July 19, 2021 • 52 mins
When you play small, you count yourself out of the game. In this episode, we learn that from Renee Montgomery. Former WNBA player, now WNBA team co-owner, Montgomery played her biggest hand in a game against inequality and injustice in the WNBA and the world. In the end she found her voice and became owner of the Atlanta Dream.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Renee, you got me hyped. I'm gonna be watching your team.
I might have to adopt Charlestonce Sparks be tripping. I'm
gonna make it out my second favorite time. We'll take
number two in this case. Hey y'all, we gotta get one.
Former w n B A star, Renee Montgomery is on
neked more from her after the break. Every champion and
(00:35):
carey champion is to be a champion of Champion and
carry Champion and carry chapion. A champion and carry Champion
and carry champion. Rateis ratius and sports and entertainment connected
work in the world of vulnerable considered. We come and
remove the vail from entertainment elite. It's a difference between
what it's real and with the public season. So here's
your favorite celebrities behind the scenes. It's refreshing up. Then
(00:57):
the whole story specific life alto rennivents to check the
person that you here. We gotta champion. They carry Champion
and it's the greatest of sports. And then the tameing
connaked with Harry Chappion. They carry Chappion is Champion, the
Champion they carry Chappion. Chappion, they carry Chappion. They carry
Chappi and the Taming Cannaked Warmer. Shout out to us Virginia. UM.
(01:23):
The reason why I say shout out to West Virginia
obviously our next guest, Renee Montgomery, is from West Virginia,
the smallest state in the Union, I believe. However, that
was my very very very first job in TV. That's
where it started for me, West Virginia. I've told the
story a few times, but that's interesting because immediately I
(01:44):
thought to myself, I don't remember meeting many people like
Renee when I lived there. But whatever, I was only
there for a minute. But I want to tell you
the story of a retired American basketball player, now broadcaster,
currently part owner of the Lanta dream Well. She is
a champion in more ways than one, all pun intended.
(02:05):
She has one on every level, high school level, collegiate level.
She went to Yukon arguably one of the most if
not historical programs for women's collegiate collegiate basketball, right but
playing under Gina r Ema too, who she adores. I
talked to her a little bit about that. We'll get
into that. UM, there are programs down that are challenging Yukon,
(02:26):
which I appreciate. Shout out to Stanford for going far
when it at all. If you don't know college basketball,
I'm speaking mumbo jumbo to you. But you know where
I'm going. And now she won. She won when she
was in the pros, when she played for the Minnesota
Links seventeen. But Renee then retired abruptly. Everyone at least
(02:46):
thought it was abrupt but y'all remember what happened in
There was so much going on, and I remember talking
to Renee off the record, and she's like, look, I
can't I can't continue to play basketball while all of
this is happening in the world. Um, people are angry
and sad and suffering, and we're tired of seeing her
people being murdered by police and there being no justice
(03:07):
and no accountability. And so I'm going to take a
minute and take um a pivot, if you will, and
I'm gonna start being an activist. I'm gonna start protesting. Now.
I'm pretty sure she knew she was going to retire.
She didn't say that right off the bat, but she did.
She started to protest. She walked away from the game,
and she's saying no thanks, I'm opting out. I don't
(03:29):
want to play anymore. All the while, though, here is
the crazy story. The owner of the Atlanta Dream when
Renee was a player. Boy, was this crazy woman. And
I'm calling her crazy because she was so disrespectful, um
senator and that when she was a senator, you know whatever,
(03:51):
Senator Kelly Loffler. And she started some trouble because when
she was asked because she was the owner of the
Atlanta Dream, a basketball team primarily consisting of minorities black
and brown women, when they asked her what she thought
about Black Lives Matter, she simply said that she felt
that it was disrespectful. She did not like what it
(04:14):
was about. She said, no one should be promoting Black
lives matter. Way a minute. You are the owner of
a team, a w NBA team that consists primarily of
black and brown women, and you don't support Black Lives matter,
and you say it publicly, and you're a senator in
the state of Georgia. Girl, get out of here. You
sound crazy. So I remember saying this. I was like,
(04:37):
when this is all said and downe, that woman's gonna
have to sell that team. There is no way on
God's green Earth, she can continue to own a team
in the w n b A which is still with
the NBA, and come out and say she don't support
Black Lives matter. She thinks it's in a front to
society and actually our system. What paraphrasing? You know what, Kelly?
(04:59):
You have here? So I I remember asking Renee, who
then played for the Atlanta Dream under this woman the
quote unquote owner. I hate that name. I remember asking Renee,
how do you feel about this woman? She she is
your quote unquote boss air quotes and she hates the
(05:21):
idea of black lives matter? How is that possible? Right?
Renee was very PC about it, But I tell you
what wasn't PC the way that the entire w NBA
went after her. I remember so many people protesting against
(05:41):
this particular woman, and in fact starting the movement to
endorse a candidate by the name of Rafael Warnock. Now,
if you know your politics, you know that Rafael Warnock
is now the Senator in Georgia. He took her spot.
We got her ask about the paint, but I remember
Renee was so politically correct about it. So not only
(06:04):
does she decide to walk away from the team, arguably
probably already knowing that the owner was on some bullshit.
She then starts to protest and she finds her, if
you will, she finds her place what she's supposed to
be doing. She said, it was just a new level
of what it meant to be a part of the movement.
And then she going by the team. Y'all, this story
(06:29):
is crazy. The senator who said, I adamantly opposed the
Black Lives Matter political movement, which has advocated for the
defunding of police, called for the removal of Jesus from churches,
and the disruption of the nuclear family structure. What the
hell is she talking about? She's stupid? So could you imagine? No,
(06:55):
we can't imagine. But here's the beauty. Instead of protesting her,
they got her ask about the paint, and the player
then became the owner and it is Renee Montgomery. It
all began in West Virginia. Take a listen. Yeah, I
grew up in St. Albans, West Virginia, and the community
(07:18):
felt and did not look like me. You know, there
was I think in elementary school there might have been.
There were no, I don't think there are any of
the black children in elementary school. And then in junior
high there was one other black students, so things looked
a lot different than it does for me. Now Here
in Atlanta, it was different. I worked in West Virginia, Oakley, Yeah, Bluefield, Bluefield,
(07:41):
West Virginia. How how close was that to where you
where you grew up? I would say, I think blue
Fields like an hour and some change away from me. Okay.
I my experience, and that was in two thousand, was
was great, but I know that it was very um
it was a very comfortable place with racism and calling
people colored. Did you experience that growing up? I actually didn't. Um.
(08:05):
I think that I experienced people thinking that I was
cool because I was different, almost like oh, she's the
black kid. Like you know, it was like I was
the black kid because there was only one and so
I didn't really like experienced that. But I think I
experienced it more when it came to newspapers and how
things were framed, when it came to who was the
star of the game who wasn't. You could see it there.
(08:28):
What do you mean? Give me an example, Like you
could be balling out and they would highlight someone else
who got like two points. Yes, I could be I
could be balling out, and it would it would be
just not even in the news like it would be
in the statuet or in the score part of it.
You would see that that portion of me, but it
wouldn't be the headlines. The headlines could be someone of
(08:48):
the team that lost. So we kind of experienced that
pretty early on and knew that was a norm. Well,
if that was a norm, how were you able to
get to a point where you outshined everyone? It was
just they checked the box, they checked the state, they
check the stats, or because I would think you would
need to be written about in order to go on
(09:09):
and have a successful career. So I don't see how
you were able to do that and not have any
type of any type of shine or pup. It's interesting
because that's we started to play AU And so for
people that don't know what AU is is traveling basketball.
So you travel around, you get your team from your state,
and you travel around to different states. That's where we
(09:30):
got on the map. You know, our team, the West
Virginia Tornadoes that remember candis actually we talked about it
on the Arena Canada's played for the West Virginia Tornadoes
and that our team was pretty good, and so we
were traveling around to different places and we had a
nice squad, and that's how we started to get seen,
and that's how coaches started to be like, you know,
who are these girls on this West Virginia team. That's
(09:54):
fascinating because you two are arguably one of the most
here's a handful of well known n b W NBA
players outside of just the league, right, those two crossover
and you two are arguably among that that that handful,
that too handful group of people. And it started with
that a AU team. Did that make you feel a
(10:14):
type of way because you generally have a great disposition,
but the competitor in you, I think would feel some
type of way if you're not writing about me and
you're writing about somebody else, you know, I kind of
just I just was like, it'll wash itself out. My
family they didn't like it. You know, my family they're
the ones to read it. So for me, it's like
when I'm playing against somebody in West Virginia, they know
(10:35):
they know when they played South Charleston that we were
going to be turned up. And so the players. Amongst
the players, there was a certain level of respect, but
it just didn't happen in the media, and so for me,
that pushed us. Like me and my teammates when we
played those AU games, we knew that that was our chance,
and so we treated that like, all right, when all
the college coaches are sitting around the game, this is
(10:56):
when we got to put on a show because we
know how it's going to be in West Virginia and
maybe people won't hear about us. So why what quality
is that in you? You know, people like to always
refer to zodiac signs, if you're this or that. I'm
a Sagittarius. Yeah, okay, well I just I don't really
believe too much of that. But since you said that,
every sage I know is pretty mellow, like everybody just
(11:18):
get you're everybody's best friend, you get along. However, um,
what quality is that in you that didn't necessarily need
to feel a type of way knowing that if you're good,
you're good and you're gonna last. I don't know. I
think I'm a pretty confident person. I don't talk about
my confidence, but I think I'm always just be like,
(11:38):
all right, I'll figure it out. So if they don't
want to write about me, then we gotta make some
noise on another stage. Like that's just always my thought
process even now. You know when something's going wrong, I don't.
I'm not the type that's gonna go on Twitter and
throw a rant. I'm gonna figure out a way to
to change that situation. I'm gonna figure out a way.
If I'm not in a good situation, I'm gonna figure
out a way out. So I don't know, I just
always have to. I think just the pivot, the ability
(12:01):
to pivot, has been something that I learned young. I'm
writing down things that are striking, striking me as your
your naked quality. UM, and I have to talk to
you about after you leave you, after you leave West Virginia,
you get recruited by UM the most decorated program for
(12:25):
women's basketball in the history of the game. That's the
University of Connecticut Gina. Ari Emma is a Hall of Famer. UM.
More than likely everyone who plays with him who's won
a chip in which what is what you did, will
win that chip and become a Hall of famer. A
Hall of Famer yet, right, I want to make sure, okay,
(12:45):
if you're trying to miss that in my notes here
how how was it playing for Gino. Yeah, you know,
it's it's everyone sees the coach ari Emma on the outside,
but I mean, honestly, he's somebody that he's gonna get
on you, so that's a given, but no one else
is going to get on you. You know that. It's
like that that when you have family and you can
(13:07):
make fun of your family, but hey, nobody else make
fun of your family. Type. Feel that's him. So he
will get on to us, he'll yell at us. But
if the media ever does it or someone else ever comes,
you know, he has your back. And so for me,
I love it. Like that's that's and the reason you know,
talking about West Virginia, the reason that I went with
Uknor is because I felt like his his approach was
(13:28):
different all the other college coaches that would recruiting me.
