Despite calls for increased social activism from top NBA stars at the ESPYs, three WNBA teams and their players have been fined for showing solidarity.
According to ESPN, the Indiana Fever, the New York Liberty, and the Phoenix Mercury, along with their players, were all recently fined by the WNBA for wearing black t-shirts during pre-game warmup exercises. Each team was forced to pay $5,000 to the league, and each player was penalized with a $500 fine for the silent demonstration. But one team representative said there was a double standard in how the fines were doled out, as WNBA uniforms were slightly altered to show solidarity with the victims of the Orlando shootings without any team or players having to pay fines.
“It’s not a race issue, not an anti-police issue, not a black or white issue. It’s a right or wrong issue,” Indiana Fever player rep Briann January told the Associated Press. “When the thing in Orlando happened, the league saw the NBA backed it and we went all in. Nobody had any question. They knew it was a right or wrong issue. This is a very similar thing. It’s really disappointing the league isn’t having our back on this one.”
The league violation cited in the fines was the teams and players altering uniforms, which is prohibited according to WNBA rules. However, January said the fines are out of touch with the national mood and the opinions of the players and their fans.
“You have a league that is 90 — if not above 90 percent African American — and you have an issue that is directly affecting them and the people they know, and you have a league that isn’t willing to side with them,” January said.
WNBA president Lisa Borders insists the fines were due to the uniform violation and were not meant to punish players for speaking out on contentious issues.
“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,” Borders told the AP.
Zach Cartwright is an activist and author from Richmond, Virginia. He enjoys writing about politics, government, and the media. Send him an email: zachcartwright88@gmail.com
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