Lisa Borders: WNBA players “some of the most socially conscious” you’ll find

Before the start of Sunday’s WNBA Finals, league president Lisa Borders addressed the ongoing feud between the NBA and President Trump stemming from the president’s tweet disinviting the Warriors from celebrating their championship at the White House.

Her comments echoed those of NBA commissioner Adam Silver, showing support for her players leading a conversation on issues impacting their communities.

“Let me just say our commissioner, my colleague and my friend Adam Silver, put out a statement yesterday and I want you all to know that I personally believe all of us stand in full support with Adam, our big brother – the NBA – and our entire enterprise. Our players are some of the most socially conscious that you will ever find. You have seen that in the years before I got here and I’m sure it will continue in the future.”

Here are Borders’ full pre-game comments:

Borders’ comments would become even more relevant after the Los Angeles Sparks and Minnesota Lynx participated in their own separate team protests during the national anthem prior to Game 1.

As my colleagues Tom Ziller and Mike Prada point out, having a voice in social activism is nothing new in the WNBA. Players have been speaking out about racial injustice and advocating for social change for at least the past 15 months, if not longer. Just last year, players protested police brutality and were fined by Borders after warming up in all-black t-shirts. The fines were later rescinded.

It’s unclear whether protests will continue for the remainder of this year’s WNBA Finals, but being vocal about issues impacting their communities is something we can continue to expect from the WNBA.