SAN FRANCISCO — The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries were not on the court for the national anthem before Game 2 of the 2026 WNBA Finals on Monday, repeating what happened before the series opener on Saturday, according to the source report.
The teams left the floor shortly before the anthem began and returned shortly after the performance ended, the report said. It described the timing as similar to Game 1, when both teams departed just before the anthem and came back within seconds after it concluded.
The source cited the WNBA’s 2026 official rulebook, which says players, coaches and trainers are to stand in a dignified posture and line up along the sidelines or on the foul line during the national anthem. The report said neither team was on the court for the anthem in either of the first two Finals games.
The publisher said it asked the Dream and Valkyries why they were absent before Game 1 and whether they would be present for Game 2. It also asked the WNBA about its anthem requirements, possible discipline related to the first game, and whether the league had instructed—or intended to instruct—the teams to be on the court. The publisher said it sought confirmation about the teams’ plans for Monday as well.
The report stated that the teams had not answered the questions by the time a follow-up story was published Monday morning. It also said the league had not responded to multiple requests for comment. Those requests included follow-ups to the league and teams after Saturday’s opener, as well as questions about whether the WNBA had communicated expectations about the anthem after Game 1.
The publisher also reported attending pregame and postgame press conferences after the opener and both teams’ coaches’ news conferences before Game 2. It said its reporter was not called on to ask the anthem-related questions at those events.
The available account does not provide a response from either team or the league explaining the absences, nor does it report whether the WNBA determined that the rule had been violated or whether any disciplinary action was taken. The league’s response and the teams’ explanations were not included in the source material.
