The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries made it a point to walk off the WNBA Finals court before Game 2 when the U.S. national anthem was being performed.
After catching a lot of heat for walking off the court for the U.S. national anthem in Game 1, the Dream and Valkyries have done that once again in Game 2 at the Chase Center.
While legendary singer Alanis Morissette performed her rendition of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner,’ the players were caught on camera leaving seconds before the start of the anthem and returning the moment it ended.
Fans think the Dream and Valkyries are being ‘anti-American’
If the reaction to the team’s walking off for the national anthem was bad after Game 1, the situation seems to be worse after Game 2, as fans now know for sure that this is an intentional move by both teams rather than just a coincidence.
“The most anti-American thing you can do,” said Craig Carton while fuming.
“Perhaps the league should move its operations to a country that better reflects its values,” said an angry fan.
“The whole scene is ridiculous, but it’s especially wild to me that not one player is like ‘nope, I’m going to stand out here for my country,'” said one stunned fan who could not believe that no player on either team wants to respect the national anthem.
“You don’t hate the WNBA enough!” said another angry fan.
“It’s just bad. You can’t spin it any other way,” said one fan.
Supporters of both teams’ decision are highlighting how it’s a valid personal choice for players in a league that represents many communities who have been targeted or at odds with the current political regime.
It seems this will continue in Games 3 and 4 in Atlanta as well if the players are in agreement to continue with this form of silent protest. While they haven’t come out and addressed their reasons, factors like the aggressive nationwide push to ban trans athletes from women’s sports could be among the reasons.
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