All the major professional sports leagues and events in the US, like the Super Bowl, WrestleMania 42, NBA Finals, and MLB All-Star Game, adopted small gestures like sporting special badges to celebrate the Semiquincentennial or Freedom 250, a historic milestone commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
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However, the WNBA players ended up not wearing the badges at the All-Star Game on Saturday, July 25. Needless to say, it hasn’t gone down well with a section of the media and fans, with some blaming league commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
“The WNBA disrespected America tonight by refusing to wear the USA 250 patch on their All-Star jerseys,” Outkick reporter Jon Root wrote on X. “WNBPA Treasurer Brianna Turner said the patches shouldn’t be worn because ‘No WNBA players would have been free 250 years ago.’ They’re the only major American sports league to refuse to wear the patches.”
There has been no official communication from Engelbert on this issue, now that the All-Star weekend has ended. The badges were designed by a nonpartisan and congressionally backed America250 organization, separate from other Freedom 250 initiatives.
However, a few players had made some comments before the All-Star game, suggesting that the badges may not be present on the final iteration of the All-Star game’s matchday jerseys, despite several earlier reports stating otherwise.
“No, they’re not on the jerseys,” New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart said on Friday, in a post-practice media availability at the Obama Presidential Center.
Some players had been quite vocal about the issue, even weeks before the All-Star game.
“The irony of all the USA 250 stuff is that the vast majority of people in America today would not have been “free” 250 years ago,” Las Vegas Aces star forward Brianna Turner said in an X post on June 4. Turner also serves as the treasurer of the WNBA Players Association.
“Whoever called for the WNBA All-Star uniforms to have the USA 250 patch should have thought that through, considering no WNBA players would have been free 250 years ago. The majority wouldn’t even have their freedom 100 years ago.”
Nneka Ogwumike, who serves as the president of the WNBA players’ association, also weighed in, hinting that the players previously had a conversation with the league regarding the use of patches.
“As players, we did ask about it,” Ogwumike said. “I think being in a league where you’re able to have that type of conversation with your leadership is important. You’re not always in a position to be able to question certain things, and our players own the fact that we have a level of autonomy.”
“We also have individuals and communities that we represent, and we also understand our mission statement and what we stand for, especially from a union perspective,” Ogwumike added.
Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve indicated in her comments in the weeks leading up to the All-Star Game that it would be hard for commissioner Engelbert and the league to please everyone on this controversial issue, considering the league’s diversity.
So the discourse remains polarizing on whether the league did enough to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. However, the WNBA did put some special measures in place to celebrate its own 30th anniversary during this All-Star week.
The WNBA Took Special Measures To Celebrate Its 30th Anniversary At The All-Star Week
The league is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, so this was never going to be an ordinary All-Star week. Instead of the standard captain-led teams, the league has handed the reins to two of its foundational icons, Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon.
They were named honorary GMs to draft, build, and coach their respective All-Star squads: Team Coop and Team Spoon. Team Spoon won the All-Star game 129-122, a game packed with explosive offensive displays from both teams.
There was also a new initiative this year, where both All-Star teams compete directly for a $100,000 charitable prize pool to benefit Chicago-based youth organizations.
The league brought back some iconic elements by using throwback branding and vintage game balls. The three-point contest, won by late entrant Azzi Fudd, featured special oatmeal-colored “money balls,” a direct throwback to the league’s original 1997-era orange-and-oatmeal game ball.
Nike also showcased the special 30th Anniversary ‘Court Origins’ gear, emphasizing the league’s original color palettes and retro logo.
The fans certainly had no shortage of entertainment and thrills at the All-Star weekend, and live action will resume on July 28.