The Valkyries faced off against the Dream in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals.
Golden State marked a historic achievement by securing their first-ever Finals victory on Saturday. However, the pre-game events drew attention when neither team was present for the national anthem before play began.
Instead, both teams chose to go to their locker rooms during the anthem, returning just moments later.
It’s uncertain if this was a planned move by the teams, but it’s worth noting that Atlanta has previously protested the national anthem. Back in 2020, the Dream released a statement expressing that “the anthem does not represent freedom, justice and liberty for all Americans.”
Whether this becomes a recurring theme in Game 2 and future games remains to be seen.
On the court, the Valkyries held strong at their home venue, the Chase Center, defeating the Dream 68-64. They’ve gained a strong following this season and managed to sell out all their home games throughout the regular season.
Now, with a 1-0 lead in the Finals, Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase urged fans to show even more enthusiasm for Game 2 on Monday.
“As I start to write my notes on the board, I do tend to tune out everything else. But honestly, I felt the crowd’s energy—it was different,” Nakase shared. “The excitement was palpable as they cheered during introductions. Fantastic job, but let’s step it up a bit, right?”
