WNBA Finals: Players Leave Court During Anthem, Golden State Wins Game 1
WNBA Finals Game 1 saw Golden State and Atlanta players leave the court during the US anthem. Golden State later won 64:68 to take a 1:0 series lead behind 26 points from Gabby Williams.
Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream players left the court during the US national anthem before Game 1 of the WNBA Finals. The unusual incident took place at the Chase Center in San Francisco, where Golden State hosted the opener.
According to OutKick, players left the court before the anthem began and remained off the floor for about two minutes. Seconds after the performance ended, they returned and the game got underway. Neither the teams nor WNBA management provided an official reason, though player protests during the anthem have occurred since 2020.
Golden State won the game 64:68 to take a 1:0 series lead. Gabby Williams led the winners with 26 points, while Allisha Gray scored 19 points for Atlanta. Game 2 of the series will be played on Monday in San Francisco.
