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Sen. Kelly Loeffler, part owner of WNBA team Atlanta Dream, continues anti-BLM rhetoric even though 83% of players are people of color

September 16, 2020
  • Sen. Kelly Loeffler is part owner of the Atlanta Dream
  • 83% of WNBA are players of color
  • 67% of that 83% are Black or African American women

GPB (NPR):
Georgia Today: Sen. Kelly Loeffler’s BLM Stance and Atlanta Dream Players In Conflict
In many ways, the WNBA is a trailblazer when it comes to political activism. Some players are even sitting out the entire season in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. The Atlanta Dream has been particularly vocal, which has set it in direct opposition with one of the franchise’s owners, U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Georgia). Washington Post sports reporter Candace Buckner discusses how Loeffler is looking to score political points by speaking out against her very own players.
LEFT-CENTER BIAS FACTUAL REPORTING: VERY HIGH

The Fordham Ram:
Kelly Loeffler’s Rhetoric Offends Her WNBA Team
This year, the WNBA has dedicated their season to the Black Lives Matter movement. This decision is not surprising as the majority of players in the league are from minority races. Specifically, 83% are players of color, and of that percentage, 67% are Black or African American women. If the WNBA didn’t support the movement, it would be a very bold and controversial statement, directly offending their players.
Days after the WNBA released the statement saying they would be supporting the BLM movement, Loeffler, in a letter to the public, stated that she opposed the BLM movement. She believes it advocates for defunding the police, holds anti-Semitic views and promotes violence, among other concerns. Loeffler wrote, “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.”
NOT AVAILABLE FACTUAL REPORTING: NOT AVAILABLE

ESPN:
Atlanta Dream co-owner Kelly Loeffler: WNBA support for Black Lives Matter could make some fans ‘feel excluded’
Loeffler’s statements have been widely decried by WNBA players, who have called on the league to force her out as co-owner of the Dream. Engelbert said last week that the league would not force Loeffler to sell, but she is aware of several parties with interest in buying the team.
NOT AVAILABLE FACTUAL REPORTING: NOT AVAILABLE