The WNBA faces a turbulent time, not only as it attempts to kickstart its season in Orlando but also fighting the recent letter U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler sent to commissioner Cathy Engelbert questioning the league's decision to back the Black Lives Matter movement throughout the 2020 season.
Layshia Clarendon of the New York Liberty, also the first vice president of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association, drew a line in the sand to make a point clear — Loeffler is the WNBA's Donald Sterling.
Much like the NBA faced a monumental storm in 2014 with Sterling, the former Los Angeles Clippers owner who was found to have made racist remarks in a video released by his former mistress, V. Stiviano — the WNBA has a scandal in its hands with Loeffler, who is co-owner of the Atlanta Dream.
Clarendon played for the Dream from 2016 through 2018 and got her point across clearly in an open letter for The Undefeated:
“Now eyes have turned on us in a moment of turmoil, our Donald Sterling moment.
Kelly Loeffler is the anti-movement.
She represents what happens when people choose the identity of whiteness over everything else.”
Loeffler had adamantly condemned Black Lives Matter, noting it was mixing sports with politics and “advocated for the defunding of police, called for the removal of Jesus from churches and the disruption of the nuclear family structure, harbored anti-Semitic views, and promoted violence and destruction across the country.”
The WNBA released a statement on Tuesday but didn't press Loeffler to retract nor give any indication that any action would be taking against her. Instead, the league chose to mention she had not been involved with the Dream since Oct. 2019, despite many players and media members calling for her removal.
The following was released by the WNBA: pic.twitter.com/wH6ZmyDDcx
— WNBA (@WNBA) July 7, 2020
The NBA forced Sterling to seek the team within days of obtaining video evidence.
No one said it better than Clarendon — this is the WNBA's Sterling moment. Whatever actions the WNBA takes in regards to Loeffler's ownership stake will speak to how much the league values the very standard of conscience they so freely preach through their campaigns.
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