Who is Senator Kelly Loeffler? WNBA players revolt to oust Atlanta Dream co-owner

Senator Kelly Loeffler of Georgia, the co-owner of WNBA franchise Atlanta Dream, has endured the wrath of the league and the players after she wrote a letter to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert to express her opposition to the league's Black Lives Matter initiative, urging the league to put the US flag on every team jersey ahead of the season's resumption later this month. The WNBA co-owner was not only blasted by the league but several current and former players also demanded the ousting of Loeffler from the WNBA.

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Who is Senator Kelly Loeffler? WNBA owner stands vehemently opposed to BLM movement

A member of the Republican Party and a long time supporter of US President Donald Trump, Kelly Loeffler has been the co-owner of Atlanta Dream since 2010. She acquired a minority stake in the franchise, which as quoted by AJC, was because it was her "dream to honour the sport, adopted hometown and the girls in the stands." However, Loeffler has always been a controversial figure. Loeffler's letter was in response to the WNBA approving the application to showcase the words "Black Lives Matter" on the courts when the season resumes at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

The letter was procured by several US publications which confirms the 'WNBA owner blasts BLM movement" claims. "I adamantly oppose the Black Lives Matter political movement, which has advocated for the defunding of police, called for the removal of Jesus from churches and the disruption of the nuclear family structure, harboured anti-Semitic views, and promoted violence and destruction across the country," Loeffler wrote in the letter. "I believe it is totally misaligned with the values and goals of the WNBA and the Atlanta Dream, where we support tolerance and inclusion."

“The truth is, we need less - not more politics in sports,” she added, trying to explain it would be "common sense" to add the American flag to WNBA jerseys and official merchandise. 

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Who is Senator Kelly Loeffler? WNBA stars demand ouster of Loeffler from the league

A number of current and former WNBA players blasted Kelly Loeffler for her controversial views regarding the Black Lives Matter movement. The likes of Sheryl Swoopes, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Natasha Cloud, Alysha Clark and Sue Bird have all slammed Loeffler and have also asked the league to remove Loeffler as co-owner of Atlanta Dream.

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Los Angeles Sparks star Candace Parker appeared on NBA on TNT on Tuesday where she blasted Loeffler for bringing negativity to the WNBA. "There is no place in the league, there is no place in the WNBA, a league that is the majority-minority," Candace Parker said. "I’ve said this a number of times, this is a league that is 80% African-American women. We talk about the socioeconomic background, gender, women, Black, talk about sexual orientation. There is no place in this league."

The WNBA was quick to react to the calls to remove Senator Kelly Loeffler as the owner of the Dream. WNBA's statement noted Kelly Loeffler has not served as a "Governor of the Atlanta Dream since October 2019," and she is no longer involved in the day-to-day business of the franchise.”

Who is Senator Kelly Loeffler? Kelly Loeffler net worth

According to Celebrity Net Worth, the Kelly Loeffler net worth figure is currently estimated to be around $500 million. Born in Bloomington, Illinois in 1970, Loeffler graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and earned her MBA from DePaul University. She became a United States Senator from Georgia in January this year.

DISCLAIMER: The Kelly Loeffler net worth information is sourced from other websites/publications. This website does not guarantee 100% accuracy of the Kelly Loeffler net worth figures. 

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(Image Credits: AP, Alysha Clark, Renee Montgomery, WNBA Twitter handles)