Dream and Valkyries stay off court for national anthem throughout WNBA Finals

The WNBA Finals went all seven games, and the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries were off the court for the national anthem before every one.

Both teams left the floor before Saturday night’s deciding game at Chase Center, continuing a routine that drew criticism and repeated questions about why players were away during the performance.

San Francisco’s Glide Ensemble performed the anthem Saturday. The choir describes its music as shaped by protest and a vision of a more just and loving world, and says it promotes diversity, acceptance and love. The performance did not change the teams’ pregame routine.

Teams point to pregame routines when asked about anthem absences

Saturday’s game was the first Game 7 in league history. Atlanta had tied the series at 3–3 with an 80–69 win on Thursday. The winner would earn the first championship in its franchise’s history.

The performers and venues changed over the series, but the teams’ absence from the court remained the same. Alanis Morissette sang before Game 2 at Chase Center, and 10-year-old Heiress Harris, the daughter of rapper T.I., performed before Game 6 in Atlanta. Both teams were off the floor for those performances, too.

At a media availability in Atlanta on Oct. 23, Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase said the absence was part of the team’s pregame routine.

“We’re two years in,” Nakase said. “That’s been part of our pregame.”

Asked who set the routine and why, she said, “I really don’t know.” Nakase added that she understood the question, but said it was simply part of the team’s preparations.

When asked what she did during the roughly 90 seconds she was off the court, Nakase said she was with her staff and focused on her plays. The team’s public relations staff then moved to another reporter, so there was no follow-up about why those preparations could not happen before or after the anthem.

Valkyries forward Gabby Williams said the team’s absence was not a protest. Asked why the players left the court, she replied, “That’s been the routine for like, seven years now.” A team representative then moved on to the next question.

Golden State is in its second season. Williams previously played for Chicago and Seattle, but did not say whether those teams followed the same routine.

Dream coach Karl Smesko gave a brief answer when asked why his team left the floor and who had made the decision.

“We’re just kind of focused on the Finals,” he said. Asked if he had anything else to add about the anthem, he replied, “No.”

Dream guard Rhyne Howard was asked about calls to keep players out of Team USA because of their anthem conduct during the WNBA season. She said she had not been on the court for the anthem during her time in Atlanta, but added that she stood for it when wearing the USA jersey.

“I love the country that I play for and I love what we have here,” Howard said. When asked why she was not on the court with the Dream, she and an Atlanta public relations representative both declined to answer, saying, “Next question.”

Fans express differing views

Fans outside State Farm Arena before Game 6 were divided over whether players should be on the floor during the anthem.

Renard Hayes, father of Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes, cited his military service as he defended the players’ choice.

“This is America, by the way, and I’ve served this country, so they can choose what they want,” he said. He added that he did not see their absence as disrespect toward the flag.

A Valkyries fan said he respected the players’ beliefs but thought they should be on the court. A Dream fan took the opposite view, saying the players had followed the routine for years and that it was their choice.

League rules and questions remain

The WNBA’s 2026 rulebook says players, coaches and trainers are to “stand and line up in a dignified posture” along the sidelines or on the foul line during the national anthem. The Associated Press reported on Oct. 20 that the league suspended its anthem protocols in 2017, though the provision remains in the current rulebook.

The league has been asked to clarify its current requirements and how they are enforced, whether discipline is planned or under consideration, and whether instructions were given to either team. The Dream and Valkyries were also asked about the matter, and the NBA was contacted about its role.

Questions to the league and teams began after Game 1 on Oct. 17, with follow-ups on Oct. 18 and Oct. 20. Reporters had attended the formal press conferences after the first three games but were not called on to ask about the anthem until the Oct. 23 media availability.

Atlanta was also asked to confirm an arena employee’s account that Dream players wait in a hallway after leaving the floor before games, including whether they remain there during the anthem. The team did not respond.

During Game 4, a reporter attempted to observe what Atlanta’s players did after leaving the court. Arena staff said the reporter’s credential did not allow access to the area and escorted them back to their assigned media seat.

One team finished Saturday night as champion. Both completed the Finals without taking the court for the national anthem.