Sophie Cunningham indicated that she doesn’t agree with WNBA teams’ polarizing decision to skip the national anthem.
The Fever star and pending free agent didn’t call out the Dream and Valkyries for doing so during these WNBA Finals, but said she would “show support.”
“This has been happening throughout the whole season. This isn’t like anything new, people are getting mad about it now but it’s happened the whole season. I don’t know. I just feel like personally I have a lot — I am grateful and I support the people who serve,” Cunningham said during a sit-down interview with podcaster Theo Von. “We have family members who have served and they’re over there doing that are unimaginable for us to out here living our dreams and having the freedoms that we live. Anytime that I can shout out our veterans and the people who are currently fighting for us to live in the best country, I’m going to show that support, I’m going to give them love.
“That’s where I stand. That doesn’t mean that’s where everyone stands and if it’s right, wrong, whatever. I take a lot of pride in where I come from and I’m proud to be an American citizen.”
Skipping the national anthem is not a new trend, as Cunningham said, but the decision has become a national storyline during these Finals.
The two teams skipped the “The Star-Spangled Banner” during the first five games before returning to the court shortly after the national anthem ended. Game 6 is on tap Thursday at 12:30 p.m. ET in Atlanta with the Valkyries holding a 3-2 Finals lead.
An explicit reason has not been given for the decision, with Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase saying its part of their pregame routine and Golden State star Gabby Williams stating it is not new.
In 2020, the Dream released a statement saying “the anthem does not represent freedom, justice and liberty for all Americans.”
The teams’ decision has earned backlash, with Vice President J.D. Vance ripping their actions.
“I think that you should not express some criticism of a public policy of a given politician by disrespecting the country writ large,” Vance said recently.
“I mean, those women who play for the WNBA, think of the public safety, think of the incredible wealth and privilege, the amazing jobs that they have.”
Cunningham, 30, has appeared in one WNBA Finals in 2021 with the Mercury, when the Sky claimed the title in four games.
She’s a pending free agent following a drama-filled season with the Fever in which she became a national storyline after stating her opposition views to transgender athletes.
That discussion enveloped the WNBA for the remainder of the season and has even carried over into the Finals with former NBAer Enes Kanter Freedom’s controversial Game 3 appearance.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: nypost.com