They told me I would be starting point guard. I
would be the star of the show. I would be
everything that I ever wanted to be in Coach or
Amy was like, yeah, you're good, you know, yeah, but
we we got good players here too. You can start,
you can do this, but it's all on you. And
so I'm like, that's what's up? Like I like people
that shoot it to me straight. So um playing for
him was exactly what I thought it would be when
(13:50):
he was recruiting me. He's not gonna sugarcoat anything. He's
gonna tell you like it is. Yet that that's to me.
Any coach, basketball coach, any code, that's what it is.
They are consistently um letting people know whether they're winning
or not winning. Like I feel like being a coach
is a life of stress, Like it's so stressful, you're
always angry, Like I wouldn't want to do it. That's
(14:12):
what I never wanted to be a coach. Yeah, you're
working to get fired like I'm on set. However, what
I do want to say about General Gino r E
m A. I do not know him, and you did
point out how people treat him and talk about him
on camera. He has an incredible arrogance. Does he deserve
to be that arrogant? I mean, see arrogance, people have
(14:34):
a certain way about that. Arrogance isn't arrogant if it's true.
So that that's what I have to like put out
there because a lot of the stuff he says. I
remember when Donna Tarasci was on his team, and everybody
was really mad because he made a statement, like they said,
why do you think you're gonna win a national championship
and he's like, because we have Diana and you don't.
And people really thought that that was like oh, wow,
(14:56):
like you like, you know, I don't think that's bad.
Oh it got a lot of attention, So I think
it's not so people could consider that arrogant, But they
went on to win a championship and it was a fact.
So I'm just curious if I don't know if he's
arrogant or if he's just a fact teller and people
don't like how he's saying it. I think I think
(15:16):
outside looking in the way the way that we want
the world to be, right, especially if he was a woman,
he couldn't get away with that. He would not be liked.
So I'm pointing out what I believe is arrogant, and
I don't necessarily agree with his his approach or his style.
It works apparently, but if he was a woman, he
(15:37):
could never do that. Till That's where I get interesting.
But should you be mad at him or mad at
the system that wouldn't allow to do it? Both both
you should and don't you think we should hold everybody accountable?
Like if I because I get labeled arrogant, and I, yes,
it's true, Like, but what's your like why the arrogance
(15:58):
will be she thinks she'll all that she knows everything
she's talking over people this end the third or she
demands too much. Right, Gina and I are cut from
the same cloth. But I'm okay with understanding that I'm
those things. But I tell you what I don't do
is that I don't talk to people like they don't matter.
Do you think he does that? Yes? And that's that
arrogance that I don't like. You could be as tough
(16:19):
as you want to be, but you can't treat people
like they don't matter. And that is his approach. Um,
and perhaps it works. But you, being who you are
Sagittarius at all, you know problem solver ability to pivot.
You don't mind that or you probably didn't receive it
that way, correct, right? I didn't receive it that way. Yeah,
but I usually don't receive things. I usually always receive
(16:42):
things the right way because I try to assume people
like people have to really do something. Wow, So I'd
be like, wait, I think they wild and like I
have to. Like usually my friends tell me somebody's disrespecting me,
and I'm like, oh, for real and then like my
friends be like, yeah, no, I don't like that. Like
my friends or family are the ones that have to
let me know when somebody's doing some crazy stuff. And
that's a beautiful quality. So somebody's trying to play you
(17:06):
and you don't really know it. Well't no, because I think,
why why deal with that? Why have Because at the
end of the day, some of the circumstances don't really matter.
It's insignificant. Who cares if somebody talk to me crazy?
Who cares if, like I'm being honest, who cares if
is that going to affect my paycheck? Does that affect
my money? Does that affect my future? Once we start
(17:26):
affecting things that really matter to us and we care about,
why why focus on people being like and I'm talking
about myself. That's what I'm still working on. That's why
I think, truly, you've been so successful because you do
have this las a fair approach. One of my really
good friends is the Sagittarius, and she's very las fair,
meaning very few things bother her. It has to be.
(17:48):
It has to be humongous in order for her to
jump out of her her skin, right, Yeah, it has
to that's who you are. It has to be really
big or I really won't care. I'm like, all right,
so what were we doing? Like, I just won't just like, so,
so what we're doing? I know everybody, man, but what
we're doing, which is great, which is why you were
able to then leave this program with the chip. I mean,
(18:08):
and I ain't knocking it. It is the best. If
I had a daughter to play ball and she said
I wanted to go to Connecticut, I'd like you go
play for that. Man. I don't like you know, so
I'm not going to knock that. What I what I
think is something that goes not talked about enough is
the type of people he recruits. Your character is outstanding.
(18:29):
So is the others that he has recruited in the
past that I've always admired and liked off court as
well as on court. So you get to the w
n b A, you start playing, that was always a
dream for you, kind of The w n b A
became a thing when I was tinned. So I started.
When I very first started playing, I was just trying
(18:49):
to get a college scholarship, like that was the way
out of West Virginia to me. I'm like, let me
try to get a school to want me to go there,
and then I go there and get a free education.
That was the first thoughts, and so at in Yeah,
then everything became about going to the league, but also
getting a college scholarship because my mom is a college
professor and my dad's an engineer. So school was the
thing to me. So then now you're playing at this level,
(19:13):
You're like, I can get drafted. Yeah, I can get drafted. Yeah, okay,
talk to me about draft night. Oh. Draft Knight was
scary because I'm five six. I lift myself at five seven.
That's just what we do. Uh. And everyone was talking
about how they didn't know if my game would translate
(19:34):
over to the pro style. So I'm coming off of
a high. We went thirty nine and oh and everyone's
talking about, yeah, every now you had a great season,
but is she too small to play in the league.
So I was hearing things and just so people understand,
the w NBA draft is like three days after our
championship games, so there's not much time in between. So
I'm still literally on the high from winning a championship,
(19:56):
and now I'm hearing that I could go anywhere from
like number one to number him, and I'm like, oh
my gosh. Like it was like so I just didn't
want to be left sitting in the room. I know
everyone has seen the athletes sitting in the room waiting
on their name to be called. I did not want
to be that one. So that was my fear. So
you were not tell us about drafting, like when you
(20:20):
when they called your name and they said this is
the team walked me through that night. Who are you
with family friends or did you feel I was with
my parents and my parents Um. They went to the
Final four game and then they flew to New York
because that's where it was. So they were at the
table Coach Oriyama, who had told me he's not gonna
be able to make it. I didn't really think none
of it because he literally is a rock star, and
(20:40):
so I'm like, he's probably doing rock star things. He
popped up on me. He pulled up on me in
New York, so he was there, so you couldn't tell
me nothing. Sitting at my table. I was hyped. Um
and the first went. The first went by Angel mccatry,
the second pick Christy Tolliver, the third pick Rissa Coleman,
and then I'm like, oh my gosh, I really got
scared after them because you don't know what is going
(21:00):
to happen. And then I heard the fourth pick, Minnesota
Links chose me, and like that's I kind of like
just blacked out there, if I'm being honest, Like it
was kind of like the motions. I'm sure I hugged everyone,
but it was relief. I was like, Okay, I don't
know anything about Minnesota, but that's where we're going. Like
that's kind of how I felt. That's how I felt
about it. The beauty about the w n b A
(21:21):
and and and for for all the things that we
have yet to see and all the strides we still
want to make. The beauty about the w n b
A is watching you ladies literally go from the college
game if you're in the championship game, to getting drafted
and then watching you play not soon there after, and
I think or soon thereafter, and I think to me,
(21:42):
I love that. I love because you were watching this
process happened so quickly, and you guys are transitioning overnight.
You get to the league. For look, and I'm gonna
be very clear because you know, I grew up in
l A. So you know I was a Sparks fan.
So you get to you get to the league, and
Minnesota is the business, like you guys are the business.
(22:03):
How many tips you want with them too? I want to.
But when I got there, we were not the business.
Talk to me about that tough we went. I told
you my senior year we went thirty nine o So
I literally went a full year without losing a game. Um,
and then I got to the league and had a
wake up call. We we were like the worst team
for a while. Actually, let me Actually I'm lying. The
(22:24):
first half of the season we were all right and
then Simone Augustus got hurt and that's where it went bad.
And it went bad and it wasn't like the team
was bad and we were yelling at each other. It
was just like we were losing and I was not
accustomed to that. I mean, a bad year for Yukon.
You you lose five games West, Yeah, we lost like
five games in two weeks, And I'm like, what is
(22:45):
happening with my life? And my good at basketball. I
tried to really like it makes you really like, wow,
am I can I carry this team? And I you know,
because I found the Yukon that I could use my
positivity energy and we could we could figure it out.
But in the pro you gotta have talent. Like talent
wins in the pros. That's it. That's it. What you
(23:06):
also have in the w n b A. Outside of talent,
extremely talented women, you have leadership on a scale in
a league that I have yet to see expressed so freely.
Not always highlighted, but definitely leadership in the sense of
what's going on in the world today. I would argue
that the w n b A and its players were
(23:29):
the first to lead the charge on social justice. Your
take on that, Yeah, definitely. I mean the summer before
Colin Kaepernick took the knee, I was on that Minnesota
Links team where we wore shirts that said change starts
with Us. Again, it was the summer before Colin Kaepernick
took the knee, so people were definitely not ready to
see that. They Minnesota Police Department, they walked out on us.
(23:50):
They said they won't be security for our games anymore.
They didn't like our messaging. Yeah, it was. It was
a whole thing. People were writing us letters. Um. One
of the letters someone wrote me was like, Renee, I'm
so torn. I have family that's in the military, have
family that are police officers, and I love you, so
what can we do? And I'm like, we got family
that's in the military, we got family that's in the
police department. That's not what we're saying. Where we're protesting
(24:14):
in justice, we're not protesting those particular places. And so people,
you know, racism has been such a big part of
America that when we started to protest racism, people thought
we were protesting America. They thought that, oh wow, so
they're not patriotic. Patriotic and I'm like, no, we're just
saying we didn't like what happened with Philando cast Steele,
we don't like what's going on around here right now,
(24:35):
and change starts with us. It was not received well,
but to that point in we saw what happened. So
I could have clear markers of the growth in the
league because we actually got fined for wearing those shirts.
The League was talking us through, talk us through started
the moment you all started, and at the time, I
think it was Lisa. Wasn't Lisa the commissioner at the time. Yeah, yeah,
(24:58):
talk us through the moment where there were specific teams.
I remember the police saying that I helping you guys,
and I thought we were protesting America. We'll talk us
to the moment, the year that you all decided to
do that, how it all came about, and then what happened,
uh consequently year after year after year, until finally everybody
got on board. Yeah. So a lot of other teams
started to wear shirts. Um, and so the w n
(25:19):
b A had released like a memo saying players got
to wear a team issued gear period, like we get it,
whatever yell are doing, but we wear a team issued
gear one game, events and stuff. So then it became
a problem because we were like, now we're still wearing
our shirts. And so I remember New York they put
their shirts on inside out and just different things to
make a statement. And I'm pretty sure people were getting
(25:40):
fined left and right just because the w n b A.
They were trying to get a hold on what was happening.
Because we like when we asked permission, we asked permission
from our coaching staff and our management, like knowing that
this would affect them. We didn't really go to the
w n B A maybe we did, but we were
going to wear them regardless and we did. And so
we just were we were about it. We're like, we're
(26:01):
gonna pay the fines if it is what it is.
I even think Minnesota, I think they said they were
gonna pay our fins for us. And so that was
empowering as a player to see that, Okay, they got us,
our team has us. And then you fast forward to
where we're sitting in the year where we're gonna have
to bubble up. Players are emotional, what's going on, their
civil unrest, and so the league had to there had
(26:22):
to be some give and take if we were going
to do this season. And the league was basically like, Okay,
you guys will be able to control your own narrative.
And so if you if anyone knows anything about someone
trying to have their their voice heard, you want to
control your own narrative. And basically the league was like, well,
we're gonna dedicate the season to social justice. There was
a say her Name campaign every single week to spotlight
(26:46):
women that were killed from police balance. I mean, it
was so many things done that the w n b A,
they let us know that they're on board. And and
for me, that was a long way they came because
in it was just not it wasn't it wasn't even
a conversation. It was us a no. I call that
corporate social justice. But but after our our what our
(27:07):
racial reckoning in corporate corporate, corporate America had to get
on board. They could not ignore what was happening anymore
any longer because we were at home and we were
all watching it. So if you were a black, white,
purple green, you had to get on board with the
lack of humanity that was displayed against black people. So
you in season decided to do what while the league
(27:30):
seems to be on board and all and and instead
of a no, yes, we're gonna be in this bubble,
we're gonna do to say her name campaign and honor
of Brianna Taylor, what are you thinking? I was thinking
that we need to turn things up. So for me,
I was looking outside. I live in Atlanta, so there
(27:50):
are protests happening outside of my How's there were protests
happening all over the city. I'm looking out my window
and I'm looking at the news and I'm seeing the
exact same thing. So I'm like, we gotta do something
that I called Actually, I called my snook and Ditty,
and this is what really happened. I was a little
nervous because I had never seen protests like that. I've
never seen anything that was happening here in Atlanta. So
I was nervous, like, should I leave, I go home
(28:11):
to West Virginia, Like what should I do while things
are turned up? So I called my snook and she
was just like, oh, no, you're good. And she was
so calm, and I'm like, I'm good. I just told
you what's going on right outside my door. And she's like, no,
they're not they're not worried about you. You're good. She
was like, this is what people do when they don't
feel that their voices are heard. They gotta make it felt.
And so when she said that, I was just like
(28:32):
like because usually, and to give people context, I'm the
youngest in the family, so if I have a high energy,
everybody in my family is alarmed, because I don't even like,
I don't even get a high energy about anything. So
when I was like, yo, what should I do? Maybe
I should come home to West Virginia and they're like, no,
You're good right where you at. And I was just
like wow. So that to me, like was heavy because
(28:53):
my parents are usually like, yeah, I come home, baby,
And I was like, so, if they're doing this to
be felt, what am I do want to be felt?
And that's kind of how the thought process started. It
was it took two months, two weeks. Like I didn't
just decide overnight that I was going to opt out
of the w n b A. I mean I talked
about I've been playing since I was five, I've been
trying to get there since I was ten, So opting
(29:13):
out was just not like a quick, easy thought. I
started to weigh the pros the cons. Am I gonna like,
am I gonna go into debt trying to not have
a job, like quit the job that I have right now?
So there was a lot that went into that. But
just everybody I talked to, they just was like, yeah,
you're doing the right thing. Like if this is how
you feel, you're doing the right thing. And so I
(29:34):
just rolled with it. And then I was also stuck
with the decision of do I just say for personal
reasons because some WBA players did that like, I'm not
playing this year for personal reasons. So I was having
to decide do I say personal reasons that I really
say what's up? Um? But I just, as you know,
I'm pretty transparent blunt, so I was just like, look y'all,
I'm not feeling what's going on. I want to do something.
(29:55):
I'm hearing Atlanta what's up? And and I through a
June Team pop up block party that next day. It
was like, what's up, what's up? I told him Commune.
I literally tweeted out, yo, what's up on bed Centennial
Olympic Park at five o'clock tomorrow, Come, eat, come dance.
I had a step team there, Serena Gray saying, um,
I had a lot going on, and we did it
(30:17):
over It was crazy how it came together. So yeah,
and the community turned up like there was a lot
of people there because the protests were already happening there
at that time. So yeah, it was it was pretty little,
don't go anywhere, we gotta pay these bills. But when
we come back on the other side of this break,
we're talking about how the young lady from West Virginia
went from the player on a team to the owner
(30:40):
of the team. That's heavy. You don't want to miss it.
Back in a moment. Every Champion and Carvery Champion is
to be a champion on a champion and carry Champion,
and carry Champion Champion, and carry Chapion and carry Champion sports.
And then the team making Naked Work Chapion and Carrie
(31:01):
Cheppion Champion, they carry Chappion, chap they carry Champion. The Hey, y'all,
welcome back to Naked Um. This is a good one,
right uh. I love the story because I was watching
it happen in real time, and I think a lot
of us can relate to what has happened within this
(31:22):
last two years, the pandemic, post pandemic, wherever you, wherever
you at, COVID, however you discuss it um, you have
seen literally an evolution of people and in some cases,
probably in a lot of cases, the devolving of people.
In the sense that this has been hard, it has
been a tough time, but the stories of overcoming, the
stories of rising up, they are plenty and beautiful. Renee,
(31:45):
when we left you a moment ago before we had
to pay the bills, talked about why she decided to
opt out and how that didn't happen overnight. That was
just such um an arduous process, obviously because it is
her love and what am I going to do? This
is all I've been. You know, when you've been something
since you were a kid, and then now here you are. However,
many years later, twenty years later, you're like, Okay, I'm
(32:08):
gonna do something else. Well, what is that? How do
you pivot? And her pivot was a beautiful one. And
I explained to you at the very beginning, because I
know you heard what was up. As Renee is finding
her footing as an advocate um, as she is protesting
in Atlanta, as she is gathering the people to be heard,
(32:28):
as she is finding her voice, she's also realizing there's
more to be done. Shout out to her fiance who said,
guess what, you should own the team. It was a
no brainer that Kelly Loffler, the former senator who owned
the Atlanta Dream, wasn't going to be able to keep
her Job's just a no brainer, um, because she didn't
(32:49):
have no brains. However, it was a no brainer that
she would have to put that team up for sale.
I remember discussing this on my shell stick to sports
with Jamale, and Jamale was like, you think they're putting
that team out for see, I said, they have to.
She can no longer be an owner. It's a bad
look in a state. They flipped the Senate shout out
to the w n b A for supporting Raphael Warnock.
(33:12):
I know people don't know that story, but it started there.
The players in the w n b A were so
furious with this woman who said that she did not
support Black Lives Matter. I was reading a quote earlier
and she literally said the reason why she opposed it
was because they called for the removal of Jesus from
churches and the disruption of the nuclear family structure. They
(33:33):
harbored anti Semitic views, promoted violence and destruction across the country.
What Black Lives Matters she talking about? I believe it
is totally maligned, with the values misaligned, rather with the
values and goals of the w n b A and
the Atlanta Dream where we support tolerance and inclusion. Girl
by like, what what what black Lives Matter entity is
(33:57):
she discussing? And there are people who believe that well
was all lies. But as soon as she put that
on record and said a lot of other things that
were not true. It was only a matter of time
before they told her she had to get about the pain.
And it was quiet, right, it was. It was done quietly.
Adam shout out to Adam, and you know, you said
Adam Silver, commissioner the NBA. He probably just you know,
(34:18):
sent her a quick little email like yo, yo, yo, yo,
check this out. You gotta get up out of here,
and let's just do this quietly. So Renee is trying
to figure out, is this lofty idea that her fiance
throws out at her, is that is this even really possible?
Can I own or at least be part owner of
(34:39):
the Atlanta Dream? And the way it's done, folks, because
she broke it down for me, Thank you, Renee. The
way it's done is not like, hey, you put up
all this money. Yes, it's done that way, but you
also get in with investment groups you put it. You
have to put up a certain percentage, and you get
in with other investors who who look good on paper,
if you will, who meet all the checks and balances
to be a part of this exclusive ownership group. Um.
(35:03):
And according to Renee, it was not easy. In fact,
she was asking everybody, how can I do it? How
can I do it? And no one took her seriously.
This little black girl who played for the team a
few months ago now wants to own it. Nah, it
don't work like that. Now, I'll tell you why they tried.
They with a capital T e y. They tried to
(35:24):
say it didn't work that way because of who she
was and what she looked like and what she supported.
And I love when a good plan comes together. Because
they could not stop her. It was destined, it was
meant to be, I earlier said, I love when I
see these stories of people finding their voice, their purpose,
(35:46):
especially especially during these last two years. This racial renaissance
has given people a renewed sense of life, a bigger platform,
a place to put all of their hopes and dreams,
and turning this world into a better place, forcing America
to live up to its promise. How come this little
black girlfriend West Virginia can't own the team she used
(36:07):
to play for. You sure can rite, because that's the
American dream. Enjoy So how do you go from protesting
against the owner of your team to being part owner
of the team? Like? How how we boss everybody else?
Like that? Listen? You know, I'm usually the problem solver,
but for me, me solving the problem was like I'm
(36:28):
opting out and I'm gonna create positive change. But my fiance,
she was just like, you need to you need to
own the team, and I'm like, what are you talking about?
Like so I have to give her credit because when
I when she first said it to me, I thought
that was the wildest thing I ever heard because I'm
in player mode. I'm in a I was still trying
to win some championships mode. And then I'm like, what
are you talking about? And she was like, you keep
(36:49):
talking about you want to create change. You don't like
how people are hiring. You don't like the representation going on,
like who hires all these people? Who controls that? She's
like the owners. And the more she talked, I'm like, damgn,
she's onto something. And so then you know, I remember
the moment where I was like, you know what, I
do need to own the team. Like that's the moment
where it became real because she would say it to
(37:12):
me multiple times, like you really need to try to
do this, Renee like in Serena. That's just how she is,
like once she gets onto something she's not letting it go.
And so I'm like okay, like okay, and I'm always
like the okay, okay in due time, like maybe later,
and she's like, no, you need to start now, Like
what do you mean later? And so once I made
my mind up, once she fully helped convince me in
(37:32):
a sense of this is the thing to do, I
started to see. You know, I'm a Hamilton's fan, I'm
into Broadway and you know the room where it happened.
She was trying to get me in the room where
it happens, and I was I was, I was trying
to I was trying to just micro do things that
she was like, no, you need to think bigger. And
so that's that's how everything started for me. Congratulations, you
(37:58):
you do something that you be in the room and
you were encouraged by your fiance, which I love. But
then you do it so gangster, that's like, that's the move.
I like, you had the nerve to be on TV
with me the day before and then how dare you?
How dare you? But by the way, that's a little
Wayne said, real gangsters moving silence. So so tell me
(38:19):
how it all came about. How the ownership. Part ownership
of the Atlanta Dream came about for you. Yeah, it was.
It was a long process and so yeah, you're right
there at the arena. I knew it was coming down
the pipe tomorrow, but you know how press releases happened
to say something. So it was crazy though. I will
(38:40):
say the conversation we were having on the arena, because
you and Candice were really hitting on everything that was
already in Like y'all were speaking to my soul basically,
and I'm like, hey, this we were talking about ownership.
