WNBA stars Brittney Griner and her teammate Brianna Turner are calling on the league to stop playing the National Anthem before games. They’re speaking out days after two WNBA teams stayed in their locker rooms during the National Anthem over the weekend. More inside…

Some WNBA players want the National Anthem cut from their games and making it known they want it axed as soon as possible.

Phoenix Mercury star Britney Griner and her teammate Brianna Turner both made comments in favor of the WNBA to no longer play the National Anthem before games, or at any before any sports/games.

"I honestly feel we should not play the National Anthem during our season," Brittney said during a teleconference with Arizona Republic. "I think we should take that much of a stand.”

The six-time WNBA All-Star and the 2019 runner-up MVP said will NOT be on the floor when the “Star Bangled Banner” is played before the game. Over the weekend, Brittney wasn’t on the court during the anthem after the Mercury’s opening game at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

"I don't mean that in any disrespect to our country. My dad was in Vietnam and a law officer for 30 years. I wanted to be a cop before basketball. I do have pride for my country."

On Instagram, Brittney shared a picture of her father while fighting in Vietnam:

 

 

 

 

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Pops on the far right! Ok daddy I see you looking good! Need get like him on the lifting lol! But them short ass shorts though lol! Vietnam 1968-1969

A post shared by Brittney Griner (@brittneyyevettegriner) on Jan 23, 2017 at 9:07am PST

"I'm going to protest regardless," the 29-year-old said. "I'm not going to be out there for the National Anthem. If the league continues to want to play it, that's fine. It will be all season long, I'll not be out there. I feel like more are going to probably do the same thing. I can only speak for myself. "At the Olympics, I understand, you're playing for your country at that point."

Brittney will likely play for the Tokyo Olympics (which was rescheduled) next summer after playing on a gold-medal winning U.S. Team in 2016.

Mercury forward Brianna Turner said the National Anthem shouldn't have a place in sports at all and questioned why it's played in the first place.

"I personally don't think it belongs in sports," she said. "When the National Anthem deemed the National Anthem (in 1931), Black people didn't have rights at that point. It's hard disrespecting a song that didn't even represent all Americans when it was first made. It's not played at Walmart, it's not played when you go to Six Flags. Why is it played before sporting events?"

The players' comments come days after the New York Liberty and Seattle Storm players stayed in their locker rooms during the National Anthem. In addition to their protest, the players held a 26-second moment of silence for Breonna Taylor, a Black EMT who was fatally shot by Louisville Metro Police officers inside her home on March 13th. Her killers have not been arrested or charged.

"We are dedicating this season to Breonna Taylor, an outstanding EMT who was murdered over 130 days ago in her home,” Liberty point guard Layshia Clarendon said alongside Storm star Breanna Stewart. “Breonna Taylor was dedicated and committed to uplifting everyone around here."

The WNBA players dedicated this season to Breonna.

 

 

 

 

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The WNBA season tipped off this weekend. We knew if this season was going to happen it was an opportunity to have a huge impact. I cannot tell you the hours spent to get all of this off the ground. We worked with Breonna Taylor’s mother Tamika Palmer to approve and consult on EVERYTHING we did involving her daughter. The words I used to describe Breonna came directly from a call with Tamika. We are not only activists but we are slowly becoming organizers. From the CBA, to this moment and so much more coming this season. We refuse to be silenced, we refuse to be told Black Lives Matter is too political, we refuse every lie and myth about respecting the flag and anthem, and we will continue to lead. My heart breaks because people are being murdered. Literal lives are being stolen! True justice would be for every victims name we have had to say to be walking this earth. We will not stop until we have some f*cking accountability! #BlackLivesMatter #SayHerName

A post shared by Layshia Clarendon (@layshiac) on Jul 26, 2020 at 6:27pm PDT

"We are also dedicating this season to ‘Say Her Name’ campaign, a campaign committed to saying the names and fighting for justice of black women – black women are so often forgotten in this fight for justice, who don’t have people marching in the streets for them," she continued.

Peep the clip above.

 

 

 

 

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@nnemkadi and @candaceparker use their voices to raise awareness on Breonna Taylor, #SayHerName and #BLM

A post shared by WNBA (@wnba) on Jul 25, 2020 at 6:52pm PDT

 

 

 

 

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“We just hope we make her family proud and do her justice this year.” - @skydigg4

A post shared by WNBA (@wnba) on Jul 25, 2020 at 2:05pm PDT

Sparks players Nneka Ogwumike and Candace Parker as well as Mercury's Skylar Diggins-Smith also used their voices to raise awareness about Breonna Taylor's story.

By the way, the Los Angeles Sparks defeated the Phoenix Mercury in their season opener, 99 - 76. According to ESPN, the Mercury vs. Los Angeles game on ABC was the most watched WNBA opener since 2012, 63% over the 2019 WNBA regular season average on ESPN’s Networks. Nice! ESPN aired airing every WNBA game on its two main networks and it paid off.

The Seattle Storm defeated the New York Liberty, 87 - 71.

Also...

WATCH: Sen. @KLoeffler stands by her assertion that "Black Lives Matter" doesn't belong in the @WNBA. I'll have the full story tonight on @FOX5Atlanta. #gapol pic.twitter.com/54VLmYnNzR

— Claire Simms (@Claire_FOX5) July 8, 2020

Earlier this month, the WNBA announced that “Black Lives Matter” would be displayed on its courts during games this season. Meanwhile, Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler - who is a co-owner of Atlanta's WNBA team - said the league should drop its support of the Black Lives Matter Movement. Kelly reportedly published a letter to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, denouncing the league’s plan to dedicate its season to social justice. She doubled down on her stance during media appearances and interviews.

“What I see is politics coming into sports,” Kelly said. “No one has asked politics to come into sports. Sports are about unifying people. People from all walks of life from all political views should be welcomed in sports and to cancel someone because they want to protect innocent life; because they are fighting for the unborn; because they support the Second Amendment; because I support the constitutional rights that have been given to us by God? Why would that not fit as part of American sports culture? That should be a tenet of sports, is to welcome all views.”

My message is simple: we should unite around the American flag. We should keep politics out of sports. We shouldn’t promote movements that encourage violence.

And I will not be silent about it. Watch my full interview with @IngrahamAngle here. #gapol #gasen pic.twitter.com/yVNz7IqFuU

— Kelly Loeffler (@KLoeffler) July 9, 2020

The league’s player association (WNBAPA) said they want Kelly removed as an owner. Individual players have also expressed their feelings about her and want her removed as an owner.

Kelly obviously doesn't care the WNBA is made up of 80% black women, and it shows.

In other news, NBA star Kyrie Irving recently gave a major assist when he committed to donating $1.5 million to help support WNBA players who opted not to play the rest of the season either due to the Coronavirus pandemic or social justice work. 

Photo: Keeton Gale/Shutterstock.com