Atlanta Dream

Current and former WNBA players have called on the league to oust Sen. Kelly Loeffler from her role as a co-owner of the Atlanta Dream. 

Referencing the ongoing protests against police brutality, systemic racism and social inequality, Loeffler shared a clip from her appearance on Fox News last month and said, "We must not allow mob rule."

Loeffler also criticized the WNBA's decision to let players wear special apparel drawing attention to "the forgotten victims of police brutality and racial violence."

"The truth is, we need less—not more politics in sports," Loeffler said, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Greg Bluestein and Bria Felicien. "In a time when polarizing politics is as divisive as ever, sports has the power to be a unifying antidote. And now more than ever, we should be united in our goal to remove politics from sports."

As a result, she's receiving significant criticism from around the league:

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert issued a statement on the matter, noting Loeffler is "no longer involved in the day-to-day business of the team":

Hall of Famer Alex English, who's also on the board of advocates for the Women's National Basketball Players Association, tweeted that Loeffler has "Donald Sterling vibes."

The NBA banned Sterling, who was the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers at the time, for life in April 2014 after recordings surfaced in which he had made a series of racist comments.

Loeffler purchased a minority stake in the Dream in 2010.

Atlanta Dream star Tiffany Hayes became the most recent WNBA player to announce she will sit out the 2020 season.

Hayes announced her decision Tuesday on Instagram:

"This was not an easy decision but I believe it is in my best interest with everything that is going on right now. Although I love playing this game, I believe there are much more important things to be thinking about in this moment. Many will not agree with my decision but I know in my heart it's the right one."

The reigning WNBA champion Washington Mystics announced Monday they'll be without Natasha Cloud and LaToya Sanders, while Renee Montgomery, Hayes' teammate on the Dream, ruled herself out last week.

Atlanta finished with the worst record in the league (8-26) last season but had a busy offseason, adding veterans Glory Johnson, Courtney Williams, Shekinna Stricklen and Kalani Brown. The Dream also selected dynamic Texas A&M guard Chennedy Carter with the fourth pick in the 2020 draft.

However, the team will be without its top three scorers from 2019 in Hayes, Montgomery and Brittney Sykes. Atlanta packaged Sykes with Marie Gulich to land Brown, who was the No. 7 pick in 2019.

Perhaps more important than the points they scored, the trio of Hayes, Montgomery and Sykes combined to average 7.5 assists per game. Neither Williams nor Carter is a pure facilitator, leaving a void in Atlanta's backcourt.

Williams averaged 13.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game and was a big reason the Connecticut Sun reached the 2019 WNBA Finals. The 26-year-old can be a streaky scorer, though, which isn't ideal with Carter likely to assume a larger role in the offense.

The former Aggies star averaged 22.5 points per contest while shooting 43.1 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from beyond the arc. Her performance in the 2019 Sweet 16 against Notre Dame epitomized her game as she poured in 35 points but needed 34 shots to get there.

At its best, the Dream's offense has the potential to be electric. But the absences of Hayes and Montgomery will raise questions about how consistent Atlanta can be on that end.

Atlanta Dream guard Renee Montgomery announced Thursday she will sit out the 2020 WNBA season to focus on social justice work off the court.

Dream head coach Nicki Collen issued a statement on Montgomery's decision:

"While I am saddened Renee will not be in a Dream uniform this summer, I am incredibly proud of her passion for her foundation, her outreach in the community and her chance to impact the Black Lives Matter movement with her platform as a WNBA athlete. As a coach in this league I understand that I can't just say we are 'bigger than ball' but rather I must embody it."

Minnesota Lynx star Maya Moore told the New York Times' Kurt Streeter in January she would be skipping her second straight season to focus on getting Jonathan Irons released from prison.

A judge overturned Irons' convictions for burglary and assault in March.

The Hartford Courant's Alexa Philippou wrote last week that Montgomery had been handing out water bottles at Black Lives Matter protests in Atlanta. The 2011 All-Star also set up a GoFundMe to raise money for water and other supplies.

"A lot of people are craving sports and craving something to get away from reality, to just be able to go watch a game and get away from it," Montgomery said. "I'm craving the opposite. I'm craving being a part of the movement and seeing the change."

The WNBA's 2020 season has been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The league announced Monday it was planning to stage a 22-game regular season and traditional postseason at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.