I'm writing down because you know this is a heavily
produced podcast. I'm like, I gotta get these arena clips
in year two because I remember and I was sitting there, like,
(39:04):
are you talking that top women got an own stuff? Yeah? Yeah, yeah,
And I was like, Honestly, for me, it was like
I didn't need confirmation. But when you hear things like that,
it's like, this is exactly why I wanted to do it.
Like a lot of people, yeah, a lot of people
saw it as a boss up and oh yes, get back,
But for me, I was I was thinking of what
(39:25):
we just did? You know, we just hiring all black
women broadcast crew. China, Angel Tabitha Autumn all black women.
So that's not normal. That's not normal in sports. Then
we went and hired a black lead agency ad agency.
So that's the things I was thinking about. But I
love that people, you know, like it's women empowerment, it's
(39:46):
all of those things. But for me, like we were
changing things here in Atlanta. You know, you don't see
what's what we're about to do. We're like, you don't
see it in sports, but we're trying to make things
a new normal. And it's not just me, you know,
it's the other the other two owners who Zan a
Bear and Larry g And let me go back to
how I got to them. So I had to tell
Kathy Engelbert that I was serious basically, and Kathy Engelbert
(40:08):
is the commissioner of the w n B A Okay, yep,
Kathy's the commissioner. So like the question that you're asking me,
we were literally asking ourselves in the house, like so
how do you go about trying to get a team?
Like I didn't even know where to start. So where
I started was Kathy, Like, you know, okay, Kathy, she's
the commissioner. Surely she has the connections and it didn't
(40:28):
really start there, but that's like, let's give you the
heavy hitter pieces. So I hit Kathy and make you Kathy,
I'm actually really serious about trying to be a part
of the ownership group for the Dream. And to let
you know how serious I am, I'm about to retire,
you know, like I'm a teller, like because I know
you can't be you can't be an active player and
being an owner at the same time. So I was like,
and I know that you have you can't be that,
(40:50):
So I'm about to retire in a couple of weeks months.
It was that time frame. She's like, oh wow, so okay,
so you're serious, and I'm like dead serious, and so
then she was like basically all right, let me circle back.
So she went and reached out to the bidders and
basically Suzanne A Bear Larry G We're gonna be the
winning bid and she connected us. So I hopped on
(41:10):
zoom with them and it was wild. I'm not gonna
lie like, it was wild to hear how we instantly
clicked because I was nervous. I didn't want to get
into a situation where I'm with an ownership group that
doesn't have the same views as me, because I'm very
a very dead set on if I don't if I'm
not with that kind of energy, I'm just not with it,
(41:31):
Like I'll just removed myself. So I was like, I
was nervous that they wouldn't have the right energy, but
they were like all in, like they are about that
life and so to me it was a no brainer.
I was like, so we're doing this, and they're like,
I think we're doing this, so let's do that. It
really happened like that on we had one zoom like
it's just crazy like and it was just clicked. Wow.
(41:52):
So then you hang out basically knowing you're the owner
or what not quite yet. So we hang up and
my whole Fani was going in my line, how did
it go? Like what was it like? And who is
my snook? Snook is my mom? Yeah, Snooker is my mom.
She's actually right now, but yeah, okay, I just want
(42:13):
to make sure I say that right, so I have
to not to my snook And I'm like, okay, I
think that's her mom either. Yeah, it's look Booker is
my mom. So and I was just telling them like, yo,
I think it went great, um, and then it was
actually a little silent for a while. And imagine those days,
like you know, I had some long days just like
waiting on the phone to ring or waiting on a text. Um.
(42:34):
But then you know, Cathy reached out. I think it's
gonna be a go. It was a lot of back
and forth. That's why I said. So, it was a
lot of back and forth. But long story short, then
we had to we had to talk to like the
board of governors you had. There's there's different there's levels
to owning a team. It ain't just about signing the
paper just so people know. You have to get accepted.
You have to, you know, talk to people, let them
know what's your vision. Are you going to be good
(42:56):
for the league? Because at the end of the day,
they don't want a group to come in and basically
run a team to the ground and just leave. So
it was a lot, but to me, it was it
was crazy to go through that process. Um. I had
already done a little bit of that process before when
I became part owner of the FCF team. The beast
was Marshawn Lynch and Miro, so I already kind of
(43:17):
new little steps, but this was this, this was on
a way different scale. So so now you're sitting in
the seat where you're in your fancy that says be
in the room, being the room, and you're sitting in
the seat, and it makes sense to me on the
outside looking in, And it was just I just love
the whole process of it. I do have to tell
you that I was like, Okay, did Genn tell us
(43:37):
nothing but tell us everything? Like that's how you move?
You know. Oh, by the way, let me just drop
this on you. UM. But you're now in the room
with these what I think is a natural skill set
to to help pivot, to help solve problems. And you
look at the w n b A, the entire landscape, UM,
the inequity and pay, the lack of sometimes sponsorship, UM,
(44:00):
the the definite need for more support UM from the NBA.
What are your outside of being the change you want
to see? Because we know that you are an activist
and you are activated, what are you hoping to do
if you could give me your elevator pitch as an
as a part owner of the Atlanta Dream, what are
(44:22):
you hoping to do? I'm hoping to make the Atlanta
Dream look like Atlanta so diverse represented. There's a lot
of women leaders in Atlanta. Mayor Keisha Lan's bottom Stacey Abrams.
I want Atlanta Dream to look like the city of Atlanta,
the community, everything about it. So if that's the vendors
were hiring, if that's our all black women broadcast team,
(44:44):
that it should be normal were in Atlanta, you know,
if it's the music that's playing in our gym, if
it's I can't wait for people to see our intro video,
it's lit. When they see that, they're gonna really get it.
I'm telling I don't think I need to be a
part of all things that you guys are doing where
we're talking about empowering black women, So you can make
sure you put me on the list. I'm dare to
(45:04):
do it. Okay, Okay, good, all right, So that the
opening videos going back, Hey, the opening video is that
you guys are going hard in the paint, like you
guys are being very clear about what you plan to
do your your particular franchise. Right, yeah, it's okay and
so and to that point, it's not and it's not
even like a we hate y'all and it's now it's
(45:24):
like a very empowering way. We're trying to do it.
When we made the broadcast team, it wasn't that there's
no other better candidates, but we know these are great
candidates for us. Like you know, it's not it's and
and just so people understand, it's about empowering and so
everything we do our players, you know, I think w
NBA players in general, they need to be empowered more
(45:46):
by brands, by sponsors, by corporate sponsorship, by media partners.
You can see it happening now with the Amazon Prime
deal and the Prime Video, Twitter has games, NBA TV,
there's there's it's happening more and more, but we could
there's never enough. So I think that this empowerment the
future is female movement. Yeah, we're with it over here.
(46:06):
And and you also pointed out something that I love.
When I saw the Amazon deal go across and that's
the other day, I said, that's smart. I don't and
I don't want to give one person credit for that.
I don't want to say, oh, Cathy's in charge, that's
what happened, Adam did it. I don't know who did
it or what I do know is that there is
much more forward thinking from people I know that work
at Amazon. There's much more forward thinking and much more
commitment to women in sports, um more specifically a w
(46:30):
n B A. But as a player, what did you
bemoan and you want to change lifestyle? To me, as
a player, there needs to be some lifestyle changes with
how the players are treated. A lot of times teams
try to see how can we get by on the
least amount of money possible. We feel that as players,
we feel that there's corners cut. We feel that this
(46:52):
is a little jankie like we know that stuff. And
so that's one of the things that I've really you know,
I had a player, Monique Billings. She she text me
after media day and was like, yeah, I see what
you're doing, because yes, yes, okay. So Moby hit me
(47:12):
after media day and she was like, yo, I see
what you're trying to do. And that that to me
was everything because we wanted them to feel like celebrities.
We want them to feel like they are professional athletes.
And so our media day what we did it big.
You know, we had the lights, the fog machine, like,
we made it feel professional. And so that's what I
want to do. I want lifestyle changes for the players.
(47:33):
Lifestyle includes how you travel, how you eat, how you
are treated with the apartment, how you guys are housed, hotels,
the whole nine. That's what you want. The gift everything,
you know, Like the players don't know yet, but we
have some some pretty lit gifts for them, you know,
for making the team type of gifts. They don't know
that yet, but that's it needs to be there. There
needs to be a standard that no one goes below
(47:56):
in any aspect of the Atlanta Dream and whatever we're doing.
Lifestyle change. That actually is a beautiful sentiment because that
is exactly what happened her lifestyle Renee specifically, because that's
who we're interviewing, has changed, Um, the way that she
has approached the game, the way that she's going to
(48:17):
change the game for the players. UM. I think that's
a beautiful sentiment, lifestyle change. Her name Montgomery is special.
Don't y'all love that story? Do you not love what
we just talked about. I couldn't imagine, but I can
now me working for ESPN one day and then the
(48:41):
next day saying I think I'll own it and it
being real, let me be a part owner. We need
to start thinking that big. You can roll your eyes
at the thought process of that, but that's how we
need to think, because that's how they think. Those dreams
are big. Your little, tiny dreams. Make them bigger. Make
your dreams so big. As you've seen this said before
(49:03):
and written before. Make people uncomfortable if they ask you
uncomfortable in this sencially, I don't know if that can happen,
are you damn right? You don't know, but I do,
because her first thought was to say, no, right, that's
just how we live. Open your eyes, dream big. Renee
Danielle Montgomery, West Virginia born always thought she could play ball,
(49:29):
got to the pros, not necessarily what she thought it
would be right away. But as her career is starting
to wind down, unbeknownst to her, because she still can play, y'all,
she's still gotta handled. She still got it, she thought,
why not let's do something for the people. That's really
truly what this platform is that I have been given.
It is for the people. She just started he foundation,
(49:52):
shout out to my boo. I'm here for all of this.
But more importantly, she's taking dreams, her dreams and really
making them a reality. If you don't believe in this story.
If you don't believe that you can do whatever the
hell you want, I don't know what to tell you.
And he goes back to her naked quality. She's even.
(50:17):
People like to do business with people who are even,
people who wear their emotions on their sleeves. Yeah, okay,
that's fine. I do enjoy passion because that might be me.
I don't enjoy people who are just angry. Right, Well,
so you're mad now and you're making everybody uncomfortable with
your anger. What does that do? That gets that gets
us nowhere? If I could say anything about her, what
(50:38):
I envy the most, as I said earlier, is her evenness.
It takes you so far. It puts you in rooms
that you would never dream that you could be in,
and it allows you to work and prosper and move
in a way that you never thought you could. People
enjoy even people. They appear more intelligent, They come across more,
they come across as if they're more savvy, business savvy
(51:02):
savvy and life savvy and love. If you can't press
my buttons like another person respects that. Business people will
respect that, A smart person will respect that. And that's
my boot Renee. She's even, man, don't I wish I
had it. I'm sitting here, as you know, I do,
(51:24):
being in my thought for my ponder process at the
end of the podcast, and I'm thinking that girl, get
it together, be even changes your life, lifestyle change, change
your life. And side note before I get about of here,
everybody go back inside. Everybody's out like it ain't. No
(51:46):
COVID that's a little too jarring. That delta variant is serious.
I'm saying this to myself too, because I was out
in the streets. I'm like, wait, hold on it, how
how was I just locked down? Now I'm out even
too close? No mask on. We laughing, we're hugging. Everybody
don't have the vaccine. They don't care. I think this
(52:08):
might be my new sign off. Get back in the
house and go outside cautiously. Still wear a mask in
uncertain environments. That's some sage advice. You're welcome. That was
even advice. Thank you all for listening. Talk next week.
M
Renee, you got me hyped. I'm gonna be watching your team.
I might have to adopt Charlestonce Sparks be tripping. I'm
gonna make it out my second favorite time. We'll take
number two in this case. Hey y'all, we gotta get one.
Former w n B A star, Renee Montgomery is on
neked more from her after the break. Every champion and
(00:35):
carey champion is to be a champion of Champion and
carry Champion and carry chapion. A champion and carry Champion
and carry champion. Rateis ratius and sports and entertainment connected
work in the world of vulnerable considered. We come and
remove the vail from entertainment elite. It's a difference between
what it's real and with the public season. So here's
your favorite celebrities behind the scenes. It's refreshing up. Then
(00:57):
the whole story specific life alto rennivents to check the
person that you here. We gotta champion. They carry Champion
and it's the greatest of sports. And then the tameing
connaked with Harry Chappion. They carry Chappion is Champion, the
Champion they carry Chappion. Chappion, they carry Chappion. They carry
Chappi and the Taming Cannaked Warmer. Shout out to us Virginia. UM.
(01:23):
The reason why I say shout out to West Virginia
obviously our next guest, Renee Montgomery, is from West Virginia,
the smallest state in the Union, I believe. However, that
was my very very very first job in TV. That's
where it started for me, West Virginia. I've told the
story a few times, but that's interesting because immediately I
(01:44):
thought to myself, I don't remember meeting many people like
Renee when I lived there. But whatever, I was only
there for a minute. But I want to tell you
the story of a retired American basketball player, now broadcaster,
currently part owner of the Lanta dream Well. She is
a champion in more ways than one, all pun intended.
(02:05):
She has one on every level, high school level, collegiate level.
She went to Yukon arguably one of the most if
not historical programs for women's collegiate collegiate basketball, right but
playing under Gina r Ema too, who she adores. I
talked to her a little bit about that. We'll get
into that. UM, there are programs down that are challenging Yukon,
(02:26):
which I appreciate. Shout out to Stanford for going far
when it at all. If you don't know college basketball,
I'm speaking mumbo jumbo to you. But you know where
I'm going. And now she won. She won when she
was in the pros, when she played for the Minnesota
Links seventeen. But Renee then retired abruptly. Everyone at least
(02:46):
thought it was abrupt but y'all remember what happened in
There was so much going on, and I remember talking
to Renee off the record, and she's like, look, I
can't I can't continue to play basketball while all of
this is happening in the world. Um, people are angry
and sad and suffering, and we're tired of seeing her
people being murdered by police and there being no justice
(03:07):
and no accountability. And so I'm going to take a
minute and take um a pivot, if you will, and
I'm gonna start being an activist. I'm gonna start protesting. Now.
I'm pretty sure she knew she was going to retire.
She didn't say that right off the bat, but she did.
She started to protest. She walked away from the game,
and she's saying no thanks, I'm opting out. I don't
(03:29):
want to play anymore. All the while, though, here is
the crazy story. The owner of the Atlanta Dream when
Renee was a player. Boy, was this crazy woman. And
I'm calling her crazy because she was so disrespectful, um
senator and that when she was a senator, you know whatever,
(03:51):
Senator Kelly Loffler. And she started some trouble because when
she was asked because she was the owner of the
Atlanta Dream, a basketball team primarily consisting of minorities black
and brown women, when they asked her what she thought
about Black Lives Matter, she simply said that she felt
that it was disrespectful. She did not like what it
(04:14):
was about. She said, no one should be promoting Black
lives matter. Way a minute. You are the owner of
a team, a w NBA team that consists primarily of
black and brown women, and you don't support Black Lives matter,
and you say it publicly, and you're a senator in
the state of Georgia. Girl, get out of here. You
sound crazy. So I remember saying this. I was like,
(04:37):
when this is all said and downe, that woman's gonna
have to sell that team. There is no way on
God's green Earth, she can continue to own a team
in the w n b A which is still with
the NBA, and come out and say she don't support
Black Lives matter. She thinks it's in a front to
society and actually our system. What paraphrasing? You know what, Kelly?
(04:59):
You have here? So I I remember asking Renee, who
then played for the Atlanta Dream under this woman the
quote unquote owner. I hate that name. I remember asking Renee,
how do you feel about this woman? She she is
your quote unquote boss air quotes and she hates the
(05:21):
idea of black lives matter? How is that possible? Right?
Renee was very PC about it, But I tell you
what wasn't PC the way that the entire w NBA
went after her. I remember so many people protesting against
(05:41):
this particular woman, and in fact starting the movement to
endorse a candidate by the name of Rafael Warnock. Now,
if you know your politics, you know that Rafael Warnock
is now the Senator in Georgia. He took her spot.
We got her ask about the paint, but I remember
Renee was so politically correct about it. So not only
(06:04):
does she decide to walk away from the team, arguably
probably already knowing that the owner was on some bullshit.
She then starts to protest and she finds her, if
you will, she finds her place what she's supposed to
be doing. She said, it was just a new level
of what it meant to be a part of the movement.
And then she going by the team. Y'all, this story
(06:29):
is crazy. The senator who said, I adamantly opposed the
Black Lives Matter political movement, which has advocated for the
defunding of police, called for the removal of Jesus from churches,
and the disruption of the nuclear family structure. What the
hell is she talking about? She's stupid? So could you imagine? No,
(06:55):
we can't imagine. But here's the beauty. Instead of protesting her,
they got her ask about the paint, and the player
then became the owner and it is Renee Montgomery. It
all began in West Virginia. Take a listen. Yeah, I
grew up in St. Albans, West Virginia, and the community
(07:18):
felt and did not look like me. You know, there
was I think in elementary school there might have been.
There were no, I don't think there are any of
the black children in elementary school. And then in junior
high there was one other black students, so things looked
a lot different than it does for me. Now Here
in Atlanta, it was different. I worked in West Virginia, Oakley, Yeah, Bluefield, Bluefield,
(07:41):
West Virginia. How how close was that to where you
where you grew up? I would say, I think blue
Fields like an hour and some change away from me. Okay.
I my experience, and that was in two thousand, was
was great, but I know that it was very um
it was a very comfortable place with racism and calling
people colored. Did you experience that growing up? I actually didn't. Um.
(08:05):
I think that I experienced people thinking that I was
cool because I was different, almost like oh, she's the
black kid. Like you know, it was like I was
the black kid because there was only one and so
I didn't really like experienced that. But I think I
experienced it more when it came to newspapers and how
things were framed, when it came to who was the
star of the game who wasn't. You could see it there.
(08:28):
What do you mean? Give me an example, Like you
could be balling out and they would highlight someone else
who got like two points. Yes, I could be I
could be balling out, and it would it would be
just not even in the news like it would be
in the statuet or in the score part of it.
You would see that that portion of me, but it
wouldn't be the headlines. The headlines could be someone of
(08:48):
the team that lost. So we kind of experienced that
pretty early on and knew that was a norm. Well,
if that was a norm, how were you able to
get to a point where you outshined everyone? It was
just they checked the box, they checked the state, they
check the stats, or because I would think you would
need to be written about in order to go on
(09:09):
and have a successful career. So I don't see how
you were able to do that and not have any
type of any type of shine or pup. It's interesting
because that's we started to play AU And so for
people that don't know what AU is is traveling basketball.
So you travel around, you get your team from your state,
and you travel around to different states. That's where we
(09:30):
got on the map. You know, our team, the West
Virginia Tornadoes that remember candis actually we talked about it
on the Arena Canada's played for the West Virginia Tornadoes
and that our team was pretty good, and so we
were traveling around to different places and we had a
nice squad, and that's how we started to get seen,
and that's how coaches started to be like, you know,
who are these girls on this West Virginia team. That's
(09:54):
fascinating because you two are arguably one of the most
here's a handful of well known n b W NBA
players outside of just the league, right, those two crossover
and you two are arguably among that that that handful,
that too handful group of people. And it started with
that a AU team. Did that make you feel a
(10:14):
type of way because you generally have a great disposition,
but the competitor in you, I think would feel some
type of way if you're not writing about me and
you're writing about somebody else, you know, I kind of
just I just was like, it'll wash itself out. My
family they didn't like it. You know, my family they're
the ones to read it. So for me, it's like
when I'm playing against somebody in West Virginia, they know
(10:35):
they know when they played South Charleston that we were
going to be turned up. And so the players. Amongst
the players, there was a certain level of respect, but
it just didn't happen in the media, and so for me,
that pushed us. Like me and my teammates when we
played those AU games, we knew that that was our chance,
and so we treated that like, all right, when all
the college coaches are sitting around the game, this is
(10:56):
when we got to put on a show because we
know how it's going to be in West Virginia and
maybe people won't hear about us. So why what quality
is that in you? You know, people like to always
refer to zodiac signs, if you're this or that. I'm
a Sagittarius. Yeah, okay, well I just I don't really
believe too much of that. But since you said that,
every sage I know is pretty mellow, like everybody just
(11:18):
get you're everybody's best friend, you get along. However, um,
what quality is that in you that didn't necessarily need
to feel a type of way knowing that if you're good,
you're good and you're gonna last. I don't know. I
think I'm a pretty confident person. I don't talk about
my confidence, but I think I'm always just be like,
(11:38):
all right, I'll figure it out. So if they don't
want to write about me, then we gotta make some
noise on another stage. Like that's just always my thought
process even now. You know when something's going wrong, I don't.
I'm not the type that's gonna go on Twitter and
throw a rant. I'm gonna figure out a way to
to change that situation. I'm gonna figure out a way.
If I'm not in a good situation, I'm gonna figure
out a way out. So I don't know, I just
always have to. I think just the pivot, the ability
(12:01):
to pivot, has been something that I learned young. I'm
writing down things that are striking, striking me as your
your naked quality. UM, and I have to talk to
you about after you leave you, after you leave West Virginia,
you get recruited by UM the most decorated program for
(12:25):
women's basketball in the history of the game. That's the
University of Connecticut Gina. Ari Emma is a Hall of Famer. UM.
More than likely everyone who plays with him who's won
a chip in which what is what you did, will
win that chip and become a Hall of famer. A
Hall of Famer yet, right, I want to make sure, okay,
(12:45):
if you're trying to miss that in my notes here
how how was it playing for Gino. Yeah, you know,
it's it's everyone sees the coach ari Emma on the outside,
but I mean, honestly, he's somebody that he's gonna get
on you, so that's a given, but no one else
is going to get on you. You know that. It's
like that that when you have family and you can
(13:07):
make fun of your family, but hey, nobody else make
fun of your family. Type. Feel that's him. So he
will get on to us, he'll yell at us. But
if the media ever does it or someone else ever comes,
you know, he has your back. And so for me,
I love it. Like that's that's and the reason you know,
talking about West Virginia, the reason that I went with
Uknor is because I felt like his his approach was
(13:28):
different all the other college coaches that would recruiting me.
They told me I would be starting point guard. I
would be the star of the show. I would be
everything that I ever wanted to be in Coach or
Amy was like, yeah, you're good, you know, yeah, but
we we got good players here too. You can start,
you can do this, but it's all on you. And
so I'm like, that's what's up? Like I like people
that shoot it to me straight. So um playing for
him was exactly what I thought it would be when
(13:50):
he was recruiting me. He's not gonna sugarcoat anything. He's
gonna tell you like it is. Yet that that's to me.
