The Atlanta Dream’s ownership saga could soon be over.
The WNBA team is in the final steps of being sold, the league confirmed. Multiple bidders have expressed interest in the team — Kelly Loeffler is expected to have no association with the franchise after the sale, ESPN reported.
“Once the sale negotiation is concluded, additional information will be provided,” the league said.
The former Georgia Republican senator’s 49% ownership stake came into the spotlight after she wrote a letter to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert last season opposing the league’s embrace of the Black Lives Matter and Say Her Name movements.
- After the letter was made public, the league’s players association called for Loeffler to sell her share of the team.
- When she refused, players launched a support campaign for her political opponent Raphael Warnock, who eventually won the senate seat over Loeffler.
Professional athletes and celebrities have teased their interest in the team, including LeBron James, Mookie Betts, Baron Davis and comedian Kevin Hart. It is unclear what role current majority owners, Mary and John Brock, would have in the deal.
Beyond the Georgia race, the 2020 WNBA season saw its players at the forefront of calls for social justice around professional sports. The Dream news came shortly after Los Angeles Sparks star Chiney Ogwumike announced she is executive producing an ESPN Films documentary about the Wubble season.
