Dream and Valkyries leave court for national anthem, return seconds later at WNBA Finals
The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries left the court before the national anthem ahead of Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, then returned within seconds of it ending. The article notes that their reasons were not immediately clear and questions why both teams were away during the ceremony.
Atlanta had previously included a players’ union statement about anthem protests in its 2020 game notes. The article also recalls that LSU coach Kim Mulkey said her team’s absence during the anthem before a 2024 NCAA Tournament game was due to its pregame routine, not a deliberate choice; no explanation from the Dream or Valkyries is reported for Saturday.
- Both WNBA finalists left the court for the anthem.
- They returned within seconds after it ended.
- Their reasons for being away were not reported.