Trump urges WNBA boycott: Players exit before US anthem; league yet to respond
President Donald Trump has called for a boycott of the WNBA after players from the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries walked off the court during the national anthem. The league has not yet responded to the criticism, which mirrors past political controversies surrounding athlete protests during the anthem.
Why it matters
This highlights the ongoing intersection of professional sports, national identity, and political polarization in the United States.
The WNBA’s Finals have drawn attention for their basketball, but the pregame routine of two teams has become a political flashpoint. Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries players have left the court before the national anthem in each of the first three games of their best-of-seven series, prompting criticism from President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and some fans. With Game 4 approaching, the league has yet to publicly address the controversy.Trump urges fans to boycott women’s basketballTrump addressed the walkouts during a rally in Iowa on Thursday, October 1, while campaigning for Republican candidates ahead of the midterm elections. He compared the WNBA players’ actions with NFL protests a decade earlier, when some players knelt during the national anthem to protest police brutality.“By the way, what’s going on with the women’s NBA? What’s that all about?
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