Game 1 of the WNBA Finals was billed as a landmark matchup — Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream against the upstart Golden State Valkyries, one of the league’s newest franchises. What drew the most attention, though, happened before the ball was tipped.
Neither team was on the floor for the national anthem, according to Breitbart. Both squads came back onto the court as soon as the anthem concluded, then played a game the Valkyries won 68-64 to take a 1-0 series lead.
The scene turned a historic Finals pairing into a conversation about protest, with reaction piling up on social media almost immediately. Breitbart reported that fans on X responded sharply to the teams’ absence during the anthem.
A Decision With History Behind It
The move wasn’t without precedent for Atlanta. Breitbart reported that the Dream have protested the anthem before, most notably in 2020, when the organization issued a statement saying the anthem “does not represent freedom, justice and liberty for all Americans.”
Reese’s own history connects to the topic as well. Her college team at LSU once drew criticism for leaving the floor during the anthem, per Breitbart’s report.
For Golden State, the moment arrives in the franchise’s first season of real consequence — a brand-new team playing on the sport’s biggest stage, now attached to a demonstration it did not originate but participated in alongside its opponent.
Backlash Lands Quickly Online
The reaction Breitbart highlighted was blunt. One user argued the players should “play the games in a country they love and earn the salary for women (?) in that country.” Another described switching the broadcast off: “I admit, I was watching the game until I saw this post. I quietly turned off the TV and continued on with my day. To hell with that behavior.”
Those comments reflect a familiar pattern in the years since athletes began demonstrating during the anthem — a segment of the audience treating the gesture as a reason to tune out, and the demonstration itself becoming the story rather than the game.
The teams have not, in the reporting available, offered an explanation specific to Saturday’s game. The Dream’s 2020 statement remains the clearest articulation of the organization’s position, and it is the one most likely to be cited as the series continues.
What the Game Itself Delivered
Once play began, Golden State came away with a four-point win, 68-64, in a Finals opener that figured to hinge on Reese’s play against a defense built to slow her. The Valkyries now hold home-court advantage in the series, and the Dream face a quick turnaround to avoid falling into a 2-0 hole.
Whether the anthem story follows the series into Game 2 is an open question. What’s clear from Game 1 is that the pregame moment overshadowed the basketball — at least in the immediate aftermath — and handed both franchises a spotlight they may not have wanted.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2026/10/17/watch-valkyries-dream-not-on-the-floor-for-national-anthem-ahead-of-wnba-finals-game/