“Choosing not to stand for the national anthem is disrespectful.”

The two teams playing in the WNBA Finals, the Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries, both left the court just before the national anthem in Game 1 (Oct. 17) and again in Game 2 (Oct. 19), then came back as soon as it ended. Neither team has said why. The league’s rule book says players should stand for the anthem, but the league has rarely enforced it. The fight is over a shared ritual versus personal conscience: is staying off the floor an insult to the country, or a choice that belongs to the players?

Emily Austin, sports media personality (agrees): “Walking out during the national anthem is disgraceful. If you hate this country so much, you’re free to leave.” Ron Harper, five-time NBA champion (disagrees): “It’s the team choice not yours.” Nate Boyer, former Green Beret and NFL player (middle): “I’m not judging you for standing up for what you believe in. It’s your inalienable right. What you are doing takes a lot of courage, and I’d be lying if I said I knew what it was like to walk around in your shoes.”

Caveats: The teams have not explained their reason, so this overview does not assume a protest. The WNBA rule book says players should stand “along the sidelines or on the foul line,” and it may not apply to players who are off the court. Harper’s quote is trimmed from a longer post. Boyer’s quote is from a 2016 open letter to Colin Kaepernick, not about these teams.