A W.N.B.A. Owner Clashes With Players on Protests

Erik S Lesser/EPA, via Shutterstock

On Monday, the W.N.B.A. announced that its upcoming season would be “dedicated to social justice with games honoring the Black Lives Matter movement.”

It did not seem to be a relatively controversial or surprising message, considering how engaged W.N.B.A. players have been in the movement, which has also drawn support from a wide range of corporations and even the most controversy-averse sports leagues, like the N.F.L., since the killing of George Floyd in May.

But the expression — and the movement it supports — bothered at least one W.N.B.A. owner, who also happens to be a sitting senator in the midst of a difficult campaign for her seat. Senator Kelly…