Lynx-Sparks game postponed in wake of shooting of Black man in Wisconsin
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Three WNBA games set for Wednesday night, including Lynx-Sparks, were postponed following the shooting of Wisconsin Black man Jacob Blake by police.
The postponements came after the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks didn’t come out on the floor for Game 5 of their first-round playoff series with the Orlando Magic on Wednesday afternoon at Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NBA officials later announced that all three of the day’s scheduled playoff games had been postponed.
The Lynx issues the following statement:
"The Minnesota Lynx fully support our players’ decision to postpone tonight’s games from being played. We as an organization condemn yet another senseless act committed by police, this time in Kenosha, WI against Jacob Blake, as well as every act of police brutality against black and brown communities. We stand with our players who are using their platforms to stand against racial injustices in our country and create meaningful change."
In Bradenton, Florida, on Wednesday, Washington was set to play Atlanta, Minnesota was going to face Los Angeles, and Connecticut was going to meet Phoenix. Players from the Mystics, Dream, Sparks and Lynx were talking on the court for about an hour deciding whether to play or not. The decision was announced shortly before the expected 7 pm. EDT tip for the Mystics and Dream.
A small group of Black Lives Matter protesters hold a rally on the steps of the Kenosha County courthouse Monday, Aug. 24, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. Kenosha police shot a man Sunday evening, setting off unrest in the city after a video appeared to show the officer firing several shots at close range into the man's back.[(AP Photo/Morry Gash)]
All four teams took a knee at center court right before leaving the court.
Atlanta Dream player Elizabeth Williams read a statement on ESPN saying that the "consensus is not to play in tonight’s games. We stand in solidarity with our brothers in the NBA."
Williams is the secretary of the players’ union.
The Mystics came into the arena wearing shirts that spelled out Blake’s name on the front and had holes in the back to signify the seven bullets that he was hit with by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
The league had just passed its halfway mark of the 22-game season. With teams playing pretty much every other day in the bubble the postponed games will most likely have to be made up after the regular season ends on Sept. 12.
The WNBA and its players have dedicated this season to social justice. Players have been wearing the name of Breonna Taylor on the back of the uniforms all season long.
Taylor, a 26-year-old Black emergency medical technician, was shot eight times by plainclothes Louisville police officers serving a narcotics search warrant at her apartment on March 13. No drugs were found. Her family and protesters around the country have called for swift action against the officers who shot Taylor.
Over the course of the season players have worn warmup shirts that read "Black Lives Matter" on the front and "Say Her Name" on the back. The phrase "Black Lives Matter" is featured prominently on the courts where the teams play.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.