Women's Pro Baseball League opens with national anthem performance controversy
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 2, 2026, 7:17 PM
Last updated Aug 2, 2026
The Women's Pro Baseball League (WPBL) launched its inaugural season on August 1, 2026, at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois. The first game featured the Los Angeles Queens against the New York Heights, but the event gained attention for a poorly received rendition of the national anthem by 85-year-old Martha Reeves and two other singers. The performance quickly gained notoriety on social media due to its struggles with pitch and timing. Despite the controversy, the WPBL aims to establish itself with four teams this season, including the Boston Hunters and San Francisco Firebells.
- •WPBL's inaugural game took place on August 1, 2026.
- •Los Angeles Queens faced New York Heights in the opening match.
- •Martha Reeves' national anthem performance drew significant online criticism.
- •The league features four teams in its opening season.
- •Robin Roberts Stadium serves as the neutral venue for all games.
- 7:17 PMYahoo Sports — Women's Pro Baseball League opens inaugural season with historically brutal rendition of national anthem
"Here's how the Women's Pro Baseball League got started on the wrong foot.
Sources
External linksOriginal reporting and copyright belong to the linked sources. SportsNewsReport.com aggregates and links — it does not republish full articles.
Related Stories
Last 14 days
MLB•Aug 2, 2026, 9:52 PMYankees to send 4 pitchers to Nationals for Luis Garcia Jr. in huge trade- MLB•Aug 2, 2026, 9:39 PMYankees acquiring Luis García Jr. from Nationals
- MLB•Aug 2, 2026, 9:35 PMWhite Sox claim series in Tampa with career day for Anthony Kay
- MLB•Aug 2, 2026, 9:31 PMBummer! Royals swept out of Colorado
- MLB•Aug 2, 2026, 9:31 PMMets offer one last look at dominant bullpen arms available at deadline
- MLB•Aug 2, 2026, 9:30 PMCabby’s two-run home run held up thanks to great pitching
