Furious fans have ripped into the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries after their players left the court before the national anthem rendition at the WNBA Finals.
Prior to Game 1 of the series, Bay Area artist Goapele took to the floor to perform The Star-Spangled Banner for the thousands of fans gathered inside the Chase Center.
However, as she began singing the anthem, fans quickly noticed that neither of the sides were present during the performance – but they did return soon after it ended.
Footage of Goapele performing quickly began circulating on social media, as fans and analysts lamented the glaring absence of both the Dream and Valkyries.
Taking to X, one furious user wrote: ‘Disgraceful. The arena should keep playing it on repeat until they stay and stand for it.’
‘Disgusting. Any decent commissioner would fine both teams,’ another wrote.
Furious fans have ripped into the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries after their players left the court before the national anthem rendition at Game 1 of the WNBA Finals
One report noted that the players returned almost immediately after the performance ended
Another user said: ‘Can you be much worse, disrespectful cowards to this country?’
Meanwhile, notable sports broadcaster Emily Austin wrote: ‘The WNBA has incredible talent and somehow manages to make everything BUT basketball the headline.
‘These women deserve better leadership’, she added.
Dan Zaksheske of OutKick, who was at the game, wrote: ‘Both the Dream and the Valkyries left the court prior to the playing of the National Anthem before Game 1 of the WNBA Finals.
‘Both teams also returned to the floor seconds after the anthem concluded. They literally left the floor for only the two minutes the anthem was played. Guess that’s just part of the pregame routine though.’
The reasons for Atlanta’s and Golden State’s absences on Saturday were not immediately clear.
One report noted that back in 2020, the Atlanta Dream included messaging from the WNBA players’ union in their game notes, explaining anthem protests.
Atlanta Dream star Angel Reese was among the stars who left the court on Saturday night
It comes months after Caitlin Clark faced criticism for refusing the put her hand on her heart during a national anthem performance – while Sophie Cunningham was hailed a ‘patriot’
Their statement said that ‘the anthem does not represent freedom, justice and liberty for all Americans’.
This isn’t the first time that WNBA stars have sparked fury over their behavior during the national anthem rendition at a game.
Back in August, Caitlin Clark and her Indiana Fever teammates faced backlash online after failing to cover their hearts during the national anthem.
Fan footage showed Sophie Cunningham as the only player to perform the patriotic gesture during The Star-Spangled Banner.
