Kelly Loeffler [Facebook.com/KellyLoefflerGA]
It’s official! After BLACK ENTERPRISE reported back in January that the Atlanta Dream WNBA franchise was close to being sold and former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler will have no association with the team after the sale, the team is out of her hands!
The WNBA and NBA Boards of Governors have announced that they have unanimously approved the sale of the Atlanta Dream to Larry Gottesdiener, chairman of Northland, an industry-leading national real estate firm. The investor group for the Atlanta Dream franchise consists of Gottesdiener, Northland President and Chief Operating Officer Suzanne Abair, and former Dream basketball player Renee Montgomery.
Hartford landlord Larry Gottesdiener, once one of the city’s most prolific property owners and boosters, is diversifying his portfolio with a new type of asset ‒ a WNBA franchise.
The Atlanta Dream WNBA team announced Friday that Gottesdiener, founder and chairman of Northland Investment Corp., is the lead investor in a three-member group that purchased the women’s professional basketball club for an undisclosed price.
The ownership group also includes former UConn women’s basketball star and Dream player Renee Montgomery and Northland President and Chief Operating Officer Suzanne Abair.
“It is a privilege to join a team of inspiring women who strive for excellence on the court and equity off the court,” Gottesdiener said. “I would like to express my gratitude to Commissioner Engelbert, Commissioner Silver, and the WNBA and NBA Boards of Governors for the opportunity.”
Kelly Loeffler sells stake in WNBA s Atlanta Dream Print this article
Former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler and the other owner of the WNBA s Atlanta Dream have sold the team.
The league announced on Friday that Loeffler, who has owned the team for nearly a decade but has been at odds with many of its players over her condemnation of the Black Lives Matter movement, and Mary Brock sold their stakes in the team to Larry Gottesdiener, chairman of Northland, a national real estate firm.
“Ten years ago we stepped up to keep the Dream in Atlanta, as an important asset for a vibrant and diverse city, the women said in a joint statement. It was also important to us to help level the playing field for women’s professional sports. We are proud of what we accomplished and wish the team well in their next chapter. We will always value the hard work and dedication, and the memories, fans and friendships that sustained our commitment to the Atlanta Dream over the last decade.”
USA TODAY
The WNBA and NBA Board of Governors have unanimously approved the sale of the Atlanta Dream to a three-member investor group, the team announced Friday.
Investors include chairman of real estate group Northland, Larry Gottesdiener, Northland President and COO Suzzane Abair, and former Dream star Renee Montgomery.
Last summer, co-owner Loeffler stood in opposition to the social justice messaging the WNBA chose to represent throughout their season, calling the Black Lives Matter movement an anti-Semitic group based on Marxist principles. Her comments prompted immediate calls for her to sell the team.
“With the unanimous WNBA and NBA votes, today marks a new beginning for the Atlanta Dream organization and we are very pleased to welcome Larry Gottesdiener and Suzanne Abair to the WNBA,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert in a team statement. “I admire their passion for women’s basketball, but more importantly, have been impressed with their values. I am al