Thursday’s Sky-Fever matchup and two other WNBA games have been postponed following the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
The Wings-Liberty and Aces-Storm games were also affected.
The league tweeted that players are still discussing next steps.
The following was released by the WNBA: pic.twitter.com/1QFpQJxrYU
— WNBA (@WNBA) August 27, 2020
Sparks forward and Women’s National Basketball Players’ Association president Nneka Ogumike said Thursday on ESPN that players want to return to play. When that might be is still unclear. She insinuated that they could return to play as soon as Friday, though a final decision is pending.
The league postponed its Thursday schedule as pro sports leagues and athletes continue to protest the latest incident of police shooting an unarmed Black man.
NBA, Major League Baseball and MLS games were postponed Wednesday. And several NFL teams, including the Bears, decided not to practice in order to show their support.
WNBA teams held a roughly 30-minute vigil back at the IMG Academy hotel Wednesday night for Blake, a 29-year-old Black man who was shot seven times by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Sunday. It was led by Ogwumike and Layshia Clarendon, who are the president and vice president of the players’ union. The vigil was attended by every team, players, coaches, staff and officials.
#BlackLivesMatter#SayHerName#SkyTakesAction pic.twitter.com/bEC6RhHt5j
— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) August 27, 2020
On Thursday, all the players and teams in the bubble got together on the practice courts at IMG Academy locking arms showing their unity.
The WNBA and its players have dedicated this season to social justice. Players have been wearing the name of Breonna Taylor on the back of the uniforms all season long.
Taylor, a 26-year-old Black emergency medical technician, was shot eight times by plainclothes Louisville police officers serving a narcotics search warrant at her apartment on March 13. No drugs were found. Her family and protesters around the country have called for swift action against the officers who shot Taylor.
Over the course of the season players have worn warmup shirts that read “Black Lives Matter” on the front and “Say Her Name” on the back. The phrase “Black Lives Matter” is featured prominently on the courts where the teams play.
