No, WNBA players weren’t ‘disqualified’ for kneeling | Fact check

A Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows a picture of two players on the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury team kneeling on the court while other teammates are standing.
“BREAKING: “WNBA Referees Disqualify Two Players Under League’s New ‘No Anthem Kneeling’ Rule,” the text on the Aug. 22 post and the caption read.
The post was shared more than 5,000 times in a month. Other more recent posts also shared the claim, including this Facebook post.
More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page
There is no credible evidence WNBA players were disciplined for kneeling during a national anthem. The league’s current national anthem rule has been in place since at least 2017.
If two players had been disqualified for kneeling, it would have made headlines throughout the country, but there are no reports from credible news sources of any such happening.
The WNBA has a policy in its rulebook that states “players, coaches, and trainers are to stand and line up in a dignified posture along the sidelines or on the foul line during the playing of the National Anthem.” The WNBA rule has been in place since at least 2017, archives show.
But it does not outline specific punishments for players who kneel. The rulebooks other regulations related to dress and team conduct similarly list no prescribed punishment.
The WNBA has not announced any update to the rule. A spokesperson for the league declined to comment on the record.
Fact check: No, Nike hasn’t ended partnership with WNBA player Brittney Griner
USA TODAY reported previously about WNBA players’ long history of protesting for racial justice, including wearing T-shirts with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter after the police killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile in 2016. Players were fined for wearing the shirts, but the fines were later rescinded.
The following year, the league temporarily suspended its anthem protocol so players could lock arms to show solidarity in support for the victims of a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, that turned violent. Over the years – notably in 2020 after police killed Breonna Taylor and George Floyd –players have knelt during the national anthem or remained in the locker room while the anthem was played.
No media reports mention reprimands or disqualifications following any WNBA anthem protests. In fact, the league dedicated its 2020 season to social justice, announcing special Black Lives Matter warm-up shirts and creation of a social justice council. USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
PolitiFact also debunked the claim.
Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here.
USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta.