About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham told Theo Von that WNBA teams leaving the court for the national anthem is nothing new this season, and the pending free agent tied her stance to military families and a call for more unity among players.
"This has been happening throughout the whole season," Cunningham said on This Past Weekend. "People are just kind of getting mad about it now." She added, "I take a lot of pride in where I come from, and I'm proud to be an American citizen ."
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Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) in the first half against the Seattle Storm | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
The 30-year-old guard pointed to relatives who wore the uniform. "We have family members who have served, and they're over there doing things that are unimaginable for us to be out here living our dreams," she said.
"So anytime that I can shout out our veterans and the people who are currently fighting for us, I'm going to show that support," Cunningham said. "That doesn't mean that's where everyone stands."
She also boiled the moment down to a simple request. "Okay, this isn't about me. I need 20 seconds of your best behavior," she said.
Cunningham has seen the walkouts from the floor. When Indiana visited Atlanta on Aug. 18, Dream players stayed off the court for the anthem while the Fever lined up and Cunningham held her hand over her heart, prompting Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville to post, "Sophie Cunningham is a true PATRIOT ."
Singer Alanis Morissette sings the national anthem before game two of the 2026 WNBA Finals featuring the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center. | David Gonzales-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries left the court before the anthem at Game 1 of the Finals on Oct. 17 at Chase Center and returned about two minutes later, a routine both teams kept through the series.
The 2026 WNBA rulebook calls for players, coaches and trainers to " stand and line up along the sidelines or foul line" during the anthem. Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase said, "We're two years in. That's been part of our pregame ."
Trump urged fans to tune out at an Iowa rally. "The NFL did that for a while, and they stopped because people stopped watching the games," Trump said. "So I think you should do the same thing with women's basketball."
Golden State leads the series 3-2 entering Game 6, Valkyries at Dream, Thursday at 12:30 p.m. ET in Atlanta.
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Indiana Fever President of Basketball and Business Operations, Kelly Krauskopf, and Indiana Fever COO and General Manager, Amber Cox, introduced guard Sophie Cunningham to the media on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect (Reuters)
Von asked whether players feel pressure to take stands. "We have a lot of women in this league, and that doesn't mean we're all going to agree," Cunningham said. "I think we need more unifying."
The former Missouri standout is an unrestricted free agent after playing 2026 on a one-year, $665,000 deal. Indiana also parted ways with general manager Amber Cox and team president Kelly Krauskopf after a first-round playoff exit, so a new front office will decide whether to bring her back.
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Source: Sports
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