WNBA Teams Again Skip National Anthem, Drawing Renewed Criticism from Trump, Vance

The WNBA's Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries again did not participate in the national anthem before Game 5 of the Finals on Monday in San Francisco. Both teams completed their warmups before exiting the court at the Chase Center, returning only after the anthem concluded.

The WNBA suspended its mandatory anthem protocols in 2017, allowing teams discretion regarding pre-game anthem participation. While some teams, like the Minnesota Lynx and Indiana Fever, incorporate the anthem into their pre-game routines, the Dream and Valkyries have opted against it. Neither team has explicitly stated the anthem's omission is a political demonstration.

President Donald Trump addressed the situation at a rally in Iowa last week, questioning the teams' actions and drawing parallels to former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick's protests against police brutality. "No, it's a big deal going on," Trump said. "They leave the court when the national anthems play. What's that all about? ... I think you should do the same thing with women's basketball."

Although the NFL's viewership saw some decline, it remained the highest-rated American sports league during and after Kaepernick's 2016 demonstrations.

Vice President JD Vance also commented on the matter, calling the teams' actions "disgraceful." He stated, "I think that you should not express some criticism of a public policy of a given politician by disrespecting the country writ large."

Vance added that athletes have much to be grateful for in the United States and that a "spirit of gratitude" could lead to greater happiness and fewer offenses to the public. He emphasized the importance of loving one's country to avoid becoming a "disordered human being."