Before this weekend’s mass NFL protests against police brutality, racism, and President Donald Trump’s attempt to squash those protests, there was Colin Kaepernick’s famous kneeling protest in August 2016.
And before Kaepernick, there were the WNBA protests in the summer of 2016. As we prepare for the beginning of the 2017 WNBA Finals (Sept. 24, 3:30 p.m., ABC), let’s take a look back at those protests.
They began in Minnesota
On July 9, four members of the Minnesota Lynx — a dynasty on par with the Warriors — held a pre-game press conference to talk about police violence in the wake of the killing of Philando Castile by a Minneapolis-area officer and Alton Sterling by two Baton Rouge, Louisiana, officers. The four members of the Lynx — Maya Moore, Seimone Augustus, Lindsay Whalen, and Rebekkah Brunson — wore black shirts with the phrase “Change Starts With Us: Justice & Accountability.”
LIVE: #Lynx Captains speak about the events in Dallas, St. Paul and Baton Rouge ahead of tonight’s game vs the #Wings.
Posted by Minnesota Lynx on Saturday, July 9, 2016
In response, four Minneapolis police officers immediately left their security posts at Lynx games. The move was condemned by Minnesota Police Chief Janeé Harteau, but defended by Lieutenant Bob Kroll, the president of the Minneapolis Police Federation.
The Lynx did not wear the shirts before subsequent road games.
They continued the next day in New York
Members of the New York Liberty wore black t-shirts with #BlackLivesMatter and #Dallas5 printed on them while warming up for a game on July 10.
They and players from other WNBA teams then wore plain black T-shirts in future games. The Phoenix Mercury and Indiana Fever did so on Tuesday, July 12, while the Liberty continued to wear black shirts during warmups for their next three games.
“We’re still advocating for it. We’re still advocating for Black Lives Matter,” Liberty star Tina Charles told SB Nation at the time. “Wearing a standard Adidas shirt, knowing that the WNBA is sponsored by Adidas. We’re still advocating for it and just more of a change in the system of what’s going on right now.”
This violated WNBA uniform rules, and the league issued a fine.
On Wednesday, July 13, the league fined the Liberty, Mercury, and Fever $5,000 each and every individual player on those teams $500. The fines were for violating the league’s uniform policy that requires players to exclusively wear official league uniforms supplied by the league during and before all games and practices. The policy does not allow for players to alter the uniforms in any way.
“We are proud of WNBA players’ engagement and passionate advocacy for non-violent solutions to difficult social issues, but expect them to comply with the league’s uniform guidelines,” WNBA President Lisa Borders said in a statement at the time.
The players protested that decision, too
A day later, Charles, one of the best athletes in the WNBA, protested while receiving her Player of the Month trophy. She wore a plain black shirt while receiving the honor before the Liberty’s game against the Fever.
Today, I decided to not be silent in the wake of the @wnba fines against @nyliberty, @indianafever & @phoenixmercury due to our support in the #BlackLivesMatter movement . Seventy percent of the @wnba players are African-American women and as a league collectively impacted. My teammates and I will continue to use our platform and raise awareness for the #BlackLivesMatter movement until the @wnba gives its support as it does for Breast Cancer Awareness, Pride and other subject matters.
After the game, players on both teams only spoke to the media about the fines and the social issues behind the protests. Fever legend Tamika Catchings led the effort, though she was hardly alone:
Liberty guard and WNBA Players Association vice president Tanisha Wright chimed in as well.
"We want to be able to use our platforms, use our voices,” she said. “We don’t want to let anyone silence us in what we want to talk about. It’s unfortunate that the WNBA has fined us and has not supported its players."
A number of players on the Mercury expressed their disapproval of the WNBA’s fines through social media.
Don't say we have a voice and then fine us because we use it. #notpuppets #cutthestrings
— Mistie Bass (@A_Phoenix_Born) July 21, 2016
5k a team $500 a player... For a tshirt?
— Toni Childs (@kelseybone3) July 20, 2016
In a time where our league is searching for relevance why not take a stand and support your players on issues that effect majority of them
— Toni Childs (@kelseybone3) July 20, 2016
Days later, the WNBA rescinded its fines
Borders, in a statement:
"All of us at the WNBA have the utmost respect and appreciation for our players expressing themselves on matters important to them. While we expect players to comply with league rules and uniform guidelines, we also understand their desire to use their platform to address important societal issues."
"Given that the league will now be suspending play until August 26th for the Olympics, we plan to use this time to work with our players and their union on ways for the players to make their views known to their fans and the public and we have informed the players that we are rescinding the recently-imposed fines."
WNBA teams didn’t stop there, though.
The entire Indiana Fever team locked arms and knelt during the anthem before a playoff game in late September.
The Indiana #Fever join arms and take a knee during tonight's anthem... pic.twitter.com/iGzfbofTsk
— Dave Furst (@DaveFurst) September 21, 2016
Two members of the Phoenix Mercury, their opponents, joined them:
Two members of Phoenix Mercury, Kelsey Bone and Mistie Bass, kneel during National Anthem tonight at WNBA playoffs. pic.twitter.com/tmtAbUXHZb
— Mechelle Voepel (@MechelleV) September 21, 2016
"I’m proud of y’all for doing that together, leading that together, that’s big," Fever coach Stephanie White told her team, as captured by ESPN. "It’s bigger than basketball, right. So let’s use that energy and use that togetherness on the floor."
A day earlier, members of the Liberty and Mercury locked arms while standing during the anthem.
The protests have continued in the months since.
After an anti-Nazi protester was murdered in Charlottesville in August, at least five teams stood in unity during the national anthem in opposition to white supremacy.
The Washington Mystics and Los Angeles Sparks did so before a nationally televised game on Wednesday, Aug. 16. Later that night, players on the Lynx and Seattle Storm did the same.
The Fever then announced their intention to join those four teams in their next two games:
In a show of unity and leadership, Indiana Fever players are expected to join their competitors from opposing WNBA teams in a leaguewide show of unity during the national anthem of this weekend’s games. Players of both teams are expected to stand with locked arms, symbolizing unity against bigotry, hate and racism.
What will happen before Game 1 of the WNBA Finals?
Given the league’s status as a pioneer on social justice and the recent comments by Donald Trump against the NFL and the NBA, we could see another form of protest before Sunday’s Game 1 between the Lynx and Sparks.
If so, it will follow in the league’s tradition, one that started before other major sports leagues.