Future Basketball Hall of Famer Breanna Stewart raised an ‘Abolish ICE’ sign while being introduced before an Unrivaled competition in Florida on Sunday after federal immigration agents killed a second protester in Minneapolis.
‘Really all day yesterday, I was just disgusted from everything that you see on Instagram and in the news,’ Stewart, the Unrivaled co-founder and two-time WNBA MVP told reporters on her decision to protest President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Stewart, who plays for the WNBA’s New York Liberty, said ‘everyone’ at Unrivaled shared the same sentiment.
‘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.’
The problem is also personal for Stewart, whose Spanish wife Marta Xargay Casademont is still working to become a US citizen.
Future Basketball Hall of Famer Breanna Stewart raised an ‘Abolish ICE’ sign while being introduced before an Unrivaled competition in Florida on Sunday
The problem is also personal for Breanna Stewart, whose Spanish wife Marta Xargay Casademont (pictured left) is still working to become a US citizen
‘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,’ Stewart said. ‘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.’
Stewart and her 3-on-3 basketball league, Unrivaled, aren’t the only sports entities responding to the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration officers.
The Minnesota Timberwolves returned to the court after the postponement of their game against the Golden State Warriors the day before, the focus clearly distracted by a community in crisis.
‘Their group was suffering. The vibe in the stands, it was one of the most bizarre, sad games I’ve ever been a part of,’ Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after the 111-85 victory on Sunday. ‘You could feel the somber atmosphere. Their team, you could tell they were struggling with everything that’s been going on and what the city has been through.’
A moment of silence was held for Alex Jeffrey Pretti prior to an NBA basketball game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Golden State Warriors on Sunday in Minneapolis
Before the game, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch’s voice cracked and faltered as the he expressed on behalf of the team a heartbreak for the community’s collective fear and pain from the ongoing immigration crackdown, following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by a federal officer.
Finch presents a straightforward, no-nonsense approach in his public statements and rarely reveals much emotion, but he was clearly moved by the situation in Minneapolis. The game between the Timberwolves and Warriors was postponed by 24 hours, after Pretti was killed on Saturday.
‘I’m more than a resident. This is my home. I love living here. I love being a part of this community. I’ve been embraced from day one. People have been amazing. It’s sad to watch what is happening,’ said Finch, who was hired by the Timberwolves five years ago. ‘On the human level, certainly as somebody who takes great pride in being here, I know a lot of our players feel the same. They all love being here, and it’s just hard to watch what we’re going through.’
Afterward, Finch called it a ‘ghost of a performance’ after his team’s lowest final score in more than four years. Kerr said he thought it was impossible for the fans and players to focus on the court.
‘They came to the game to try to forget about stuff, I guess, but I don’t think anything went away from the city and for their team,’ Kerr said.
The Timberwolves held a moment of silence for Pretti prior to the national anthem, just as they did for Good before their game on January 8, the day after she was fatally shot by a federal officer. The Trump administration in December launched what the Department of Homeland Security declared the largest immigration enforcement operation in history and earlier this month announced a surge of more officers to push their force past 2,000.
The Minnesota Timberwolves players line up with a youth team and honor Renee Good with a moment of silence before the game with the Cleveland Cavaliers at Target Center
The NBA announced Saturday that the rescheduling decision was made to ‘prioritize the safety and security of the Minneapolis community’ after Pretti was killed during a confrontation in a commercial district less than 2 miles south of Target Center. Finch said on Sunday that the Timberwolves pushed for the postponement to respect the public grieving process.
‘Playing basketball just didn’t feel like the right thing to do,’ Finch said, thanking the NBA and the Warriors for their support.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr, long one of the league’s most outspoken coaches, was measured but clearly moved as he expressed his own sympathy.
‘This has always been a great stop on the NBA tour. I love the city of Minneapolis. People here are wonderful, and it’s very sad what’s happening. I feel for the city. There’s a pall that’s been cast over the city. You can feel it. A lot of people are suffering, and obviously a loss of life is the No. 1 concern. Those families will never get their family members back,’ Kerr said.
Tens of thousands of people swarmed downtown Minneapolis on Friday in protest of the tactics and presence of immigration officers, a crowd the Warriors could see from their hotel as it moved toward Target Center. A smaller protest march took place downtown before the game Sunday.
Plenty of other voices were raised around the sports world on Sunday.
The NBA Players Association issued a statement in support of the protests in Minnesota and urged its members to speak up. Former Timberwolves standout Karl-Anthony Towns posted on social media his condolences for the families of Good and Pretti and said, ‘This moment demands that we reflect honestly on what our values truly are.’
Federal agents enter the lobby after breaking up a protest outside a hotel in Minneapolis
The Timberwolves joined the region’s four other major league men’s sports teams in signing a letter with the CEOs of more than 60 companies based in Minnesota, calling for ‘immediate deescalation of tensions and for state, local and federal officials to work together to find real solutions.’
Perspectives in a polarized country vary wildly on what constitutes constitutionally protected protesting and what becomes violent political disruption, and Kerr seemed to sense that tension as he spoke before the game on Sunday.
‘People are so angry. There should be an appeal to our better angels to look after one another and to recognize what’s happening. We’re being divided by media for profit, by misinformation. There’s so much out there that is really difficult for all of us to sort of reconcile,’ Kerr said. ‘And so in times like these you have to lean on values and who you are and who you want to be, either as an individual or a country.’
After the game, Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards acknowledged the heaviness of the situation even though he’s not closely attuned to the details.
‘I just love Minnesota, all the love and support that they show me. So I’m behind whatever they’re with,’ Edwards said. ‘Me and my family are definitely praying for everybody.’
Flowers are left at a makeshift memorial in the area where Alex Pretti was shot dead Saturday
The Trump administration is facing accusations of murder following the two killings
Teammate Julius Randle echoed a similar sentiment.
‘I’m not political at all. I don’t get into any of that stuff, but it’s tough, regardless of whatever is going on. Somebody loses their life, you never want to see that,’ Randle said, adding: ‘Been nothing but a joy living here, so things like this happening in the community, it’s tough.’
After the PWHL game, Frost assistant captain Kelly Pannek, a Plymouth, Minnesota, native, said she was proud of the protests.
‘I think it’s just really important for us to acknowledge what’s happening in our community, but also the amount of hope and strength the people of Minnesota are showing in standing up for what’s right among the unnecessary and just horrifying things that are happening,’ she said.
