The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
‘This is a tough day’ as WNBA follows NBA by postponing games
Three WNBA games , including the Connecticut Sun’s contest with the Phoenix Mercury, were postponed on Wednesday night.
The WNBA’s decision came after the NBA made a similar move in the wake of the recent shooting of Jacob Blake by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
“After speaking with representatives from teams playing tonight as well as our WNBPA leadership, the consensus is to not play in tonight’s slate of games and to kneel, lock arms and raise fists during the national anthem,” said Atlanta Dream forward and former Connecticut Sun firstround pick Elizabeth Williams in a statement read about 10 minutes before Atlanta was set to face Washington. “We stand in solidarity with our brothers in the NBA and will continue this conversation with our brothers and sisters across all leagues and look to take collective action.
“What we have seen over the last few months and with the brutal police shooting of Jacob Blake is overwhelming and while we hurt for Jacob and his community, we also have an opportunity to keep the focus on the issues and demand change.”
The WNBA released a statement announcing the decision.
“The WNBA announced that the three games scheduled for this evening have been postponed. Information regarding rescheduling of the games will be provided when available.”
James Wade of the Chicago Sky, one of two Black head coaches in the WNBA, met with the media in a video conference call a few minutes before the decision was made. It was Wade who let the media on the call know that the Atlanta Dream opted not to play in the game.
“We are getting word because the games are supposed to start here pretty soon so that is as much news as I know,” Wade said.
“We just finished a team meeting ourselves where we just talked about more basketball things so this was news for us that the NBA wasn’t playing, I haven’t had a chance to digest anything so I am just getting my mind around it.”
Wade said he had not spoken specifically with his players, which includes former UConn stars Stefanie Dolson, Azura Stevens and Gabby Williams, about not playing.
“I am not sure what they will do,” Wade said. “I am support in whatever the players will do, want to do. I can’t not support what they decide to do because they are speaking for someone like me. I never thought I was a special person growing up and I don’t think I am a special person now and I would always classify myself as a voiceless person because I know how valued my life really is in society especially in this society so they are actually speaking for me so whatever they decide to do, I am going to support.
“Everybody has their stories and I have mine and this is a tough day. When you get away from George
Floyd, when you get away from Breonna Taylor, the sting is always to be there. Those wounds are always going to be there and Jacob Blake just reopened those wounds even more and it is a tough thing to fathom that you have people working against you to kind of silence you to say, ‘it is no big deal’ or it is justified that, ‘hey, if he would have did this better.’ Nothing justifies being shot in the back seven times, nothing.
“We haven’t talked specifically about Jacob Blake. We have talked about other things as we’ve been in this bubble but this is a continuous situation so we have talked, they have the Black national convention that is coming up soon in a couple of days, I have talked to some people from Black Lives [Matter] and tried to organize some things with Gabby [Williams] so we talked about different things but we haven’t talked about this specific situation.”
Wade didn’t hold back in expressing his outrage at the events leading to many professional sports being called off on Wednesday.
“If Jacob Blake was a dog
and the police were to shoot him seven times in the same spot, we would have a lot more people up in arms so what does tell you about my value?” Wade said.
He also addressed the video of not only Blake’s shooting but also a killing of two at a protest in Kenosha.
“The video footage is really amazing,” Wade said. “This guy is not even from Wisconsin, he is 17 years old, he is not legally allowed to carry one of those long rifles and the police are giving him water and telling them how much they appreciate them. He is able to kill two people, have his hands up and walk right past them and they just keep on driving. He has a long rifle that he used and Jacob Blake had his kid in his car. Now understand this, you have three kids in the backseat, what kind of trauma do you think that is going to cause somebody like that. They have to grow up and understand that their dad was shot in front of them, posttraumatic stress for kids. For me, it is tough.”