The Atlanta Dream made headlines Sunday night when the team remained in the locker room during the national anthem before their matchup against the Indiana Fever — but as critics were quick to note, this wasn’t an isolated incident. It’s part of a broader tradition within the WNBA that has some fans questioning the league’s patriotism.
Video from the game shows Fever players on the court for the anthem, while the Dream’s roster is noticeably absent. The only player seen with her hand over her heart was league standout Sophie Cunningham, who stood beside Fever guard Caitlin Clark — Clark herself kept her hands behind her back.
The Dream went on to lose to Indiana in overtime, but the anthem controversy has sparked fresh online backlash against the league.
A Pattern of Anthem Protests
This isn’t a one-off decision by the Dream. Over the past decade, the league has seen players and entire teams increasingly engage in social justice activism, often centered on the national anthem. The Dream, according to reports, routinely stay in the locker room while the anthem plays.
They aren’t alone. The Connecticut Sun have also been staying off the court during the anthem this season. In a July game, rookie Raegan Beers earned online praise for being the only Sun player to remain on the court, standing alone as her teammates headed for the locker room.
The New York Liberty have also made a habit of leaving the court during the anthem before returning immediately after. One Liberty season ticket holder posted online: “I’m a Liberty [season ticket holder] and one thing I’ve always noticed is that the teams always leave the court during the U.S. anthem and come back immediately after. I’d never seen that happen in any previous sporting events I’d attended, so I clocked it as interesting.”
The fan added that it seemed like the practice was the “WNBA way,” but noted that some teams do stay on the court and stand for the anthem.
A History of Anthem Protests
The practice has deep roots in the league. In 2017, the Los Angeles Sparks stayed in the locker room during the anthem before several WNBA Finals games. In 2020, the Seattle Storm and the New York Liberty walked off the court before the anthem during the season opener.
These actions come as the league faces criticism on another front: its handling of transgender athletes in women’s sports. The WNBA has allowed pro-trans activism from players while distancing itself from Cunningham after she made headlines for saying males should not be allowed in female sports.
Cunningham called her position “common sense” and fair, a stance that has drawn overwhelming public support. The league, however, has not publicly embraced that view.
As the anthem debate continues to simmer, the contrast between the league’s silence on Cunningham’s comments and its tolerance of anthem protests has not gone unnoticed by fans and commentators.
Source: www.dailywire.com — https://www.dailywire.com/news/wnba-teams-have-an-unpatriotic-tradition-during-the-national-anthem