Dream and Valkyries leave court for national anthem before WNBA Finals Game 1
SAN FRANCISCO, June 2025 - The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries both left the court during the national anthem performance ahead of Game 1 of the WNBA Finals at Chase Center. The teams were warming up on the floor before disappearing for the roughly two minutes required for the "Star-Spangled Banner" to be played. Both squads returned to the court almost immediately after the singer concluded. The specific reasons for the teams' absences were not immediately clear. The timing coincided with the standard pregame preparation window, which typically requires teams to be off the floor for a period before tipoff. In its game notes from August 2, 2020, Atlanta included messaging from the WNBA players' union regarding anthem protests. That statement indicated that the anthem does not represent freedom, justice, and liberty for all Americans and suggested that protests would continue in different forms. The incident contrasts with a 2024 NCAA tournament game in Albany, New York, where LSU left the court during the national anthem while Iowa stood on the floor. LSU coach Kim Mulkey stated at the time that her team's routine involved leaving the court at the 12-minute mark before tipoff for pregame preparations. Mulkey described the absence as not intentional and said she did not know when the anthem was played. OutKick reached out to the WNBA, the Atlanta Dream, and the Golden State Valkyries for comment regarding Saturday's incident. None of the parties immediately responded to requests for comment.
SAN FRANCISCO, June 2025 - The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries both left the court during the national anthem performance ahead of Game 1 of the WNBA Finals at Chase Center. The teams were warming up on the floor before disappearing for the roughly two minutes required for the "Star-Spangled Banner" to be played. Both squads returned to the court almost immediately after the singer concluded. The specific reasons for the teams' absences were not immediately clear. The timing coincided with the standard pregame preparation window, which typically requires teams to be off the floor for a period before tipoff. In its game notes from August 2, 2020, Atlanta included messaging from the WNBA players' union regarding anthem protests. That statement indicated that the anthem does not represent freedom, justice, and liberty for all Americans and suggested that protests would continue in different forms. The incident contrasts with a 2024 NCAA tournament game in Albany, New York, where LSU left the court during the national anthem while Iowa stood on the floor. LSU coach Kim Mulkey stated at the time that her team's routine involved leaving the court at the 12-minute mark before tipoff for pregame preparations. Mulkey described the absence as not intentional and said she did not know when the anthem was played. OutKick reached out to the WNBA, the Atlanta Dream, and the Golden State Valkyries for comment regarding Saturday's incident. None of the parties immediately responded to requests for comment.