They'll Destroy Themselves": President Donald Trump Addresses WNBA Stars Snubbing National Anthem During the Finals

President Donald Trump weighed in on the 2026 WNBA Finals controversy involving national anthem walkouts by the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries. During a rally in Iowa for midterm elections, Trump questioned why the women’s league was leaving the court when the anthem is played, saying the move could damage momentum similar to what he claimed happened in the NFL. The Dream and Valkyries have walked off before the anthem in all three games of their best-of-seven series, with Atlanta leading 2-1. The WNBA rulebook says players should stand on the sidelines during the anthem, but it doesn’t explicitly require staying on the court for the full duration. Enforcement was suspended in 2017 and teams previously left in 2020, and the league has not yet clarified the decisions.