Valkyries and Dream leave court during anthem at WNBA Finals; series tied 1-1

The Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream both left the court before the national anthem was played ahead of Games 1 and 2 of the WNBA Finals, returning only after it ended. The WNBA rulebook says players, coaches and trainers should stand in a dignified posture along the sidelines or foul line during the anthem. The series is tied 1-1 after Atlanta won Game 2. Game 3 moved from Thursday to Wednesday because State Farm Arena, which holds more than 17,000 fans, was booked for a Sombr concert, so the Dream are playing there rather than their 3,500-seat home gym. Game 4 was moved up from 3:30 to 1 p.m. ET Saturday to be played at the same arena.

Alternative sources lead with fan support, with Yahoo Sports reporting the Dream sold out the 17,000-seat arena for Game 3, and CBS Sports focusing on betting odds and picks. Left-leaning The Washington Post explains the rules and why some teams stay on the court and others do not. Right-leaning outlets emphasize enforcement: Washington Examiner columnist Joe Concha faults WNBA officials for not enforcing the policy and says players are trying to destroy the league, while The Blaze says the league is not enforcing its own rules.