“Nah.”–Liberty and Fever players
Tensions were high at Madison Square Garden following the league’s decision to fine the New York Liberty, Phoenix Mercury, and Indiana Fever and their players for violating the league’s uniform policy. In an effort to use their platform to speak out against the injustices that plague our nation, the players decided to wear all-Black Adidas shirt in solidarity of the victims of the recent shootings. Each team was fined $5,000 while each player was fined $500.
The league actions only added fuel to the players’ burning passion. Following the Fever’s win against the Liberty early Thursday afternoon, both teams staged a media blackout after the game, where they refused to talk about anything BUT #BlackLivesMatter and the other social issues around the nation. Not a single basketball question was asked or answered, and the ladies made their intentions and concerns very clear.
In the Liberty locker room, the entire squad got in formation and stood firm in their decision to discuss what was most important to them. In this powerful clip below recorded by Excelle Sports, team leaders Swin Cash, Tanisha Wright, and Tina Charles addressed the media about their thoughts on the matter:
Fever superstar Tamika Catchings and the rest of her team followed suit in the visitor’s locker room:
Kudos to the ladies of both teams for standing firm in their convictions and not being wavered. In an age where many athletes seem timid and afraid to take a stand against social injustice, it’s refreshing to see them recognize and use their power to force the issue to us media. We here are Beyond The W stand with the players and fully support their mission to address our nation’s issues and to keep the conversation alive in hopes of coming up with effective solutions. #BlackLivesMatterTOO #Dallas5
