walk away from the Dream.
“They can’t kick me out because of my opinions,” Loeffler said. “I intend to own the team. I’m not going. “
He also said he was happy to speak to players with different points of view. “I have always supported my team, although I know we can have different points of view,” Loeffler said. “But the best way we can have a common understanding is by working together on it, not excluding someone.”
On Saturday, two-time Olympic champion and Las Vegas star Angel McCoughtry said he believes Loeffler’s public statements have been about politics rather than his deeply held beliefs.
“As far as Kelly is concerned, I think at this point, she hasn’t reflected what the Dream logo means,” McCoughtry said. “If she really had [problems] With LGBTQ or Black Lives Matter, I don’t think we would have had players at home. Why do you have a WNBA team? I think she has to play the political game to look good in front of her peers. Ok, do that. If you want to play the political game, do it, but don’t include us in it. “
Earlier this month, the WNBA players’ association tweeted the message “ENOUGH! OUT!” along with a photo of Loeffler. The WNBA also released a statement on some of its previous comments.
“The WNBA is based on the principle of fair and equitable treatment for all people, and we, along with the teams and players, will continue to use our platforms to vigorously advocate for social justice,” the statement read. “Senator Kelly Loeffler has not served as Governor of the Atlanta Dream since October 2019 and is no longer involved in the day-to-day affairs of the team.”
