The players, who streamed the impromptu locker-room press conference on Periscope, said they were there not to answer any basketball-related questions but to speak only on the issue of Black Lives Matter.
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Following Thursday’s game, members of both the Fever and Liberty refused to take questions on any topic not relating to Black Lives Matter and the WNBA’s response to their protest.
Carmelo Anthony expressed his disappointment in the WNBA after the league fined several teams and multiple players for wearing black during warmups, a signal they were supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.
Cash added, “We really would appreciate if people stopped making our support of Black Lives Matter, an issue that is so critical in our society right now, as us not supporting the police”.
“It’s unfortunate that the WNBA has fined us and not supported its players”. “I have no problem wearing this shirt inside out for the rest of the season until we are able to have the WNBA support us”.
Likewise, it’s just racist to not allow players to talk about the recent, tragic shootings of black men and women by police officers and the deaths of five police officers in Dallas.
“We are proud of WNBA players’ engagement and passionate advocacy for nonviolent solutions to hard social issues but expect them to comply with the league’s uniform guidelines”, WNBA president Lisa Borders said in a statement regarding the fines. WNBA rookies such as New York’s Adut Bulgak make roughly $40,000, so the fine is about one-eightieth of a first-year player’s salary.
The WNBA fined players after they ignored a league memo sent to teams earlier this week reminding them of the uniform policy. I don’t see no reason for anybody to get fined.
“We want the players to know that we have supported them in the past, support them today and will continue to support them in the future”, she said.
“While we recognize that the National Basketball Association cannot choose the law in every city, state, and country in which we do business, we do not believe we can successfully host our All-Stars festivities in Charlotte in the climate created by HB2”, said the statement.
Skylar Diggins also joined in on speaking up, this time with a percentage of how many players in the WNBA are a part of the African American community and effected by the tragedies occurring around the nation.
“The Adidas black shirts are not regulation”, Borders said. And so I think people need to understand that it’s not mutually exclusive. The players were not fined for their actions.
Indiana Fever All-Star Tamika Catchings criticized the league’s decision. Pride, they support. “Go green” initiatives, they support.
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Liberty center Tina Charles responded to the fine by tweeting “I refuse to be silent” along with a pic of her wearing the black shirt. “We want them to hear our voices and stand with us and support this as well”.
