The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries found themselves at the center of a national anthem controversy before their historic WNBA Finals matchup. Both teams left the court while the anthem played before Game 1, prompting criticism from fans. However, the support from five-time NBA champion Ron Harper has added another dimension to the debate.

The incident took place on October 17 at San Francisco’s Chase Center, where the Valkyries hosted the Dream in the opening game of the 2026 WNBA Finals. While fans anticipated a competitive battle between two of the league’s strongest teams, the pregame moment quickly became a major talking point. Emily Austin was among those who voiced their displeasure.

The sports media personality took to X, writing, “Walking out during the national anthem is disgraceful. If you hate this country so much, you’re free to leave.” Her post attracted nearly 300,000 views, bringing further attention to the team’s reported decision. Harper then replied with a blunt tweet.

“Shut and it’s the team choice not yours…”

Bay Area singer Goapele took the floor at Chase Center to perform The Star-Spangled Banner before Game 1 of the 2026 WNBA Finals. However, as soon as she began singing, fans noticed that both the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries had headed to their locker rooms.

Neither team returned until the performance ended, stepping back onto the court almost immediately afterward. The controversy also revived memories of the league’s previous clashes over the national anthem.

In 2020, WNBA players became increasingly vocal about racial injustice and police brutality. The Atlanta Dream emerged as one of the franchises closely associated with that movement. At the time, players raised concerns about whether the ideals represented by the anthem, including freedom, justice, and liberty, were being experienced equally by all Americans.

The franchise also became involved in a broader political debate after former co-owner Kelly Loeffler, then a U.S. senator, criticized the Black Lives Matter movement. Dream players publicly supported efforts to change the team’s ownership, and former player Renee Montgomery eventually joined the franchise’s new ownership group.

That history helps explain why Atlanta’s latest pregame decision attracted scrutiny. However, neither the Dream nor the Valkyries provided a statement for leaving the court in Game 1 of the Finals. The controversy is hardly unique to these two teams, either.

Former Dallas Mavericks majority owner Mark Cuban stopped the national anthem from being played before home games in 2021 after consulting NBA commissioner Adam Silver. Dallas went through 13 consecutive home preseason and regular-season games without the ceremony before the decision became public. Cuban later explained that the move was intended to respect players’ concerns about social injustice.

That same period also saw WNBA teams, including the Dallas Wings and Indiana Fever, remain off the court during the anthem as part of social justice demonstrations.

More recently, the New York Liberty stayed in their locker room during the anthem before a May 24, 2025 home game in Brooklyn against the Indiana Fever, following a similar decision by the Chicago Sky a week earlier. The Dream also remained inside before a game against the Fever in August 2026, showing that the issue has continued to surface.

Page 75 on the WNBA rulebook states, “Players, coaches, and trainers are to stand and line up in a dignified posture along the sidelines or on the foul line during the playing of the National Anthem.”

Although league guidelines call for players, coaches, and trainers to stand respectfully during the anthem, commissioners have historically avoided strict enforcement or penalties against those who choose to protest or remain off the floor.

Whether both teams repeat the move in Game 2 remains to be seen. For now, the Golden State Valkyries have given their fans another reason to celebrate at Ballhalla. They protected the home court with a hard-fought 68-64 victory over the Atlanta Dream on Saturday.