What began as a pregame controversy at the WNBA Finals has now drawn the attention of the country’s second-highest political office. Vice President JD Vance has weighed in on the national anthem walkouts, calling the teams’ actions “disgraceful” and arguing that criticizing a politician’s public policy should not come at the expense of respect for the country. His intervention brings a political dimension to a Finals series that has already drawn attention for reasons beyond the championship race.

“I think it’s disgraceful. I think that you should not express some criticism of a public policy of a given politician by disrespecting the country writ large,” Vance said during his appearance on Fox News, as per an X post by Eric Daugherty. “Those women who play for the WNBA, think of the public safety, think of the incredible wealth and privilege, the amazing jobs that they have! They have a lot to be grateful to the United States for. And I think that if they had a bit more of a spirit of gratitude, they’d be happier people and they wouldn’t offend so many people as well.”

The back-to-back walkouts from the Dream and the Valkyries have drawn scrutiny, as many view their gesture as disrespectful to the country. Former ESPN sportscaster Linda Cohn also criticized the teams, questioning whether it would have been difficult for them to stand during the roughly two-minute anthem. Cohn first addressed the issue during her livestream after Game 1, and the debate resurfaced when the Dream and Valkyries repeated their walkouts before Game 2 on Monday.

Their actions have also raised questions about the WNBA’s anthem protocols and whether the teams’ decisions conflict with the league’s stated expectations. Section H of the WNBA rulebook’s II. Basic Principles outlines the league’s expectations for the national anthem: “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.”

Under this rule, the players’ actions may appear to contradict the league’s expectations. However, while the rule specifies how players should stand during the national anthem, it does not explicitly require them to remain on the court for its duration.

Then there is the question of whether the rule is even enforceable. According to the Associated Press, “While the league rulebook states what should happen during the anthem, the protocols were suspended years ago.”

The WNBA had allowed anthem walkouts since 2017, when it suspended enforcement of its anthem protocols to support social justice causes. The league gave players and coaches the freedom to decide how they wanted to show support for victims of racially charged violence in Charlottesville, Virginia. In 2020, teams also left the court before the anthem as the league dedicated its season to Breonna Taylor.

Players and teams have walked out during the anthem for different reasons, from raising awareness of social justice issues to using the time to continue their pregame preparations. However, the motive behind the Golden State Valkyries’ and Atlanta Dream’s actions remains unclear. With the WNBA yet to respond, Vice President JD Vance’s criticism has added pressure on the league to clarify the teams’ actions and address questions surrounding the walkouts.

As the season nears its end, unless the issue is addressed, it will continue to take attention away from the sport, where two teams are chasing their first-ever WNBA championship.