"She's breaking down the barriers that have been put in place for women, and for Black women especially, so it's just phenomenal to see." "Renee is just paving the way for all of us," says Cloud, who plans to return to the Mystics for the 2021 season. In February, after months of tension with players on the team, Loeffler sold her stake in the Atlanta Dream to a three-person investor group that included former Dream player Renee Montgomery, making Montgomery the first former WNBA player to become an owner and executive in the league. In Atlanta, not only did players on the Atlanta Dream team push back against owner and former Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler who spoke out against the Black Lives Matter movement, but they also played a critical role in encouraging people to vote in the 2020 Georgia Senate runoff election, which Loeffler lost to Democrat opponent Raphael G. and her hometown of Pennsylvania over the summer, says she's proud of what her WNBA peers accomplished while playing in the league. I didn't see a non-binary person playing in the WNBA that had top surgery and could just live so fully and free and beautifully in their whole existence.And, I really just want to leave this league better than I found it."Ĭloud, who used her time away last season to organize peaceful marches in Washington, D.C. "I really just want to be the representation that I did not have when I was younger. "I don't think there's a way for me individually to stay out of politics or to stay out of social justice because my existence is really political and the country we live in has made it political," Clarendon, who also leads the Social Justice Council, says. "We want to continue to use our platforms as more than just basketball players but as those who have a tremendous impact and reach to our respective communities."Īs a Black, non-binary player in the league, New York Liberty Star Layshia Clarendon says using the WNBA's platform to speak up about social justice issues is super important. "There are obviously many issues that we focus on, but at the root of everything we do we are fighting for equality and justice for all women no matter the race, religion, orientation, etc.," says Breanna Stewart, MVP of the 2020 championship-winning Seattle Storm and a leader on the council. Advisers to the council include prominent activists and leaders like Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza, Rock the Vote CEO Carolyn DeWitt and Black Girls Rock founder and CEO Beverly Bond. The mission of the council, according to the league's website, is to create space for ongoing conversations about race, voting rights, LGBTQ+ advocacy, gun reform and other important social issues. "Our social justice efforts, we're not one-and-done," Engelbert told The Washington Post. Now, as the league gears up for its 25th season, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert says they will continue to focus on raising awareness around important community issues through the Social Justice Council that several players in the league started last year. Additionally, during warm-ups, players wore shirts that displayed "Black Lives Matter" on the front and "Say Her Name" on the back, in order to bring awareness to the Say Her Name social campaign that highlights ongoing acts of police brutality and racial violence against Black women and girls.Īnd, as anti-Asian violence continues to be on the rise, many WNBA players and organizations have used their platforms to speak out in support of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Throughout the season, players across the league wore special uniforms that displayed Breonna Taylor's name in an effort to bring awareness to the death of the 26-year-old Black medical worker who was fatally shot in her home by Louisville police officers in March 2020. Like Cloud, several of her WNBA peers, including those who played last season in the "wubble," are leading the charge in speaking out on social justice issues. "My heart was with social reform and being on the front lines with my community." "For me personally, I knew I wouldn't be able to be 100% on the court because of where my heart was at," she tells CNBC Make It.
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