Breonna Taylor: Players dedicate WNBA season to black woman killed by police
- Published
Players from New York Liberty posed before the game with t-shirts supporting Taylor
WNBA players dedicated the upcoming season to Breonna Taylor before observing a 26-second moment of silence.
All of the players in the New York Liberty and Seattle Storm match wore Taylor's name on the back of their shirts on Saturday.
They then walked off the court as the national anthem played.
Protests across the United States have been taking place for Taylor, 26, a black woman killed by police in March.
"We are dedicating this season to Breonna Taylor, an outstanding EMT [emergency medical technician]," said Liberty guard Layshia Clarendon prior to the tip-off at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
"Breonna Taylor was dedicated and committed to uplifting everyone around her. We are also dedicating this season to the 'Say Her Name' campaign, a campaign committed to saying the names and fighting for justice of black women," she said.
"Black women are so often forgotten in this fight for justice, who don't have people marching in the streets for them. We will be a voice for the voiceless."
The WNBA will hold its entire 2020 season without fans at a single site in Florida.
On Friday LA Lakers superstar LeBron James spoke about Taylor at his press conference following an NBA season warm-up game.
"First of all, I want to continue to shed light on justice for Breonna Taylor and to her family and everything that's going on with that situation," James said following the Lakers' 108-104 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.