Political Protests at Lynx Home Opener
On Saturday night, the Minnesota Lynx kicked off their home opener against the Atlanta Dream, but the atmosphere quickly shifted as fans began chanting against ICE, turning the Target Center into a platform for political expression.
Before the official announcements, the Lynx organization held a moment of silence to honor Renee Nicole Good and Alex Preti, two individuals who lost their lives due to federal immigration enforcement earlier this year.
The arena announcer, after the silence, shared a message: “Please observe a moment of silence for Renee Nicole Good and Alex Preti.” They also expressed condolences to the families and community affected by these tragedies.
However, just seconds later, the silence broke when a fan yelled, “fk ICE,” prompting cheers from the crowd. This reflected a similar incident at a Minnesota Timberwolves game this year, where a moment of silence for Lenny Goode was also interrupted.
Protests against ICE have intensified, particularly after violent events in Minneapolis. The Lynx have leaned into the political narrative surrounding these incidents. Coach Cheryl Reeve publicly supported the activists by using the hashtag “#ICEOUT.” Former Lynx player Dijonai Carrington labeled federal agents as “masked criminals.”
The backlash against federal immigration agencies has even made waves in the NBA, with Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr facing scrutiny for his comments regarding ICE. Initially, he criticized the agency’s involvement in earlier shootings, later admitting he had misunderstood certain details.
In speaking about the emotional climate in Minneapolis, Kerr acknowledged the strong feelings surrounding the issues: “Those four days were incredibly emotional and powerful.” He has called for accountability for misleading statements made in this heated discussion.
The anger in Minneapolis is particularly directed at two fatal incidents this January involving ICE. On January 7, Renee Good was shot and killed by an ICE officer, and on January 24, Alex Pretti was shot multiple times by Border Patrol agents after filming them on his phone. The fallout from Pretti’s death led to significant unrest, even causing a Timberwolves game to be postponed for safety reasons.
Ultimately, the Lynx’s game against the Dream ended in a narrow loss for the Lynx, but the focus remained on the ongoing anti-ICE sentiment that has sparked intense discussions within the WNBA and NBA communities.