Any coach, basketball coach, any code, that's what it is.
They are consistently um letting people know whether they're winning
or not winning. Like I feel like being a coach
is a life of stress, Like it's so stressful, you're
always angry, Like I wouldn't want to do it. That's
(14:12):
what I never wanted to be a coach. Yeah, you're
working to get fired like I'm on set. However, what
I do want to say about General Gino r E
m A. I do not know him, and you did
point out how people treat him and talk about him
on camera. He has an incredible arrogance. Does he deserve
to be that arrogant? I mean, see arrogance, people have
(14:34):
a certain way about that. Arrogance isn't arrogant if it's true.
So that that's what I have to like put out
there because a lot of the stuff he says. I
remember when Donna Tarasci was on his team, and everybody
was really mad because he made a statement, like they said,
why do you think you're gonna win a national championship
and he's like, because we have Diana and you don't.
And people really thought that that was like oh, wow,
(14:56):
like you like, you know, I don't think that's bad.
Oh it got a lot of attention, So I think
it's not so people could consider that arrogant, But they
went on to win a championship and it was a fact.
So I'm just curious if I don't know if he's
arrogant or if he's just a fact teller and people
don't like how he's saying it. I think I think
(15:16):
outside looking in the way the way that we want
the world to be, right, especially if he was a woman,
he couldn't get away with that. He would not be liked.
So I'm pointing out what I believe is arrogant, and
I don't necessarily agree with his his approach or his style.
It works apparently, but if he was a woman, he
(15:37):
could never do that. Till That's where I get interesting.
But should you be mad at him or mad at
the system that wouldn't allow to do it? Both both
you should and don't you think we should hold everybody accountable?
Like if I because I get labeled arrogant, and I, yes,
it's true, Like, but what's your like why the arrogance
(15:58):
will be she thinks she'll all that she knows everything
she's talking over people this end the third or she
demands too much. Right, Gina and I are cut from
the same cloth. But I'm okay with understanding that I'm
those things. But I tell you what I don't do
is that I don't talk to people like they don't matter.
Do you think he does that? Yes? And that's that
arrogance that I don't like. You could be as tough
(16:19):
as you want to be, but you can't treat people
like they don't matter. And that is his approach. Um,
and perhaps it works. But you, being who you are
Sagittarius at all, you know problem solver ability to pivot.
You don't mind that or you probably didn't receive it
that way, correct, right? I didn't receive it that way. Yeah,
but I usually don't receive things. I usually always receive
(16:42):
things the right way because I try to assume people
like people have to really do something. Wow, So I'd
be like, wait, I think they wild and like I
have to. Like usually my friends tell me somebody's disrespecting me,
and I'm like, oh, for real and then like my
friends be like, yeah, no, I don't like that. Like
my friends or family are the ones that have to
let me know when somebody's doing some crazy stuff. And
that's a beautiful quality. So somebody's trying to play you
(17:06):
and you don't really know it. Well't no, because I think,
why why deal with that? Why have Because at the
end of the day, some of the circumstances don't really matter.
It's insignificant. Who cares if somebody talk to me crazy?
Who cares if, like I'm being honest, who cares if
is that going to affect my paycheck? Does that affect
my money? Does that affect my future? Once we start
(17:26):
affecting things that really matter to us and we care about,
why why focus on people being like and I'm talking
about myself. That's what I'm still working on. That's why
I think, truly, you've been so successful because you do
have this las a fair approach. One of my really
good friends is the Sagittarius, and she's very las fair,
meaning very few things bother her. It has to be.
(17:48):
It has to be humongous in order for her to
jump out of her her skin, right, Yeah, it has
to that's who you are. It has to be really
big or I really won't care. I'm like, all right,
so what were we doing? Like, I just won't just like, so,
so what we're doing? I know everybody, man, but what
we're doing, which is great, which is why you were
able to then leave this program with the chip. I mean,
(18:08):
and I ain't knocking it. It is the best. If
I had a daughter to play ball and she said
I wanted to go to Connecticut, I'd like you go
play for that. Man. I don't like you know, so
I'm not going to knock that. What I what I
think is something that goes not talked about enough is
the type of people he recruits. Your character is outstanding.
(18:29):
So is the others that he has recruited in the
past that I've always admired and liked off court as
well as on court. So you get to the w
n b A, you start playing, that was always a
dream for you, kind of The w n b A
became a thing when I was tinned. So I started.
When I very first started playing, I was just trying
(18:49):
to get a college scholarship, like that was the way
out of West Virginia to me. I'm like, let me
try to get a school to want me to go there,
and then I go there and get a free education.
That was the first thoughts, and so at in Yeah,
then everything became about going to the league, but also
getting a college scholarship because my mom is a college
professor and my dad's an engineer. So school was the
thing to me. So then now you're playing at this level,
(19:13):
You're like, I can get drafted. Yeah, I can get drafted. Yeah, okay,
talk to me about draft night. Oh. Draft Knight was
scary because I'm five six. I lift myself at five seven.
That's just what we do. Uh. And everyone was talking
about how they didn't know if my game would translate
(19:34):
over to the pro style. So I'm coming off of
a high. We went thirty nine and oh and everyone's
talking about, yeah, every now you had a great season,
but is she too small to play in the league.
So I was hearing things and just so people understand,
the w NBA draft is like three days after our
championship games, so there's not much time in between. So
I'm still literally on the high from winning a championship,
(19:56):
and now I'm hearing that I could go anywhere from
like number one to number him, and I'm like, oh
my gosh. Like it was like so I just didn't
want to be left sitting in the room. I know
everyone has seen the athletes sitting in the room waiting
on their name to be called. I did not want
to be that one. So that was my fear. So
you were not tell us about drafting, like when you
(20:20):
when they called your name and they said this is
the team walked me through that night. Who are you
with family friends or did you feel I was with
my parents and my parents Um. They went to the
Final four game and then they flew to New York
because that's where it was. So they were at the
table Coach Oriyama, who had told me he's not gonna
be able to make it. I didn't really think none
of it because he literally is a rock star, and
(20:40):
so I'm like, he's probably doing rock star things. He
popped up on me. He pulled up on me in
New York, so he was there, so you couldn't tell
me nothing. Sitting at my table. I was hyped. Um
and the first went. The first went by Angel mccatry,
the second pick Christy Tolliver, the third pick Rissa Coleman,
and then I'm like, oh my gosh, I really got
scared after them because you don't know what is going
(21:00):
to happen. And then I heard the fourth pick, Minnesota
Links chose me, and like that's I kind of like
just blacked out there, if I'm being honest, Like it
was kind of like the motions. I'm sure I hugged everyone,
but it was relief. I was like, Okay, I don't
know anything about Minnesota, but that's where we're going. Like
that's kind of how I felt. That's how I felt
about it. The beauty about the w n b A
(21:21):
and and and for for all the things that we
have yet to see and all the strides we still
want to make. The beauty about the w n b
A is watching you ladies literally go from the college
game if you're in the championship game, to getting drafted
and then watching you play not soon there after, and
I think or soon thereafter, and I think to me,
(21:42):
I love that. I love because you were watching this
process happened so quickly, and you guys are transitioning overnight.
You get to the league. For look, and I'm gonna
be very clear because you know, I grew up in
l A. So you know I was a Sparks fan.
So you get to you get to the league, and
Minnesota is the business, like you guys are the business.
(22:03):
How many tips you want with them too? I want to.
But when I got there, we were not the business.
Talk to me about that tough we went. I told
you my senior year we went thirty nine o So
I literally went a full year without losing a game. Um,
and then I got to the league and had a
wake up call. We we were like the worst team
for a while. Actually, let me Actually I'm lying. The
(22:24):
first half of the season we were all right and
then Simone Augustus got hurt and that's where it went bad.
And it went bad and it wasn't like the team
was bad and we were yelling at each other. It
was just like we were losing and I was not
accustomed to that. I mean, a bad year for Yukon.
You you lose five games West, Yeah, we lost like
five games in two weeks, And I'm like, what is
(22:45):
happening with my life? And my good at basketball. I
tried to really like it makes you really like, wow,
am I can I carry this team? And I you know,
because I found the Yukon that I could use my
positivity energy and we could we could figure it out.
But in the pro you gotta have talent. Like talent
wins in the pros. That's it. That's it. What you
(23:06):
also have in the w n b A. Outside of talent,
extremely talented women, you have leadership on a scale in
a league that I have yet to see expressed so freely.
Not always highlighted, but definitely leadership in the sense of
what's going on in the world today. I would argue
that the w n b A and its players were
(23:29):
the first to lead the charge on social justice. Your
take on that, Yeah, definitely. I mean the summer before
Colin Kaepernick took the knee, I was on that Minnesota
Links team where we wore shirts that said change starts
with Us. Again, it was the summer before Colin Kaepernick
took the knee, so people were definitely not ready to
see that. They Minnesota Police Department, they walked out on us.
(23:50):
They said they won't be security for our games anymore.
They didn't like our messaging. Yeah, it was. It was
a whole thing. People were writing us letters. Um. One
of the letters someone wrote me was like, Renee, I'm
so torn. I have family that's in the military, have
family that are police officers, and I love you, so
what can we do? And I'm like, we got family
that's in the military, we got family that's in the
police department. That's not what we're saying. Where we're protesting
(24:14):
in justice, we're not protesting those particular places. And so people,
you know, racism has been such a big part of
America that when we started to protest racism, people thought
we were protesting America. They thought that, oh wow, so
they're not patriotic. Patriotic and I'm like, no, we're just
saying we didn't like what happened with Philando cast Steele,
we don't like what's going on around here right now,
(24:35):
and change starts with us. It was not received well,
but to that point in we saw what happened. So
I could have clear markers of the growth in the
league because we actually got fined for wearing those shirts.
The League was talking us through, talk us through started
the moment you all started, and at the time, I
think it was Lisa. Wasn't Lisa the commissioner at the time. Yeah, yeah,
(24:58):
talk us through the moment where there were specific teams.
I remember the police saying that I helping you guys,
and I thought we were protesting America. We'll talk us
to the moment, the year that you all decided to
do that, how it all came about, and then what happened,
uh consequently year after year after year, until finally everybody
got on board. Yeah. So a lot of other teams
started to wear shirts. Um, and so the w n
(25:19):
b A had released like a memo saying players got
to wear a team issued gear period, like we get it,
whatever yell are doing, but we wear a team issued
gear one game, events and stuff. So then it became
a problem because we were like, now we're still wearing
our shirts. And so I remember New York they put
their shirts on inside out and just different things to
make a statement. And I'm pretty sure people were getting
(25:40):
fined left and right just because the w n b A.
They were trying to get a hold on what was happening.
Because we like when we asked permission, we asked permission
from our coaching staff and our management, like knowing that
this would affect them. We didn't really go to the
w n B A maybe we did, but we were
going to wear them regardless and we did. And so
we just were we were about it. We're like, we're
(26:01):
gonna pay the fines if it is what it is.
I even think Minnesota, I think they said they were
gonna pay our fins for us. And so that was
empowering as a player to see that, Okay, they got us,
our team has us. And then you fast forward to
where we're sitting in the year where we're gonna have
to bubble up. Players are emotional, what's going on, their
civil unrest, and so the league had to there had
(26:22):
to be some give and take if we were going
to do this season. And the league was basically like, Okay,
you guys will be able to control your own narrative.
