WNBA players joined together for a candlelight vigil after canceled games, and commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the league would 'support you in every way we can'
WNBA players are striking to protest the shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man whom Kenosha, Wisconsin, police officers shot seven times in the back Sunday.
After players announced their decision with a powerful display of unity on national television, they gathered for a candlelight vigil inside the WNBA bubble at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike, New York Liberty star Layshia Clarendon, Las Vegas Aces coach Bill Laimbeer, and WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert spoke about the night's events.
"I just want to say how proud I am of all of you," Engelbert said. "On behalf of the league, we're here to listen to your fears, listen to your frustrations, listen to your hopes, listen to your goals and your dreams, and be supportive of that."
After players announced their decision not to play with a powerful display of unity on national television, they gathered for a candlelight vigil inside the WNBA bubble at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Amongst those who spoke at the unofficial gathering were WNBPA President and Los Angeles Sparks star Nneka Ogwumike, New York Liberty veteran Layshia Clarendon, Las Vegas Aces coach Bill Laimbeer, and WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
Though the league was not informed of the players' choice not to play until it was happening in real-time, Engelbert pledged to players that she and the league would "support you in every way we can."
"I just want to say how proud I am of all of you," Engelbert said. "On behalf of the league, we're here to listen to your fears, listen to your frustrations, listen to your hopes, listen to your goals and your dreams, and be supportive of that."
Laimbeer, who is best known for his 11-year stint with the Detroit Pistons, marveled at how far professional athletes have come "both on the court ... but also off the court" since his tenure in the NBA. He commended the WNBA players for their tenacity and growth, adding that "the changes that you have made have been phenomenal."
"I've been asked numerous times this year about the difference between professional basketball today and when I played," Laimbeer said. "And I answer it this way: when I played, the owners dominated, the media-dominated, and the corporations dominated. And the players were in the closet. Today, the players control the action. You have the narrative. There's no question about that. It's a given. It's a fact. And you are expressing it, and that is a good thing."
In addition to sharing their own thoughts, Clarendon read the late Maya Angelou's "Still I Rise" to "remind us of how much power we have" because "at this moment, it feels like we're on the teetering of hope and despair."
Check out the full clip of statements from Wednesday's candlelight vigil courtesy of ESPN's Holly Rowe:
After games were boycotted Wednesday night, the entire @wnba bubble organized and participated in a candlelight vigil. People were encouraged to speak their heart. They are in this together. pic.twitter.com/4MZj64dBlf
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