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While Unrivaled had an afternoon double header on their schedule on Sunday, it was far from business as usual,
After federal immigration officers have killed two people in Minneapolis during recent protests against ICE’s occupation in the state, Mist superstar Breanna Stewart felt compelled to make a statement, holding up a “Abolish ICE” sign during player introductions.
After the game, she discussed why she did this:
Really all day yesterday, I was just disgusted from everything that you see on Instagram and in the news. 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 is not only a co-founder of and star player in Unrivaled, but also a well-known figure in the basketball world. She’a a UConn legend who has won multiple WNBA titles and MVPs with the Seattle Storm and New York Liberty. While she has never played for the Minnesota Lynx, she’s competed against them countless times in her WNBA career.
And beyond basketball, Stewart is married to Marta Xargay Casademont, an immigrant herself who is in the process of becoming a citizen. The treatment by ICE of people who are not considered Americans by certain authority figures clearly impacted Stewart, as she explained:
It’s scary. 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.
While Stewart’s words and actions took center stage in Unrivaled, players across the league and sport also responded.
The Lynx’s Natisha Hiedeman, who plays for Hive in Unrivaled, posted an Instagram story condemning the violence. Brianna Turner, a member of the Indiana Fever, also issued a statement on social media. Paige Bueckers pledged her $50K winnings from the Unrivaled Free Throw Challenge to the #HopkinsStrong Relief Fund, as the Dallas Wings and Breeze superstar will match up to $50,000 dollars in donations to support food security in her hometown.
The players of Unrivaled also issued shared statement.
Stewart used her Unrivaled stage to make a statement that draws attention to this issue, raises awareness of the problem and clarifies her stance on the topic. She wants ICE abolished and desires a world fueled not by hate, but love.
When the basketball began, Stewart continued to dominate. She had 21 points and the game-winner as Mist defeated Vinyl, 76-71. Allisha Gray was the leading scorer for Mist with 27 points. Arike Ogunbowale had 18 in the win.
Vinyl led in the second quarter, as well as late in the third, before Mist took over and closed things out in the final period. Dearica Hamby and Erica Wheeler both scored 16 points in the loss.
In the other matchup, Rose beat Phantom 84-74. And one of the main reasons? Chelsea Gray.
She had a game-high 34 points, and the Point God somehow continues to elevate her game. Add in Kahleah Copper scoring 28, and suddenly, a tight contest in the first half became a smooth win for Rose.
Phantom had a balanced attack with four players in double figures. Kelsey Plum led the team with 17 points, while Natasha Cloud had 16 points and a team-high six assists.
