Dream and Valkyries leave court for national anthem, return seconds later at WNBA Finals

SAN FRANCISCO – The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries both left the court before the national anthem ahead of Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Saturday at Chase Center.

And they were back within seconds of it ending.

Both teams were on the floor beforehand, warming up for the game, then disappeared for roughly the two minutes it took to perform the "Star-Spangled Banner." Almost immediately after the singer concluded, both teams jogged back onto the floor.

Guess that's just part of the pregame routine.

WNBA FINALS: ANGEL REESE HEADLINES CHAMPIONSHIP SHOWDOWN AS LEAGUE SEEKS TO DRAW VIEWERS WITHOUT CAITLIN CLARK In its Aug.

2, 2020, game notes , Atlanta included messaging from the WNBA players' union explaining anthem protests.

The statement said "the anthem does not represent freedom, justice and liberty for all Americans" and indicated that protests would continue in different forms.

That statement was made six years ago, during the 2020 WNBA season.

The reasons for Atlanta's and Golden State's absences Saturday were not immediately clear.

But the timing was.

If this was about pregame preparation, what required both teams to be off the floor for those two minutes? LONG LIST OF EMBARRASSING WNBA INCIDENTS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SPORTS LEAGUES MADE POLITICS THEIR PRIMARY FOCUS And watching an Angel Reese team miss the anthem brought back a familiar scene.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE I was in Albany, New York, for LSU's Elite Eight game against Iowa in 2024.

Caitlin Clark and her Hawkeyes teammates stood together, holding hands during the national anthem .

Reese and the Tigers were off the floor.