WNBA players not required to be on court for national anthem
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Oct 21, 2026, 10:45 AM
Last updated Oct 21, 2026
During the ongoing WNBA Finals, controversy arose as some players and coaches from the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream left the court before the national anthem. Critics claimed this violated league rules, yet those rules were suspended nearly a decade ago. Teams have made it routine to exit during warm-ups, which is not new. The league has deferred to teams regarding the anthem since the 2017 suspension, allowing franchises to decide their own pre-game practices.
- •Valkyries and Dream players left court before the anthem
- •Critics incorrectly cite league rules as basis for criticism
- •Rules requiring presence during the anthem were suspended in 2017
- •Teams often exit during warm-ups as part of their routine
- •League allows teams discretion over anthem participation
- 10:45 AMYahoo Sports — WNBA Finals national anthem controversy: No, players don’t need to be on court
"Despite some WNBA critics sighting "league rules" about the national anthem, players and coaches are not required to be on the court.
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