Breanna Stewart holds up ‘Abolish ICE’ sign ahead of Unrivaled game

As players were being introduced ahead of Unrivaled action on Sunday, three-time WNBA champion Breanna Stewart held up a sign that said “Abolish ICE,” when her name was called. 

Stewart’s action comes in the wake of federal immigration officers killing a 37-year-old man, Alex Pretti, in Minneapolis on Saturday. Earlier this month, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot a 37-year-old woman, Renee Good in Minneapolis, sparking protests across the city, and other across the country, calling for ICE to be abolished.

After the game on Sunday, Stewart expanded on her decision to hold up the sign.

“Really all day yesterday, I was just disgusted from everything that you see on Instagram and in the news,” Stewart said. “Everyone here [at Unrivaled] is feeling that way, one way or another. We’re so fueled by hate right now instead of love, so I wanted to have a simple message of ‘Abolish ICE,’ which means having policies to uplift families and communities instead of fueling fear and violence.”

Stewart also shared her personal connection to this specific issue, as her wife, Marta Xargay Casademont, is not a U.S. citizen as she’s from Spain.

“It’s scary,” Stewart said. “You see it on social media, you see it splitting up families and dissecting communities and kids are being involved. It’s the worst in all ways. And to be married to Marta … we’re working to get her citizenship, and she is a legal permanent resident and all of that. But it seems like it doesn’t matter. And I think that that’s why these policies need to be put in place, that reform needs to happen, because it doesn’t seem to be affecting the right people. It’s not helping anybody.”

Unrivaled held a moment of silence before Saturday’s games, with the public address announcer saying, “Our thoughts and support are with everyone affected, and we send our deepest sympathies to those who have lost a loved one.”

While Stewart has made the most public statement on ICE and the recent tragedies happening in Minneapolis, she isn’t the only member of Unrivaled or the WNBA to share the same sentiments. Minnesota native and 2025 No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers pledged to match the $50,000 she won in Unrivaled’s free-throw challenge to donate to the Hopkins Strong Relief Fund, which aids with food security in Minnesota.

WNBPA executive committee member Brianna Turner took to social media to share similar sentiments about ICE.

“My thoughts are constantly with the [Minnesota] residents who are suffering through a politically motivated ICE invasion,” Turner wrote on social media. “There is nothing positive about improperly trained federal agents profiling individuals & antagonizing communities. If it can happen there, it can happen anywhere.”

WNBA players are no stranger to speaking up on matters like these. In 2020, they were at the forefront of the Black Lives Matter movement amongst athletes. This has been no different.

“I think doing whatever you can to help your community [is important],” Stewart said. “Obviously, Minnesota is the place that everyone’s seeing is in crisis, but it’s happening in many more cities than just one, and knowing the right people to reach out to — your local council person, your mayor, your governor — and really advocating to change the policies and advocating for reform, knowing that it’s not going to happen overnight.

Stewart continued.

“But how many times do we have to see it happen over and over and over again and using our platform to make sure that we’re trying to make a change and a difference and hopefully save a life.”