Tag: Renee Montgomery

Renee Montgomery buying a stake in the Atlanta Dream shows how powerful WNBA players are

Kelly Loeffler is out.

Not even a year ago Kelly Loeffler, the former co-owner of the Atlanta Dream, was causing a stir around the WNBA.

She vehemently disapproved of the WNBA allowing its players to honor victims of police violence by wearing warm-up shirts that read “Black Lives Matter” and “Say Her Name.” They were referencing Breonna Taylor, who was fatally shot by Louisville police in March of 2020.

Loeffler wrote a letter to the league asking that those slogans be replaced by American flags. The WNBA players decided they wanted her out. Now, months later, she’s gone.

The Atlanta Dream has been sold to a new ownership group. And the best part? Renee Montgomery, a former Dream star, is part of the group. She made it official with a tweet.

This is a huge triumph for the WNBA’s players that opposed Loeffler. It was the ending that they wanted and then some.

First, Loeffler lost the support of the players on her team and from around the league. Then, she also lost her Senate seat after those same players helped push Raphael Warnock to victory in their Senate race last fall.

It isn’t just that Loeffler sold her stake in the team, it’s also the fact that she’s selling the team to Montgomery, a former player. Montgomery was also one of the loudest voices in the WNBA who championed everything Loeffler stood against.

She also set her career aside to do it. She retired from the WNBA last season after electing to sit out of the bubble because she wanted to find ways to impact social change. She wrote an article in The Player’s Tribune about her decision within the context of racism and how her family inspired her to do this.

And now, she’s a part-owner of the Atlanta Dream. She’s also the first former player in WNBA history to become a league owner and executive. All in less than a calendar year. That’s how quickly Montgomery and the WNBA’s players were able to make this all happen.

This just goes to us how powerful they truly are.

Carmelo Anthony says ‘let’s talk bro’ to LeBron about buying Atlanta Dream

Fellow 2003 draftee and Portland Trail Blazers forward Carmelo Anthony wants to join LeBron in pursuit of buying the Atlanta Dream.

One of the most interesting reactions to the results of the recent Georgia runoff elections for the United States Senate was the one from LeBron James in which he called his shot to eventually buy the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream, which is currently owned by outgoing Senator Kelly Loeffler. Loeffler publicly questioned why her players should have statements in support of ‘Black Lives Matter,’ among other allegations thrown Loeffler’s way.

The Dream’s demonstration in the WNBA Bubble of wearing “Vote Warnock” shirts in warmups is seen by many as a turning point in Loeffler’s defeat. Following her loss, James tweeted about buying the Dream, turning out many responses from others looking to join him. That list now includes LeBron’s fellow 2003 draftee and Banana Boat friend Carmelo Anthony.

It remains to be seen what ultimately will become of Loeffler’s ownership and what the WNBA can do. The league has yet to take any action on her and while the NBA is a part of the WNBA, the WNBA has worked to become more independent in recent years. However, if LeBron is the potential majority owner, that will definitely change the conversation.

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