Los Angeles Sparks, Washington Mystics unite to tribute to Charlottesville victims
While the mix of Los Angeles Sparks’ yellow and Washington Mystics’ blue warm-up gear at center court ahead of Wednesday night’s game was not uniformed, it was certainly purposeful.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump said in a press conference that “both sides” were to blame for the violence in Charlottesville, Va. where a white nationalist rally left three dead.
On Wednesday, the Mystics and Sparks temporarily abandoned their sides of the court in an effort to demonstrate unity in the wake of Charlottesville.
For the national anthem, team typically stand on opposite foul lines. Instead, players from both teams formed one line, alternating squads and linking arms at center court, as the Capital One Center observed a moment of silence before Wednesday night’s game.
Mystics guard and Virginia native Kristi Toliver led the initiative and penned a statement on behalf of both teams.
The Mystics discussed the gesture Wednesday morning ahead of the game before reaching out to the Sparks. Toliver, who grew up about 40 minutes outside of Charlottesville and won a championship with the Sparks last season, got input from her teammates and wrote the statement at home after shoot arounds. Head coach Mike Thibault signed off on their message.
“It is not a surprise that racism and bigotry exist in this country, but it is not something we stand for in any way. We feel great shock, sickness, and sadness with the degree of acceptance and normalization of this hatred, culminating in ways in the events in Charlottesville this past weekend,” the statement read.
“On behalf of both the Mystics and Sparks players, we feel pain and disbelief following the blatant hate displayed, and the President’s response to it. There is no way to innocently protest alongside a hate-based group and to take pause on condemning the acts that took place is inexcusable.”
The Mystics discussed the gesture Wednesday morning ahead of the game. Toliver, who grew up about 40 minutes outside of Charlottesville and won a championship with the Sparks last season, reached out to the opposing team.
“I thought it was important. I like the fact that players in our league have conscious and are willing to express it,” he said. “I thought they did the right thing. I thought it was appropriate, and set a positive message for what needs to be in this country.”
At the same time Trump was delivering his press conference on Tuesday, the Sparks were arriving at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, less than a mile away. The team took the time while in DC to learn more together about oppression African Americans have faced in the U.S., and how that has shaped the country as a whole.
Players learned of Trump’s comments as they were exiting the museum.
“I think people weren’t happy, obviously,” said Nneka Ogwumike, last year’s league MVP. “But we’re not going to let us deter us from being able to be leaders in the community, and I think today signified that. It’s not anything that we condone.”
As president of the WNBA player’s union, Ogwumike has an elevated role in an already outspoken league.
“I think in lieu of what’s happened in Charlottesville and then also us doing this tonight, it will probably open up the room for discussion and for people to be able to share their sentiments,” she said. “The league has our back, and the union, we’re always going to be able to represent the voices of the league.”
Players made headlines last summer as they protested police brutality. While some players initially faced fines for their shirts during warmups, Ogwumike noted that the players’ union and the league have made strides to enable players to voice their opinions on social issues.
WNBA president Lisa Borders expressed her support ahead of the game in an issued statement:
“We fully support our players, who are offering a demonstration of unity that we hope America can emulate in the wake of the tragic events in Charlottesville. We offer our sincere condolences to the families who lost loved ones and our support to those who were injured during the inexcusable violence that transpired.”
Source- https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2017/08/16/wnba-sparks-mystics-anthem-tribute-charlottesville/575173001/
