º£½Ç»»ÆŞ

© 2025 º£½Ç»»ÆŞ

FCC Public Inspection Files:
· · ·
· · ·
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
WNPR News sports coverage brings you a mix of local and statewide news from our reporters as well as national and global news from around the world from NPR.

Conn. Sun Prep To Play As WNBA, Ga. Senator Clash Over Black Lives Matter Movement

Lorie Shaull
/
Creative Commons
Tanisha Wright (30) looks for an opening as she's guarded by Chiney Ogwumike in a July 2018 game between the Lynx and Sun at Target Center.

The º£½Ç»»ÆŞ Sun continue preparations for the 2020 WNBA season despite recent  about the Black Lives Matter movement. 

After the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, the league announced plans to use this season to highlight social justice issues. 

Loeffler, a Republican,  requesting that the league distance itself from the organized movement. The letter said, in part, that supporting a “particular political agenda undermines the potential of the sport and sends a message of exclusion.â€

The letter was met with backlash from several players, including those on the Sun. 

“People don’t understand what our ancestors went through,†forward DeWanna Bonner said. “So let’s sit down, let’s talk about it, ask the questions, and let’s learn. Because that’s the only way that we’re going to get it out there for people to really understand.â€

Of the 144 players who hold roster spots in the WNBA, 80% are Black.

Sun forward Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis said one of the league’s goals is to educate people on the issues. 

â€What our beliefs are as individuals is that we’re not just here to play basketball, but we are here to use this time to make a difference,†she said. 

Loeffler has since doubled down on her comments and recently  she has no plans to step down as co-owner of the Atlanta franchise. 

WNBA officials plan to meet with Engelbert to decide Loeffler’s future in the league. The WNBA Players Association has asked that she be removed.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the league will play a shortened regular season and traditional playoff format at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. 

The Sun, who are coming off their first WNBA Finals appearance since 2005 -- and will play this season without All-Star center Jonquel Jones -- will open their campaign against the Minnesota Lynx on July 26. 

All games will be played without fans in attendance due to the pandemic. 

This report contains information from the Associated Press.

Fund the Facts

You just read trusted, local journalism that’s free for everyone, thanks to donors like you.

If that matters to you, now is the time to give. Join the 50,000+ members powering honest reporting and a more connected — and civil! — º£½Ç»»ÆŞ.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from º£½Ç»»ÆŞ, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de º£½Ç»»ÆŞ, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

Fund the Facts

You just read trusted, local journalism that’s free for everyone, thanks to donors like you.

If that matters to you, now is the time to give. Join the 50,000+ members powering honest reporting and a more connected — and civil! — º£½Ç»»ÆŞ.

Related Content
º£½Ç»»ÆŞâ€™s journalism is made possible, in part by funding from Jeffrey Hoffman and Robert Jaeger.