WNBA players put on show of support for Atlanta Dream owner Kelly Loeffler's senate rival

Earlier this month, US senator and part-owner of WNBA team Atlanta Dream, Kelly Loeffler voiced her opinion about WNBA's social justice plans, admitting that she is against their agenda. She has since received constant criticism about her harsh words as WNBA players have publicly begun to oppose her by supporting her senate rival – Raphael Warnock. Their stand comes despite her owning a part of the Dream, as players wore "Vote Warnock" t-shirts before their games this week. 

Also read | Who is Senator Kelly Loeffler? WNBA players revolt to oust Atlanta Dream owner

WNBA players oppose Atlanta Dream owner Kelly Loeffler by wearing a Vote Warnock t-shirt

pic.twitter.com/YtwexUHuvV

— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) August 4, 2020

Letter sent to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert spoke against them supporting Black Lives Matter movement

In Kelly Loeffler's letter to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert before the WNBA season resumed, she highlighted all the reasons why the league is wrong in honouring the Black Lives Movement. Loeffler, who is currently running for re-election in Georgia, asked Engelbert to stop all the league's plans to wear warmup jerseys instead of 'BLM' and 'Say Her Name' written on them and replace the words with an American flag on all uniforms. 

“The truth is, we need less - not more politics in sports. In a time when polarizing politics is as divisive as ever, sports has the power to be a unifying antidote,” wrote Loeffler. “And now more than ever, we should be united in our goal to remove politics from sports.” She also complained about not being consulted about the decision.

Cathy Englebert later released a statement about the matter, stating: "WNBA is based on the principle of equal and fair treatment of all people". She explained that "Loeffler has not served as a Governor of the Atlanta Dream since October 2019 and is no longer involved in the day-to-day business of the team.” WNBA players supported their commissioner, tweeting “E-N-O-U-G-H! O-U-T!”. 

Also read | Dream owner Loeffler objects to WNBA's social justice plans

WNBA players wear the Vote Warnock t-shirt and speak up at the WNBA 'wubble'

We are @wnba players, but like the late, great John Lewis said, we are also ordinary people with extraordinary vision. @ReverendWarnock has spent his life fighting for the people and we need him in Washington. Join the movement for a better Georgia at https://t.co/hC8iF9urak pic.twitter.com/mvN5e9m4oO

— Elizabeth Williams (@E_Williams_1) August 4, 2020

While NBA players have always spoken against Loeffler's opinion, they resorted to wearing the t-shirts as her election campaign heats up. Before Tuesday's game between Phoenix Mercury and Atlanta Dream, players from both teams arrived at the court wearing t-shirts that read 'Vote Warnock'. Players from Chicago Sky, Seattle Storm and Connecticut Sun also wore the t-shirts. Mercury uploaded a video of Diana Taurasi wearing the Vote Warnock t-shirt before tip-off. While the Dream shared lesser photos of players wearing the t-shirts, Dream centre Elizabeth Williams shared pictures of herself wearing the t-shirt on her private social media account.

According to the New York Times, 11-time WNBA All-Star Sue Bird was the one who suggested the idea of wearing the t-shirts. WNBA players have reportedly held Zoom meetings with Warnock where they tried to understand his campaign better so they can confidently support him. “When we realized what our owner was doing and how she was kind of using us and the Black Lives Matter movement for her political gain, we felt like we didn’t want to feel kind of lost as the pawns in this,” Williams said to the Times. 

We are @wnba players, but like the late great John Lewis said, we are also ordinary people with extraordinary vision. @ReverendWarnock has spent his life fighting for the people and we need him in Washington. Join the movement for a better Georgia at https://t.co/yoJkjDeYy7 pic.twitter.com/IwK6xRqTIJ

— Sue Bird (@S10Bird) August 5, 2020

Also read | WNBA players adjusting to life in their Florida bubble

Kelly Loeffler stands by her words, lashes out on WNBA players

.@SenatorLoeffler responds: “This is just more proof that the out of control cancel culture wants to shut out anyone who disagrees with them. It’s clear that the league is more concerned with playing politics than basketball, and I stand by what I wrote in June.” #gapol #gasen pic.twitter.com/AYJdfTia6N

— Greg Bluestein (@bluestein) August 5, 2020

Loeffler, who has owned a part of the Dream since 2011, spoke up on all the criticism she has received, claiming that she was being targetted by 'cancel culture'. “This is just more proof that the out of control cancel culture wants to shut out anyone who disagrees with them,” she wrote. “It’s clear that the league is more concerned with playing politics than basketball.”

Players have been firm over their stand and the WNBA Players’ Association Union has also called fr Engelbert to remove Loeffler as co-owner of the Dream over her views on the BLM Movement. In her statement on Tuesday, Loeffler continued to stand by her views. She added that she disagrees with the cause, which she says has "a Marxist foundation" which revolves around "defunding the police and eroding the nuclear family.”

Also read | WNBA players to spotlight female violence victims on jerseys

(Image source: AP, Elizabeth Williams Twitter)