The 2026 WNBA Finals between the Golden State Valkyries and the Atlanta Dream have produced plenty of on-court drama, and ahead of Game 3, things have escalated yet again. As the two sides stepped off the floor for the national anthem for the third game in a row, it prompted a response from a former NCAA swimmer, who argued that the league’s relationship with political activism is coming at the expense of fans.
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“It is my belief that if you kneel for the flag, or in this case, if you walk out during the national anthem and ultimately disbarring everything that it represents, I don’t believe you should be able to represent the USA at the Olympics or on the international stage,” Riley Gaines said during an appearance on the Will Cain Show, which was clipped and posted to X.
“Identity politics are destroying the WNBA, which is a league that is in itself is dedicated to self-imploding. Most people, I would say, don’t even know that the players left for the anthem because they don’t watch the WNBA, especially not when Caitlin Clark or Sophie Cunningham is playing, because they know it’s more of a political organization than it is a serious sports league… You would think they would want to be more profitable and enjoyable for fans. But I think that’s secondary to pushing leftist ideology.”
The controversy began right before the series tipped off in Game 1. Before the game began, players from both the Dream and the Valkyries headed off the floor, returning after the national anthem was performed. The sequence repeated itself in Game 2, leading to criticism from several fans.
The league rulebook states that team personnel, including players, coaches, and staff, should “stand and line up in a dignified posture” next to the sideline or the charity stripe during the national anthem. However, it’s important to note that this move is not compulsory.
Back in 2017, the WNBA suspended this protocol and, in a memo to teams around the league, made it clear that coaches and players need not follow it. The practice of teams leaving before the anthem became commonplace in the 2020 season, and in the years following, teams have done so at an increasingly common rate.
The Dream, in particular, has a history with political activism. Back in 2020, Dream players publicly opposed then-owner Kelly Loeffler after she criticized the Black Lives Matter movement. They protested via game notes that the national anthem didn’t represent justice, liberty, and freedom for all Americans while backing her Senate opponent, Raphael Warnock. Loeffler eventually sold her stake in the team.
For the Valkyries, leaving the court before the anthem has been a part of their pre-game routine since the expansion franchise first joined the league in 2025.
Only time will tell if things change, but Gaines’ concerns are unlikely to be addressed. For now, the controversy involving the anthem lives on as debate over the teams’ actions continues.