Oct 17, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Recording artist Goapele performs the national anthem before game one of the 2026 WNBA Finals between the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images Kevin Harrish Sun, October 18, 2026 at 8:55 PM UTC · 2 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream tipped off the WNBA Finals on Saturday at Chase Center, with Golden State rallying late to take a 1-0 series lead. But before the game even started, both teams found themselves at the center of a controversy.
Both the Valkyries and the Dream reportedly left the court shortly before the national anthem and returned almost as soon as it ended. The moment quickly drew criticism online, though neither team has explained why they left the floor.
Dan Zaksheske of OutKick pointed out the moment in a post on X .
"Both the Dream and the Valkyries left the court prior to the playing of the National Anthem before Game 1 of the WNBA Finals," Zaksheske wrote.
In a follow-up article , Zaksheske described how both teams had been on the floor warming up before heading off right as the anthem was about to begin.
"Both teams were on the floor beforehand, warming up for the game, then disappeared for roughly the two minutes it took to perform the 'Star-Spangled Banner,'" Zaksheske wrote. "Almost immediately after the singer concluded, both teams jogged back onto the floor."
OutKick said it reached out to the WNBA, the Dream, and the Valkyries for comment, but none of them immediately responded.
The reason for the teams' absence isn't clear. It's possible that it was simply part of each team's pregame routine, which isn't uncommon in college and professional basketball.
Zaksheske compared it to LSU's 2024 Elite Eight game against Iowa, when Angel Reese, now the Dream's star forward, and the Tigers were also off the court for the anthem. At the time, LSU head coach Kim Mulkey explained that the team leaves the floor at a set time before tipoff to handle its pregame preparations.
"Honestly, I don't even know when the anthem was played," Mulkey said, via OutKick. "I'm sorry, listen, that's nothing intentionally done."
Zaksheske, however, wasn't satisfied with that explanation.
"And if your pregame routine requires leaving the court for the national anthem, it's time for a new routine," he wrote.
Gabby Williams led the Valkyries with 26 points in the Game 1 win, including six free throws in the final 2:15 as Golden State closed the game on a 7-0 run.
Needless to say, the moment didn't seem to affect either team once the game actually got underway.
The post Teams leave court before national anthem at WNBA Finals appeared first on The Comeback: Today's Top Sports Stories & Reactions .
Source: Sports
0 Comments