The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries have been leaving the court before the national anthem throughout the WNBA Finals, and the move has drawn plenty of outrage from conservative commentators. Now, United States President Donald Trump has weighed in.
During a rally on Thursday night, Trump took aim at the WNBA over the national anthem controversy, warning that the league could “destroy themselves” just as it’s starting to grow. He also compared the situation to the NFL’s kneeling protests, claiming the league only stopped because “people stopped watching the games.”
Anthem Controversy
Both the Dream and the Valkyries have stepped off the floor shortly before the national anthem at every game of the Finals so far, returning to the court just after it ends.
That led to plenty of criticism, including from anti-trans activist Riley Gaines, who argued that players who “kneel for the flag” shouldn’t be allowed to represent the U.S. at the Olympics. But nobody actually knelt. The players simply weren’t on the court.
And as it turns out, they’re not breaking any rules. While the league rulebook lays out what’s supposed to happen during the anthem, “the protocols were suspended years ago,” according to Doug Feinberg of the Associated Press.
The WNBA suspended those protocols in a 2017 memo that allowed players to show support for the victims of the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. Since then, many teams have left the court during the anthem, though a few, like the Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx, stayed on the floor this season.
‘They’ll Destroy Themselves’
Needless to say, Trump isn’t happy about the players leaving the court during the national anthem.
“Hey, by the way, what’s going on with the women’s NBA? What’s that all about? You know, they’ll destroy themselves before they get started because they’re just starting to do good,” Trump said on Thursday night. “And you had a player here who was very good, who was very helpful to that.”
Trump went on to suggest that his supporters should boycott watching the WNBA unless they start standing on the court for the national anthem.
“No, it’s a big deal going on. They leave the court when the national anthems play. What’s that all about?” Trump continued. “You know, the NFL did that for a while. They stopped because people stopped watching the games. So I think you should do the same thing with women’s basketball unless they get going.”
We’ll have to see whether or not these antics continue throughout the WNBA Finals.
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