Authored by Jeff Gardner via The Epoch Times,
Commentary
This October, during games 1 and 2 of the 2026 WNBA Finals, players from the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries walked off the court before the playing of the national anthem.
Crystal Renee Hayslett performs the national anthem before game four of the 2026 WNBA Finals between the Golden State Valkyries and the Atlanta Dream at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga., on Oct. 24, 2026. Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesIn an interview concerning the walkoff, Vice President JD Vance called it "disgraceful," saying, "Without love of country you are going to be a disordered human being."
Vice President Vance's comments echo those of Vice President Mike Pence, who, in 2017, walked out of the San Francisco 49ers vs. Indianapolis Colts NFL game when members of the 49ers players knelt during the national anthem, saying, "I don't think it's too much to ask NFL players to respect the Flag and our national anthem."
From 2017 forward, protests during the national anthem spread through the NFL, then to the NBA, and now to the WNBA.
In 2020, in the wake of Black Lives Matter-fueled George Floyd riots, the NFL commissioner responded to the demands of many African American players by green-lighting the singing of the hymn "Lift Every Voice and Sing," now commonly known as the black national anthem, during the Super Bowl. At every Super Bowl since 2021, "Lift Every V
