WNBA fines 3 teams and players over black warmup jerseys
Three WNBA teams and their players have been fined by the league for wearing plain, black T-shirts before games in response to recent national events.
The New York Liberty, Phoenix Mercury and Indiana Fever were docked $5,000, and their players have to pay $500 each after wearing the shirts during warmups despite a league memo earlier this week reminding teams that uniforms are not to be altered in any way.
“We are proud of WNBA players’ engagement and passionate advocacy for non-violent solutions to difficult social issues but expect them to comply with the league’s uniform guidelines,” WNBA President Lisa Borders said in a statement Wednesday night.
New York was one of three WNBA teams — along with the Minnesota Lynx and Dallas Wings — to wear warmup shirts in remembrance of two African American men shot by police and five Dallas police officers shot by a sniper earlier this month.
It’s really disappointing the league isn’t having our back on this one.
— Indiana’s Briann January
Liberty players have worn all black warmup shirts featuring only the logo of league sponsor Adidas four times. After the fines were announced Wednesday, Liberty center Kiah Stokes tweeted, “It’s just unfortunate because we tried to compromise by wearing an adidas shirt, but it obviously didn’t matter.”
On Thursday morning New York’s Tina Charles wore her Liberty warmup jersey — which is black but features the team logo — inside out prior to a matinee game against the Fever.
“After seeing the African American male shot three times after helping an autistic person out this morning in Florida, I knew I couldn’t be silent,” Charles said after the game. “Knowing the player I am representing this organization, if anybody was going to wear it, it had to be me. 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.”
Indiana point guard Briann January said about the fines: “What’s most upsetting is the way it was handled. You have a league that is 90 — if not above 90% African American — and you have an issue that is directly affecting them and the people they know, and you have a league that isn’t willing to side with them.”
Phoenix forward Mistie Bass tweeted: “Don’t say we have a voice and then fine us because we use it. #notpuppets #cutthestrings.”
I think it’s sick that we are being punished for supporting a matter that affects [the] majority of us personally.
— Phoenix Mercury’s Kelsey Bone
After the June shootings at an Orlando gay nightclub, the WNBA issued shirts for players to wear to show their support for the victims. Some have wondered why the same didn’t happen after the more recent shootings.
“When the thing in Orlando happened the league saw the NBA backed it and we went all in. Nobody had any question,” January said. “They knew it was a right or wrong issue. This is a very similar thing. It’s really disappointing the league isn’t having our back on this one.”
Fever teammate and president of the players’ union Tamika Catchings said: “Instead of the league taking a stance with us, where they tell us they appreciate our expressing our concerns like they did for Orlando, we’re fighting against each other.”
Phoenix forward/center Kelsey Bone wrote in a series of tweets: “When the shooting in Orlando happened the WNBA immediately sent shirts for us to wear to show support.. As a league with Players and fans a part of the LGBT community that’s exactly what should have been done… As players we have been trying to figure out where were the shirts to support the events going on in our country recently… We were told a statement had been made and that was that… So some teams decided to take matters in their own hands.
“I think it’s sick that we are being punished for supporting a matter that affects majority of us personally… Why support one cause that effects our country and not another?”
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UPDATES:
12:25 p.m.: This article has been updated with a quote from and information about Liberty’s Tina Charles.
This article was originally published at 9:45 a.m.
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