And so if you if anyone knows anything about someone
trying to have their their voice heard, you want to
control your own narrative. And basically the league was like, well,
we're gonna dedicate the season to social justice. There was
a say her Name campaign every single week to spotlight
(26:46):
women that were killed from police balance. I mean, it
was so many things done that the w n b A,
they let us know that they're on board. And and
for me, that was a long way they came because
in it was just not it wasn't it wasn't even
a conversation. It was us a no. I call that
corporate social justice. But but after our our what our
(27:07):
racial reckoning in corporate corporate, corporate America had to get
on board. They could not ignore what was happening anymore
any longer because we were at home and we were
all watching it. So if you were a black, white,
purple green, you had to get on board with the
lack of humanity that was displayed against black people. So
you in season decided to do what while the league
(27:30):
seems to be on board and all and and instead
of a no, yes, we're gonna be in this bubble,
we're gonna do to say her name campaign and honor
of Brianna Taylor, what are you thinking? I was thinking
that we need to turn things up. So for me,
I was looking outside. I live in Atlanta, so there
(27:50):
are protests happening outside of my How's there were protests
happening all over the city. I'm looking out my window
and I'm looking at the news and I'm seeing the
exact same thing. So I'm like, we gotta do something
that I called Actually, I called my snook and Ditty,
and this is what really happened. I was a little
nervous because I had never seen protests like that. I've
never seen anything that was happening here in Atlanta. So
I was nervous, like, should I leave, I go home
(28:11):
to West Virginia, Like what should I do while things
are turned up? So I called my snook and she
was just like, oh, no, you're good. And she was
so calm, and I'm like, I'm good. I just told
you what's going on right outside my door. And she's like, no,
they're not they're not worried about you. You're good. She
was like, this is what people do when they don't
feel that their voices are heard. They gotta make it felt.
And so when she said that, I was just like
(28:32):
like because usually, and to give people context, I'm the
youngest in the family, so if I have a high energy,
everybody in my family is alarmed, because I don't even like,
I don't even get a high energy about anything. So
when I was like, yo, what should I do? Maybe
I should come home to West Virginia and they're like, no,
You're good right where you at. And I was just
like wow. So that to me, like was heavy because
(28:53):
my parents are usually like, yeah, I come home, baby,
And I was like, so, if they're doing this to
be felt, what am I do want to be felt?
And that's kind of how the thought process started. It
was it took two months, two weeks. Like I didn't
just decide overnight that I was going to opt out
of the w n b A. I mean I talked
about I've been playing since I was five, I've been
trying to get there since I was ten, So opting
(29:13):
out was just not like a quick, easy thought. I
started to weigh the pros the cons. Am I gonna like,
am I gonna go into debt trying to not have
a job, like quit the job that I have right now?
So there was a lot that went into that. But
just everybody I talked to, they just was like, yeah,
you're doing the right thing. Like if this is how
you feel, you're doing the right thing. And so I
(29:34):
just rolled with it. And then I was also stuck
with the decision of do I just say for personal
reasons because some WBA players did that like, I'm not
playing this year for personal reasons. So I was having
to decide do I say personal reasons that I really
say what's up? Um? But I just, as you know,
I'm pretty transparent blunt, so I was just like, look y'all,
I'm not feeling what's going on. I want to do something.
(29:55):
I'm hearing Atlanta what's up? And and I through a
June Team pop up block party that next day. It
was like, what's up, what's up? I told him Commune.
I literally tweeted out, yo, what's up on bed Centennial
Olympic Park at five o'clock tomorrow, Come, eat, come dance.
I had a step team there, Serena Gray saying, um,
I had a lot going on, and we did it
(30:17):
over It was crazy how it came together. So yeah,
and the community turned up like there was a lot
of people there because the protests were already happening there
at that time. So yeah, it was it was pretty little,
don't go anywhere, we gotta pay these bills. But when
we come back on the other side of this break,
we're talking about how the young lady from West Virginia
went from the player on a team to the owner
(30:40):
of the team. That's heavy. You don't want to miss it.
Back in a moment. Every Champion and Carvery Champion is
to be a champion on a champion and carry Champion,
and carry Champion Champion, and carry Chapion and carry Champion sports.
And then the team making Naked Work Chapion and Carrie
(31:01):
Cheppion Champion, they carry Chappion, chap they carry Champion. The Hey, y'all,
welcome back to Naked Um. This is a good one,
right uh. I love the story because I was watching
it happen in real time, and I think a lot
of us can relate to what has happened within this
(31:22):
last two years, the pandemic, post pandemic, wherever you, wherever
you at, COVID, however you discuss it um, you have
seen literally an evolution of people and in some cases,
probably in a lot of cases, the devolving of people.
In the sense that this has been hard, it has
been a tough time, but the stories of overcoming, the
stories of rising up, they are plenty and beautiful. Renee,
(31:45):
when we left you a moment ago before we had
to pay the bills, talked about why she decided to
opt out and how that didn't happen overnight. That was
just such um an arduous process, obviously because it is
her love and what am I going to do? This
is all I've been. You know, when you've been something
since you were a kid, and then now here you are. However,
many years later, twenty years later, you're like, Okay, I'm
(32:08):
gonna do something else. Well, what is that? How do
you pivot? And her pivot was a beautiful one. And
I explained to you at the very beginning, because I
know you heard what was up. As Renee is finding
her footing as an advocate um, as she is protesting
in Atlanta, as she is gathering the people to be heard,
(32:28):
as she is finding her voice, she's also realizing there's
more to be done. Shout out to her fiance who said,
guess what, you should own the team. It was a
no brainer that Kelly Loffler, the former senator who owned
the Atlanta Dream, wasn't going to be able to keep
her Job's just a no brainer, um, because she didn't
(32:49):
have no brains. However, it was a no brainer that
she would have to put that team up for sale.
I remember discussing this on my shell stick to sports
with Jamale, and Jamale was like, you think they're putting
that team out for see, I said, they have to.
She can no longer be an owner. It's a bad
look in a state. They flipped the Senate shout out
to the w n b A for supporting Raphael Warnock.
(33:12):
I know people don't know that story, but it started there.
The players in the w n b A were so
furious with this woman who said that she did not
support Black Lives Matter. I was reading a quote earlier
and she literally said the reason why she opposed it
was because they called for the removal of Jesus from
churches and the disruption of the nuclear family structure. They
(33:33):
harbored anti Semitic views, promoted violence and destruction across the country.
What Black Lives Matters she talking about? I believe it
is totally maligned, with the values misaligned, rather with the
values and goals of the w n b A and
the Atlanta Dream where we support tolerance and inclusion. Girl
by like, what what what black Lives Matter entity is
(33:57):
she discussing? And there are people who believe that well
was all lies. But as soon as she put that
on record and said a lot of other things that
were not true. It was only a matter of time
before they told her she had to get about the pain.
And it was quiet, right, it was. It was done quietly.
Adam shout out to Adam, and you know, you said
Adam Silver, commissioner the NBA. He probably just you know,
(34:18):
sent her a quick little email like yo, yo, yo, yo,
check this out. You gotta get up out of here,
and let's just do this quietly. So Renee is trying
to figure out, is this lofty idea that her fiance
throws out at her, is that is this even really possible?
Can I own or at least be part owner of
(34:39):
the Atlanta Dream? And the way it's done, folks, because
she broke it down for me, Thank you, Renee. The
way it's done is not like, hey, you put up
all this money. Yes, it's done that way, but you
also get in with investment groups you put it. You
have to put up a certain percentage, and you get
in with other investors who who look good on paper,
if you will, who meet all the checks and balances
to be a part of this exclusive ownership group. Um.
(35:03):
And according to Renee, it was not easy. In fact,
she was asking everybody, how can I do it? How
can I do it? And no one took her seriously.
This little black girl who played for the team a
few months ago now wants to own it. Nah, it
don't work like that. Now, I'll tell you why they tried.
They with a capital T e y. They tried to
(35:24):
say it didn't work that way because of who she
was and what she looked like and what she supported.
And I love when a good plan comes together. Because
they could not stop her. It was destined, it was
meant to be, I earlier said, I love when I
see these stories of people finding their voice, their purpose,
(35:46):
especially especially during these last two years. This racial renaissance
has given people a renewed sense of life, a bigger platform,
a place to put all of their hopes and dreams,
and turning this world into a better place, forcing America
to live up to its promise. How come this little
black girlfriend West Virginia can't own the team she used
(36:07):
to play for. You sure can rite, because that's the
American dream. Enjoy So how do you go from protesting
against the owner of your team to being part owner
of the team? Like? How how we boss everybody else?
Like that? Listen? You know, I'm usually the problem solver,
but for me, me solving the problem was like I'm
(36:28):
opting out and I'm gonna create positive change. But my fiance,
she was just like, you need to you need to
own the team, and I'm like, what are you talking about?
Like so I have to give her credit because when
I when she first said it to me, I thought
that was the wildest thing I ever heard because I'm
in player mode. I'm in a I was still trying
to win some championships mode. And then I'm like, what
are you talking about? And she was like, you keep
(36:49):
talking about you want to create change. You don't like
how people are hiring. You don't like the representation going on,
like who hires all these people? Who controls that? She's
like the owners. And the more she talked, I'm like, damgn,
she's onto something. And so then you know, I remember
the moment where I was like, you know what, I
do need to own the team. Like that's the moment
where it became real because she would say it to
(37:12):
me multiple times, like you really need to try to
do this, Renee like in Serena. That's just how she is,
like once she gets onto something she's not letting it go.
And so I'm like okay, like okay, and I'm always
like the okay, okay in due time, like maybe later,
and she's like, no, you need to start now, Like
what do you mean later? And so once I made
my mind up, once she fully helped convince me in
(37:32):
a sense of this is the thing to do, I
started to see. You know, I'm a Hamilton's fan, I'm
into Broadway and you know the room where it happened.
She was trying to get me in the room where
it happens, and I was I was, I was trying
to I was trying to just micro do things that
she was like, no, you need to think bigger. And
so that's that's how everything started for me. Congratulations, you
(37:58):
you do something that you be in the room and
you were encouraged by your fiance, which I love. But
then you do it so gangster, that's like, that's the move.
I like, you had the nerve to be on TV
with me the day before and then how dare you?
How dare you? But by the way, that's a little
Wayne said, real gangsters moving silence. So so tell me
(38:19):
how it all came about. How the ownership. Part ownership
of the Atlanta Dream came about for you. Yeah, it was.
It was a long process and so yeah, you're right
there at the arena. I knew it was coming down
the pipe tomorrow, but you know how press releases happened
to say something. So it was crazy though. I will
(38:40):
say the conversation we were having on the arena, because
you and Candice were really hitting on everything that was
already in Like y'all were speaking to my soul basically,
and I'm like, hey, this we were talking about ownership.
I'm writing down because you know this is a heavily
produced podcast. I'm like, I gotta get these arena clips
in year two because I remember and I was sitting there, like,
(39:04):
are you talking that top women got an own stuff? Yeah? Yeah, yeah,
And I was like, Honestly, for me, it was like
I didn't need confirmation. But when you hear things like that,
it's like, this is exactly why I wanted to do it.
