With the WNBA season set to begin July 25, two-time WNBA Champion Renee Montgomery will not be with her team, the Atlanta Dream. She has instead decided to forgo the season to focus on various social justice initiatives and the fight against racism. RISE's Ian Cutler and Jared Shanker speak with Renee over Zoom about her decision to skip the season and the specific social justice goals she’s set for herself this year. Plus, we speak with Renee about the open letter she wrote to team co-owner and U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler of Georgia and the fallout from it, after Sen. Loeffler criticized the Black Lives Matter movement and the WNBA's support of it. Finally, we talk about Renee’s recent participation in a RISE Digital Learning Series critical conversation on Empathy, Sport and Law Enforcement, where she engaged police officers from around the country on what can be done to bridge the gap between law enforcement and communities of color.
