SportsPublished Oct 20, 2026, 12:56 PM ET6 outlets

Dream beat Valkyries 79-65 to tie WNBA Finals as teams' anthem exits draw scrutiny

By Crosswire News · AI-assisted summary of reporting by the outlets linked below

Image from Washington Examiner's coverage: Players ‘intentionally trying to destroy’ WNBA as national anthem controversy erupts: Joe Concha

The full story

The Atlanta Dream beat the Golden State Valkyries 79-65 on Monday night to even the WNBA Finals at one game apiece. Angel Reese led Atlanta with 30 points and 16 rebounds, and Allisha Gray added 18 points as the Dream stymied Golden State on both ends in the second half. Both teams left the court before the national anthem in consecutive Finals games and returned after it ended, drawing attention to how the league's anthem policy is applied. The series is now tied at one game each.

Alternative and independent coverage, represented by ESPN, leads with Reese's 30-point, 16-rebound game and the Dream's second-half defense, and its excerpt does not address the anthem. Left-leaning coverage, from The Washington Post, is an explainer on the league's anthem rules and why some teams stay on the court while others do not. Right-leaning outlets stress enforcement: a Washington Examiner columnist blames league officials for fearing their players, while The Blaze says the league is not enforcing its own rules. The sources that address the anthem agree the teams left the court, but they differ in focus and in how they describe the league's response.

How the sides differ Left sources explain the anthem rules; alternative sources focus on Reese's game; right sources stress the league's failure to enforce.

Headline, comparison and summary written by AI from the articles below. AI can make mistakes, so check the original articles before relying on a detail.

Left The Washington PostWNBA Finals and the national anthem: The rules and why some teams stay on the court and others don't

The Washington Post writes an explainer on the league's anthem rules and why some teams stay on the court while others leave. It treats the issue as a question of how the rules work.

Alternative ESPN'Hungry' Reese redeems Dream with 30-point, 16-rebound effort to even WNBA Finals

ESPN leads with Angel Reese's 30-point, 16-rebound performance and the Dream's second-half defense. Its excerpt centers on the game result rather than the anthem.

Right · 2 sources Washington ExaminerPlayers ‘intentionally trying to destroy’ WNBA as national anthem controversy erupts: Joe Concha

The BlazeWNBA players seen racing off the court before national anthem — and return right after it ends

A Washington Examiner columnist blames league officials for fearing their players, while The Blaze says the league is not enforcing its own rules. Both stress enforcement failures.