While everyone inside Chase Center for Game 2 of the WNBA Finals had their eyes on Alanis Morissette as she performed the national anthem before tipoff, the right-wing media had their eyes on who wasn’t: the Valkyries and the Dream.
Since 2020, at the height of protests against police brutality and racial inequality that arose after the killing of George Floyd, WNBA players chose to walk out onto the court during the national anthem. Once the song is over, the players run onto the field. It continued Monday, with players from the Dream and Valkyries leaving the field for Morissette’s performance and returning shortly after. Yet despite this having been a constant part of WNBA games for six years now, right-wing media continues to sound the alarm about the allegedly un-American activities of these players.
After the Valkyries’ 68-64 Game 1 victory over the Dream, the New York Post published a column attributed to the Post editorial board’s headline “Grow up, WNBA – enough with the national anthem boycott.” He accused the league and its fans of treating viewers like “political hostages” and “obsessively waking up.” It’s worth reiterating, of course, that this is all due to something the players didn’t do.
Outkick — a right-wing sports blog accredited by the WNBA to cover the Finals — also posted a video of the teams leaving the field for Game 2 with the caption: “Same league. Same disrespect. The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries skip the anthem AGAIN before Game 2 of the WNBA Finals, then return when it’s over,” ending the post with an American flag emoji, which angered the outlet’s followers in the replies. Outkick’s Dan Zaksheske also pointed out this action in the first game with a caption that seemed to indicate he was unaware it had been going on for years.
“The Dream and Valkyries left the court before the national anthem began before Game 1 of the WNBA Finals,” he wrote. “Both teams also returned to the field within seconds of the anthem ending. They literally left the field for only the two minutes that the anthem was played. I guess it’s just part of the pre-game routine.”
For what it’s worth, there is a rule that requires team members “to stand and line up in a dignified posture along the sidelines or at the foul line during the national anthem.” However, as The Spun’s Andrew Holleran noted in an article published Monday, that might only be a requirement if a player, coach or staff member is on the field during the anthem, which neither team was.
Game 3 is Wednesday in Atlanta, and this topic will almost certainly come up again from the same people.
Gn sports
