Two WNBA teams walked off the court during the national anthem and participated in a moment of silence as part of a social justice protest on Saturday.
All members of the New York Liberty and the Seattle Storm can be seen in a video tweeted by ESPN walking off the floor as the national anthem began before a game on Saturday.
The move was made as a form of peaceful protest in response to the police killing of Breonna Taylor. A 26-second moment of silence was held by the players when they returned to the court.
As the national anthem was played, the @nyliberty and @seattlestorm walked off the floor as part of the social justice initiative. pic.twitter.com/VihH5X3Yzh
— ESPN (@espn) July 25, 2020
“We are dedicating this season to Breonna Taylor, an outstanding EMT who was murdered over 130 days ago in her home,” Liberty player Layshia Clarendon said.
“Breonna Taylor was dedicated and committed to uplifting everyone around her,” she added. “We are also dedicating this season to ‘Say Her Name’ campaign, a campaign committed to saying the names and fighting for justice of black women — black women who are so often forgotten in this fight for justice, who don’t have people marching in the streets for them. We will say her name. Sandra Bland, Atatiana Jefferson, Dominique Remy Fells, and Breonna Taylor. We will be a voice for the voiceless.”
.@Layshiac and @breannastewart address the 2020 #WNBA season being dedicated to Breonna Taylor and the Black Lives Matter Movement. pic.twitter.com/BNWrErjeWP
— WNBA (@WNBA) July 25, 2020
Taylor, a 26-year-old black emergency medical technician, was asleep in her Louisville apartment when officers used a no-knock warrant to enter her home after midnight in March. The officers opened fire and killed Taylor after her boyfriend fired a warning shot to the apparent intruders. One of the three officers involved in Taylor’s death has been fired by the police department, but none have been charged.
The WNBA demonstration comes days after players across Major League Baseball took a knee during the national anthem to show unity with the Black Lives Matter movement.
