WNBA players slammed for walking out during national anthem, Angry Internet calls them 'disgrace to America'
The Women's National Basketball Association's (WNBA) 24th Season kicked off on Saturday (July 25) night. The opening game was played between Seattle Storm and the New York Liberty and players on both teams decided to make a statement before their game. As the national anthem was being played prior to the game, all players from both teams returned to their respective locker rooms as a sign of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Also before the start of the game, both teams participated in a 26-second moment of silence to honor and remember Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old Black woman who was killed by police in her Louisville, Kentucky, home in March while executing a no-knock warrant.
Most of the professional sports leagues across the country have come forward to show their support for the movement. Players either take a knee or are seen sporting BLM inspired warmups. The WNBA too has very transparent in terms of its support to the movement. 'Black Lives Matter' is printed on all of the league's courts, and players before the game sported black warmups with the phrase on them as well, according to The Hill.
However, a certain section of viewers was not happy with the players for their solidarity with the movement. "America-Hating WNBA Players from NY Liberty and Seattle Storm Walk Off Court in Protest as National Anthem is Played," tweeted an angry user, while another shared, "Goodbye WNBA as players walked off the floor. Do they have any idea that men and women bleed and died under that flag to give them the ability to play a game? This is disgraceful. See how well it works out for you. I will never watch or attend another game again. Ever!!"
An angry viewer wrote, "I hope WNBA goes bankrupt and they can walk out as jobless former players" with another tweeting, "WNBA players are losers." One user wrote, "Overpaid, disrespectful, America-hating crybabies WNBA players walk off the court during national anthem DISGRACE TO AMERICA." Another viewer tweeted, "Let the WNBA players all go to Red China if they hate America so much."
All games of the WNBA will be played inside a social bubble at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.