Atlanta Dream players and coaches have again declined to explain why the team has been off the court for the national anthem before all three games of the WNBA Finals, a pattern that has also drawn attention to Golden State Valkyries, Atlanta’s opponent in the series.
In each of the first three Finals games, players from both teams left the court shortly before the anthem began and returned seconds after it concluded. Reporters from OutKick pressed coaches and players from both teams about the routine during Friday’s media availability ahead of Game 4, but received few direct answers.
Golden State head coach Natalie Nakase described the absences as part of the team’s pregame routine but said she did not know who had established it or why it took place specifically during the anthem. “We’re two years in,” Nakase said. “That’s been part of our pregame.” Asked again who made the decision and why, she said, “I really don’t know,” adding, “I understand your question. I’m not trying to, you know, not answer your question. It’s just part of our pregame.”
Asked what the team does during the roughly 90 seconds it is off the court, Nakase said she is focused with her staff on upcoming plays. She was not given the chance to explain why that preparation needed to happen during the anthem rather than before or after it, as Golden State’s public relations staff moved to the next reporter.
Valkyries forward Gabby Williams, who holds U.S. and French citizenship and has represented France internationally, denied that her team’s absence is a protest. Asked why Golden State is off the court during the anthem, she said, “That’s been the routine for like, seven years now.” A Valkyries public relations staffer then cut off further questions on the topic.
Williams is in her first season with Golden State, which is only in its second year as a franchise. She previously played for Chicago from 2018 to 2020 and Seattle from 2022 to 2025, meaning her seven-year reference would span three different WNBA teams. She did not explain how the routine originated or whether it was consistent across those stops.
A history of anthem protests in the league
WNBA teams staying off the court during the anthem has a political history. During the 2017 Finals, Los Angeles Sparks players voted to remain in the locker room in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, according to ESPN’s reporting at the time. Atlanta itself published players’ union messaging about anthem protests in its Aug. 2, 2020, game notes, stating that “the anthem does not represent freedom, justice and liberty for all Americans” and that players would “continue to protest.”
Dream guard Rhyne Howard was asked Friday about calls from commentator Riley Gaines and former Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones to bar players from Team USA if they do not stand for the anthem during WNBA games. Howard represented the United States at September’s FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup and stood for the anthem there.
“I don’t think I’ve been on the floor for the national anthem for any of my tenure in Atlanta, so if that’s what people are gonna look to nitpick for then so be it,” Howard said. “But as far as competing for your team, when I go put on USA jersey I’m out for the national anthem every time, there’s no doubt about it. Yes, I love the country that I play for and I love what we have here.”
When asked directly why she is not on the court for the anthem during WNBA games, Howard and an Atlanta public relations representative both responded, “Next question.”
Dream coach Karl Smesko, when asked why his team leaves the court shortly before each Finals anthem and who made that decision, said only, “We’re just kind of focused on the Finals.” Asked if he had any further comment, he said, “No.” Atlanta forward Angel Reese, Howard’s Dream and Team USA teammate, was limited to a 15-minute availability window in which Atlanta’s public relations staff selected which reporters could ask questions; OutKick was not given the opportunity to question her.
The WNBA’s 2026 official rulebook states that players, coaches and trainers are to “stand and line up in a dignified posture” along the sidelines or on the foul line during the national anthem. The Associated Press reported this week that the league suspended its anthem protocols in 2017, though the provision remains in the current rulebook. The WNBA, the NBA league office, and both teams’ front offices have not responded to requests for comment on the anthem absences or on how the rule is being enforced.
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