Like a lot of people, yeah, a lot of people
saw it as a boss up and oh yes, get back,
But for me, I was I was thinking of what
(39:25):
we just did? You know, we just hiring all black
women broadcast crew. China, Angel Tabitha Autumn all black women.
So that's not normal. That's not normal in sports. Then
we went and hired a black lead agency ad agency.
So that's the things I was thinking about. But I
love that people, you know, like it's women empowerment, it's
(39:46):
all of those things. But for me, like we were
changing things here in Atlanta. You know, you don't see
what's what we're about to do. We're like, you don't
see it in sports, but we're trying to make things
a new normal. And it's not just me, you know,
it's the other the other two owners who Zan a
Bear and Larry g And let me go back to
how I got to them. So I had to tell
Kathy Engelbert that I was serious basically, and Kathy Engelbert
(40:08):
is the commissioner of the w n B A Okay, yep,
Kathy's the commissioner. So like the question that you're asking me,
we were literally asking ourselves in the house, like so
how do you go about trying to get a team?
Like I didn't even know where to start. So where
I started was Kathy, Like, you know, okay, Kathy, she's
the commissioner. Surely she has the connections and it didn't
(40:28):
really start there, but that's like, let's give you the
heavy hitter pieces. So I hit Kathy and make you Kathy,
I'm actually really serious about trying to be a part
of the ownership group for the Dream. And to let
you know how serious I am, I'm about to retire,
you know, like I'm a teller, like because I know
you can't be you can't be an active player and
being an owner at the same time. So I was like,
and I know that you have you can't be that,
(40:50):
So I'm about to retire in a couple of weeks months.
It was that time frame. She's like, oh wow, so okay,
so you're serious, and I'm like dead serious, and so
then she was like basically all right, let me circle back.
So she went and reached out to the bidders and
basically Suzanne A Bear Larry G We're gonna be the
winning bid and she connected us. So I hopped on
(41:10):
zoom with them and it was wild. I'm not gonna
lie like, it was wild to hear how we instantly
clicked because I was nervous. I didn't want to get
into a situation where I'm with an ownership group that
doesn't have the same views as me, because I'm very
a very dead set on if I don't if I'm
not with that kind of energy, I'm just not with it,
(41:31):
Like I'll just removed myself. So I was like, I
was nervous that they wouldn't have the right energy, but
they were like all in, like they are about that
life and so to me it was a no brainer.
I was like, so we're doing this, and they're like,
I think we're doing this, so let's do that. It
really happened like that on we had one zoom like
it's just crazy like and it was just clicked. Wow.
(41:52):
So then you hang out basically knowing you're the owner
or what not quite yet. So we hang up and
my whole Fani was going in my line, how did
it go? Like what was it like? And who is
my snook? Snook is my mom? Yeah, Snooker is my mom.
She's actually right now, but yeah, okay, I just want
(42:13):
to make sure I say that right, so I have
to not to my snook And I'm like, okay, I
think that's her mom either. Yeah, it's look Booker is
my mom. So and I was just telling them like, yo,
I think it went great, um, and then it was
actually a little silent for a while. And imagine those days,
like you know, I had some long days just like
waiting on the phone to ring or waiting on a text. Um.
(42:34):
But then you know, Cathy reached out. I think it's
gonna be a go. It was a lot of back
and forth. That's why I said. So, it was a
lot of back and forth. But long story short, then
we had to we had to talk to like the
board of governors you had. There's there's different there's levels
to owning a team. It ain't just about signing the
paper just so people know. You have to get accepted.
You have to, you know, talk to people, let them
know what's your vision. Are you going to be good
(42:56):
for the league? Because at the end of the day,
they don't want a group to come in and basically
run a team to the ground and just leave. So
it was a lot, but to me, it was it
was crazy to go through that process. Um. I had
already done a little bit of that process before when
I became part owner of the FCF team. The beast
was Marshawn Lynch and Miro, so I already kind of
(43:17):
new little steps, but this was this, this was on
a way different scale. So so now you're sitting in
the seat where you're in your fancy that says be
in the room, being the room, and you're sitting in
the seat, and it makes sense to me on the
outside looking in, And it was just I just love
the whole process of it. I do have to tell
you that I was like, Okay, did Genn tell us
(43:37):
nothing but tell us everything? Like that's how you move?
You know. Oh, by the way, let me just drop
this on you. UM. But you're now in the room
with these what I think is a natural skill set
to to help pivot, to help solve problems. And you
look at the w n b A, the entire landscape, UM,
the inequity and pay, the lack of sometimes sponsorship, UM,
(44:00):
the the definite need for more support UM from the NBA.
What are your outside of being the change you want
to see? Because we know that you are an activist
and you are activated, what are you hoping to do
if you could give me your elevator pitch as an
as a part owner of the Atlanta Dream, what are
(44:22):
you hoping to do? I'm hoping to make the Atlanta
Dream look like Atlanta so diverse represented. There's a lot
of women leaders in Atlanta. Mayor Keisha Lan's bottom Stacey Abrams.
I want Atlanta Dream to look like the city of Atlanta,
the community, everything about it. So if that's the vendors
were hiring, if that's our all black women broadcast team,
(44:44):
that it should be normal were in Atlanta, you know,
if it's the music that's playing in our gym, if
it's I can't wait for people to see our intro video,
it's lit. When they see that, they're gonna really get it.
I'm telling I don't think I need to be a
part of all things that you guys are doing where
we're talking about empowering black women, So you can make
sure you put me on the list. I'm dare to
(45:04):
do it. Okay, Okay, good, all right, So that the
opening videos going back, Hey, the opening video is that
you guys are going hard in the paint, like you
guys are being very clear about what you plan to
do your your particular franchise. Right, yeah, it's okay and
so and to that point, it's not and it's not
even like a we hate y'all and it's now it's
(45:24):
like a very empowering way. We're trying to do it.
When we made the broadcast team, it wasn't that there's
no other better candidates, but we know these are great
candidates for us. Like you know, it's not it's and
and just so people understand, it's about empowering and so
everything we do our players, you know, I think w
NBA players in general, they need to be empowered more
(45:46):
by brands, by sponsors, by corporate sponsorship, by media partners.
You can see it happening now with the Amazon Prime
deal and the Prime Video, Twitter has games, NBA TV,
there's there's it's happening more and more, but we could
there's never enough. So I think that this empowerment the
future is female movement. Yeah, we're with it over here.
(46:06):
And and you also pointed out something that I love.
When I saw the Amazon deal go across and that's
the other day, I said, that's smart. I don't and
I don't want to give one person credit for that.
I don't want to say, oh, Cathy's in charge, that's
what happened, Adam did it. I don't know who did
it or what I do know is that there is
much more forward thinking from people I know that work
at Amazon. There's much more forward thinking and much more
commitment to women in sports, um more specifically a w
(46:30):
n B A. But as a player, what did you
bemoan and you want to change lifestyle? To me, as
a player, there needs to be some lifestyle changes with
how the players are treated. A lot of times teams
try to see how can we get by on the
least amount of money possible. We feel that as players,
we feel that there's corners cut. We feel that this
(46:52):
is a little jankie like we know that stuff. And
so that's one of the things that I've really you know,
I had a player, Monique Billings. She she text me
after media day and was like, yeah, I see what
you're doing, because yes, yes, okay. So Moby hit me
(47:12):
after media day and she was like, yo, I see
what you're trying to do. And that that to me
was everything because we wanted them to feel like celebrities.
We want them to feel like they are professional athletes.
And so our media day what we did it big.
You know, we had the lights, the fog machine, like,
we made it feel professional. And so that's what I
want to do. I want lifestyle changes for the players.
(47:33):
Lifestyle includes how you travel, how you eat, how you
are treated with the apartment, how you guys are housed, hotels,
the whole nine. That's what you want. The gift everything,
you know, Like the players don't know yet, but we
have some some pretty lit gifts for them, you know,
for making the team type of gifts. They don't know
that yet, but that's it needs to be there. There
needs to be a standard that no one goes below
(47:56):
in any aspect of the Atlanta Dream and whatever we're doing.
Lifestyle change. That actually is a beautiful sentiment because that
is exactly what happened her lifestyle Renee specifically, because that's
who we're interviewing, has changed, Um, the way that she
has approached the game, the way that she's going to
(48:17):
change the game for the players. UM. I think that's
a beautiful sentiment, lifestyle change. Her name Montgomery is special.
Don't y'all love that story? Do you not love what
we just talked about. I couldn't imagine, but I can
now me working for ESPN one day and then the
(48:41):
next day saying I think I'll own it and it
being real, let me be a part owner. We need
to start thinking that big. You can roll your eyes
at the thought process of that, but that's how we
need to think, because that's how they think. Those dreams
are big. Your little, tiny dreams. Make them bigger. Make
your dreams so big. As you've seen this said before
(49:03):
and written before. Make people uncomfortable if they ask you
uncomfortable in this sencially, I don't know if that can happen,
are you damn right? You don't know, but I do,
because her first thought was to say, no, right, that's
just how we live. Open your eyes, dream big. Renee
Danielle Montgomery, West Virginia born always thought she could play ball,
(49:29):
got to the pros, not necessarily what she thought it
would be right away. But as her career is starting
to wind down, unbeknownst to her, because she still can play, y'all,
she's still gotta handled. She still got it, she thought,
why not let's do something for the people. That's really
truly what this platform is that I have been given.
It is for the people. She just started he foundation,
(49:52):
shout out to my boo. I'm here for all of this.
But more importantly, she's taking dreams, her dreams and really
making them a reality. If you don't believe in this story.
If you don't believe that you can do whatever the
hell you want, I don't know what to tell you.
And he goes back to her naked quality. She's even.
(50:17):
People like to do business with people who are even,
people who wear their emotions on their sleeves. Yeah, okay,
that's fine. I do enjoy passion because that might be me.
I don't enjoy people who are just angry. Right, Well,
so you're mad now and you're making everybody uncomfortable with
your anger. What does that do? That gets that gets
us nowhere? If I could say anything about her, what
(50:38):
I envy the most, as I said earlier, is her evenness.
It takes you so far. It puts you in rooms
that you would never dream that you could be in,
and it allows you to work and prosper and move
in a way that you never thought you could. People
enjoy even people. They appear more intelligent, They come across more,
they come across as if they're more savvy, business savvy
(51:02):
savvy and life savvy and love. If you can't press
my buttons like another person respects that. Business people will
respect that, A smart person will respect that. And that's
my boot Renee. She's even, man, don't I wish I
had it. I'm sitting here, as you know, I do,
(51:24):
being in my thought for my ponder process at the
end of the podcast, and I'm thinking that girl, get
it together, be even changes your life, lifestyle change, change
your life. And side note before I get about of here,
everybody go back inside. Everybody's out like it ain't. No
(51:46):
COVID that's a little too jarring. That delta variant is serious.
I'm saying this to myself too, because I was out
in the streets. I'm like, wait, hold on it, how
how was I just locked down? Now I'm out even
too close? No mask on. We laughing, we're hugging. Everybody
don't have the vaccine. They don't care. I think this
(52:08):
might be my new sign off. Get back in the
house and go outside cautiously. Still wear a mask in
uncertain environments. That's some sage advice. You're welcome. That was
even advice. Thank you all for listening. Talk next week.
M
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