Vice President JD Vance has condemned athletes from the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream for skipping the national anthem during the WNBA Finals. The walkouts occurred before the first three games of the series, including a recent incident at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
The Three-Game Anthem Boycott at State Farm Arena
The tension surrounding the WNBA Finals reached a peak during Game 3, where players from both the Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries exited the court just before the national anthem began. According to the report,this marked the third consecutive game in the series where both teams avoided the anthem. While Q Parker performed the anthem for the crowd, Angel Reese of the Atlanta Dream was observed watching from the sidelines before the game commenced.
The reaction from the crowd at State Farm Arena was notably supportive, with fans erupting in cheers as the players headed toward the locker rooms.. This pattern of protest highlights a growing divide between the league's athletes and a segment of the viewing public,particularly as the NBA has remained silent regarding the anthem skips during Games 1 and 2.
JD Vance and the Application of Ordo Amoris
During an interview on the show Arroyo Grande with host Raymond Arroyo, Vice President JD Vance described the players' conduct as "disgraceful." Vance argued that criticizing specific public policies should not involve "disrespecting the country writ large." He specifically pointed to the wealth, privilege, and professional opportunities available to WNBA players as reasons why they should exhibit a spirit of gratitude toward the United States.
To support his argument, Vice President JD Vance referenced Ordo Amoris,a concept from Saint Augustine and Catholic thought. Vance explained that a coherent Christian identity requires recognizing a hierarchy of duty, starting with family and extending to the national community. He claimed that a person lacking love for their country is fundamentally a "disordered human being," a philosophical framing he has previously used to defend administration deportation policies in 2025.
Mary Marslender’s Critique of WNBA Privilege
The political backlash extends beyond the Vice President. GOP strategist Mary Marslender , speaking with Fox News Digital, argued that WNBA players are treating the United States as an "oppressor" while ignoring the rare rights and opportunities American women possess compared to women globally. Marslender suggested that the very existence of the WNBA and the ability of its players to dissent publicly without state reprisal is a direct result of the freedoms provided by the U.S. government.
This clash reflects a broader cultural trend where sports arenas have become primary battlegrounds for debates over patriotism and social justice.. while the Atlanta Dream have a documented history of anthem protests, the Golden State Valkyries—currently in only their second season as a franchise—have not previously established a pattern of such activism, making their participation in the Finals walkouts a notable shift in team behavior.
The WNBA and WNBPA's Silence on Rulebook Violations
Despite the high-proifle criticism from Vice President JD Vance and GOP strategists, the governing bodies of the sport have yet to provide a formal explanation. As reported, neither the WNBA nor the Women's National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) responded to requests for comment. This leaves several critical questions unanswered: Does the WNBA rulebook explicitly mandate player presence during the anthem, and if so, will the league levy fines or suspensions for these three games?
Furthermore, it remains unclear whether the walkouts were a coordinated effort between the Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries or a spontaneous alignment of two different team cultures. Without a statement from the league or the players' union,the public is left to speculate on whether these actions represent a sanctioned league-wide stance or individual player agency.
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