The WNBA has caught itself in a media circus over the past month. Debates on trans eligibility have rocked the league, leading to a slew of controversies that it may not be able to handle if things get out of hand.
Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream also took a political stance during their last game against the Indiana Fever. WNBA fans decided this wasn’t something they’d be on board for.
WNBA World Goes Off On Angel Reese and the Dream Not Showing Up for the National Anthem
During Dream-Fever, the latter was on the court as the national anthem played. The Dream, however, decided to sit it out as they were in the locker room prepping for the game.
Users online weren’t pleased in the slightest, and they took to social media to express their distaste.
One user wrote, “Why is the WNBA allowed to operate as an openly left-wing political activist group instead of a professional sports league? What kind of leadership thinks constantly signaling progressive causes, skipping the national anthem, and platforming partisan figures is a winning strategy?”
Why is the WNBA allowed to operate as an openly left-wing political activist group instead of a professional sports league? What kind of leadership thinks constantly signaling progressive causes, skipping the national anthem, and platforming partisan figures is a winning…
— Tom Ford Capital (@MoneyMacGyver) August 17, 2026
Most professional leagues do refrain from taking one side over the other. This is done to avoid alienating either side and to ensure each side of the political sphere has a chance to avoid having their beliefs trampled upon when watching a game.
The WNBA is going down a slightly different route.
Another user pointed out that the Atlanta Dream camera panned to Georgia politician Stacey Abrams, who is a member of the Democratic Party. Many users with more conservative values believe this outward platforming of a politician should not take place.
“They need to change their name to the Atlanta Nightmare Just when you think the league has hit an all time low it lowers the bar even more,” said another user on the Dream skipping out on the national anthem.
They need to change their name to the Atlanta Nightmare
Just when you think the league has hit an all time low it lowers the bar even more— Richard Coe (@RichardC87309) August 17, 2026
“The WNBA is nothing but a pure joke. I feel sorry for the owners as their investments will end up at zero value soon,” said a user, pointing out another reason why sports teams or leagues don’t take political stances: sponsorships.
The WNBA is nothing but a pure joke. I feel sorry for the owners as their investments will end up at zero value soon.
— Conservative (@DineenRisk) August 18, 2026
“The I-don’t-know-what-W-is-NBA is pretty vile… except for the Indiana Fever roster. The stadium was packed… only because of the Fever. I’m so glad they won and knocked the Atlanta Nightmare back a notch,” said somebody else.
They continued by saying, “It’s such a shame that a women’s league cannot stand up for women.”
The I-don’t-know-what-W-is-NBA is pretty vile… except for the Indiana Fever roster. The stadium was packed… only because of the Fever. I’m so glad they won and knocked the Atlanta Nightmare back a notch.
it’s such a shame that a women’s league cannot stand up for women.
— Stevieblueboat (@AdamsHstev90384) August 17, 2026
This outrage stems from Cathy Engelbert and league officials being unable to put forth substantive tenets on trans eligibility, unlike other leagues, such as the WTA and the UCI.
Another enraged user said, “The [WNBA] is not about basketball. It’s a political & ideology cesspool! There is no desirable athletic performance anymore. Just stinking wrestling!”
The WMBA is not about basketball. It’s a political & ideology cesspool‼️There is no desirable athletic performance anymore. Just stinking wrestling.‼️
— Herbert S. Wagner (@HerbertSWagner1) August 18, 2026
Neither the Dream nor the WNBA has addressed the former skipping out on the national anthem. There won’t be any repercussions for the most part, as this isn’t uncommon.
Most recently, Victor Wembanyama crossed his arms during Game 1 of the NBA Finals as the national anthem played. He reportedly missed Game 3 and 4’s national anthems, too.
He wasn’t reprimanded, and rather, it stirred up political discourse across the nation and nothing more.
It will be interesting to see if the Dream continues this trend of skipping the national anthem in their future games, as the regular season winds down.
