Neither the Atlanta Dream nor the Golden State Valkyries appear rattled by the national anthem controversy clouding this year's WNBA Finals series — no matter what the President says.
Why Is Trump Urging Fans to Boycott the WNBA Finals?
The pushback started after both teams walked off the floor ahead of the anthem in the opening games of the championship.
President Trump recently sounded off on the issue at an Iowa rally, asking, “What’s going on with the women’s NBA?” He predicted the league would “destroy themselves before they get started” and compared the situation to the NFL’s anthem fallout, urging fans to stop watching.
But Dream guard Allisha Gray isn’t taking the bait. “I’m focused on the Finals,” she said at practice Friday. "I am not really on social media and listening to what people are saying."
Golden State Valkyries forward Kiah Stokes echoed that energy, saying she shuts out the noise by avoiding online chatter and leaning on her teammates.
WNBA Pregame Anthem Routine is Nothing New
Still, the fresh backlash feels especially odd given that this pregame routine is nothing new.
The WNBA suspended its anthem protocols following the 2017 white nationalist demonstration in Charlottesville. Back then, teams left the floor in protest. The practice continued in support of Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old EMT who was fatally shot by police in 2020. Now however, the reasons for not observing the moment have spurred confusion.
Unlike international play, where anthems play just before tipoff, the WNBA's anthem sounds early in pregame. Plenty of teams subsequently use that window to stay in the locker room and finish warmups.
The WNBA hasn’t addressed Trump’s remarks and likely won't considering the pregame routine has been happening for years in the league without much pushback. For now, both rosters remain locked in on the championship title — not the controversy surrounding it.
