Many athletes including players in the WNBA have stepped up and spoken out about injustice. Unfortunately, the support has come at a price.
via Sports Illustrated:
Three WNBA teams and several players have been fined for wearing black warmup shirts in support of the victims of recent shootings, according to the Associated Press.
The teams—the New York Liberty, Phoenix Mercury and Indiana Fever—were each fined $5,000 and the players were docked $500 each.
The shirts were branded with the league’s official uniform supplier’s logo, but teams are not allowed to alter their uniforms.
“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.
The Liberty first wore shirts with two hashtags “#BlackLivesMatter” and “#Dallas5,” honoring both the victims of recent shootings by police and the police officers killed in a shooting in Dallas. They later switched to a plain black shirt.
Earlier this month, Minnesota Lynx players wore shirts that said “Black Lives Matter” and “Change starts with us, justice and accountability.” Four Minneapolis police officers left their jobs as arena security in response.
