WNBA Finals: Teams Skip National Anthem Despite Rulebook Mandate

The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries did not take the court for the national anthem before Game 2 of the WNBA Finals in San Francisco. This decision mirrored their actions in Game 1, despite a WNBA rule requiring players to stand and line up during the anthem.

In both games, the teams left the court less than a minute before the anthem began and returned seconds after it concluded. This absence raised questions about their adherence to the league’s rules.

The WNBA rulebook specifies that players, coaches, and trainers must stand and line up in a dignified posture during the national anthem. Despite this, both teams opted to stay off the court, leading to inquiries from OutKick regarding their actions and whether any disciplinary measures were forthcoming from the league.

Multiple requests for comments from the league, as well as from the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries, went unanswered. The league has yet to confirm any instructions given to the teams regarding anthem protocol or any potential sanctions.

Before Game 1, both teams were on the court during warm-ups but left just prior to the anthem’s start, only to return promptly once it ended. OutKick sought clarification from the league and both teams concerning any communications or directives related to the anthem since Game 1.

Several players, including Golden State Valkyries star Gabby Williams and Atlanta Dream star Angel Reese, stayed off the court during the anthem throughout the finals. Despite attending press conferences and seeking opportunities to ask about the anthem, OutKick representatives were not selected to voice these questions.

The league’s silence regarding this apparent rulebook violation remains unbroken two games into the Finals. This lack of clarity persists as the WNBA’s own guidelines are openly unfulfilled without public acknowledgment.

Dan Zaksheske is a reporter at OutKick.