Christine Drews Sieger
Both teams left the court right before the national anthem and returned seconds after it ended.
Championship sports usually follow a strict schedule before the action starts. Players gather, fans take their seats, and the venue falls quiet for the pregame music.
But right before tipoff at Game 1 in San Francisco, that familiar routine broke completely.
During warmups for Game 1 at Chase Center on Saturday, players from both the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream left the court just as the national anthem was about to begin.
The court remained empty throughout the roughly two-minute performance, with players returning to the floor immediately before tipoff.
OutKick reported that the synchronized exit caught fans and onlookers off guard, according to Fox News.
Neither the franchises nor the league office issued an immediate statement to explain the brief absence.
Longstanding Pregame History
Walking off the floor before the music carries a distinct history in professional basketball. Back in 2020, Atlanta players backed union statements that explicitly discussed anthem demonstrations during games.
Similar moments have played out in college basketball as well, Fox News reports.
When LSU’s team was absent during the national anthem at the 2024 NCAA Tournament, head coach Kim Mulkey later explained that the team routinely enters the locker room exactly 12 minutes before tipoff for final preparations, stating, “Honestly, I don’t even know when the anthem was played,” and noting that the absence was not intentional.
Routine or Statement
It remains unconfirmed whether Saturday night’s absence was due to the teams’ fixed pregame schedules or other reasons.
Pregame schedules in championship series run on strict timelines, yet skipping the national anthem draws instant public attention.
Neither the WNBA nor either of the two franchises had responded to OutKick’s requests for comment prior to publication, according to Fox News.
