Dream and Valkyries skip national anthem for third straight Finals game
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries left the court for the national anthem before Game 3. It was the third straight game both teams were absent.
- The WNBA's 2026 rulebook says players must stand and line up during the anthem. The league has not punished either team.
- The Dream won Game 3 97-71 and lead the Finals 2-1. Game 4 is Saturday in Atlanta.
Both WNBA Finals teams stayed off the court during the national anthem on Wednesday night. The Dream and Valkyries walked toward the locker room just before the song started.
They came back to the bench moments after it ended. It was the third game in a row that both teams were missing.
What happened
The scene played out at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. It was Game 3 of the 2026 WNBA Finals. Singer Q Parker sang the national anthem before tip-off.
Both benches were empty while he sang.
The same thing happened in Games 1 and 2. Those games were at Chase Center in San Francisco. Players jogged off the court seconds before the anthem.
They returned moments after it ended.
The absences look odd next to the league rulebook. The WNBA's 2026 official rulebook sets the rule: players must "stand and line up in a dignified posture" during the anthem, including coaches and trainers.
It also names them directly in the book. They are supposed to line up along the sidelines or on the foul line.
OutKick, a Fox News sports outlet, has asked the league about the absences. It first asked after Saturday's opener. It asked again on Sunday and Tuesday.
It asked whether the teams had an exemption. It asked whether any punishment was planned.
The WNBA has not answered. The Dream have not answered. The Valkyries have not answered.
The NBA was asked too. The NBA office also gave no response.
The teams were not the only ones sitting out Wednesday's anthem. OutKick reported that two people in a WNBA staff area stayed seated during the song. Their names and roles were not confirmed.
On the court, the Dream won the game. Atlanta beat the Valkyries 97-71. The win gave the Dream a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Angel Reese led the way with 21 points and 12 rebounds.
It was Reese's second straight game with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. She became the youngest player in WNBA Finals history to do that in back-to-back games. Only A'ja Wilson had done it before.
Atlanta came into this series with no Finals wins in team history. Golden State took the opener in San Francisco.
Then the Dream beat the Valkyries in Game 2 to even the series. Game 3 was a sellout. The building was loud.
Why it matters
The silence is now part of the story. The rulebook sets a clear rule. Three straight games have broken it.
No one has explained why. No punishment has been announced.
The reaction has split into two camps. Vice President JD Vance spoke about it before Game 3. He appeared on "Arroyo Grande," a show hosted by Raymond Arroyo.
Vance called the walkouts "disgraceful."
"I think that you should not express some criticism of a public policy of a given politician by disrespecting the country writ large," Vance said, according to the New York Post. He said WNBA players have a lot to be grateful for.
He pointed to "the incredible wealth and privilege, the amazing jobs that they have." He added that more gratitude would make them happier people who offend fewer people.
Fans inside the arena saw it differently. The New York Post said fans cheered as the players walked to the locker room. The crowd voiced support for the teams.
The two teams have different histories here. The Valkyries are in their second season in the WNBA. They have no history of protesting the anthem, according to the New York Post.
The Dream do have such a history. In 2020, Atlanta sat out the national anthem during the George Floyd protests. The team put out a statement that season.
It read: "the anthem does not represent freedom, justice and liberty for all Americans."
The debate has spread beyond the court. Some commentators say players who skip the anthem should not play for Team USA. An OutKick story linked from the Game 3 coverage says such calls are growing.
For now, the teams are winning games while skipping the anthem. The Dream are two wins from their first championship. The story is about the scoreboard and the rulebook at the same time.
What happens next
Game 4 is Saturday at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The Dream lead the series 2-1. The first team to win four games takes the title.
Golden State must win to force the series back to San Francisco.
The big question is simple: will the teams change their routine? The league could order them to be on the court for Game 4. It could punish them for the past games.
Or it could stay silent again.
So far, silence has been the pattern. OutKick has asked its questions for five days. No answers have come.
Neither team has offered its own reason either.
Three games. Three absences. One unanswered rulebook line.
On Saturday, the anthem will play again at State Farm Arena. All eyes will be on whether the players stay in the tunnel or walk out.
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