The WNBA is yet again getting involved in the fight for justice on behalf of Black lives.
Taking their lead from 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, the ladies of the WNBA’s Indiana Fever kneeled in solidarity as the national anthem played just before their recent match up against the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday evening. Although head coach Stephanie White did not join the team in their united gesture, she says she was very proud of them for deciding to come together as one.
“I’m proud of y’all for doing that together, being in that together,” White said to her team, according to ESPN. “That’s big. It’s bigger than basketball, right?”
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The Fever’s bold display in support of the protest against police brutality targeting Black people represents a significant turning point in the movement, as it marks the first time an entire professional team has protested the national anthem since Kaepernick’s original moment last month.
The women of the WNBA are certainly no strangers to making headlines for speaking out in support of justice. Several WNBA teams used their platforms to protest the unjust police killings of African Americans in 2015 by wearing Black Lives Matter t-shirts during pre-game warm ups.