Majority of No. 1 Ranked South Carolina Women’s Basketball Team Sits While National Anthem is Played

The majority of the No. 1 Ranked South Carolina women’s basketball team remained seated today as the National Anthem played before their season-opening game.

Ten of the eleven players total sat and they did so “to shine a light on the need for racial equality, social justice and ending systemic racism in our country.”

The one player who stood did so “in honor of her family’s military service.”

The statement released by the team insisted that “The two positions are not mutually exclusive. Each action does not reflect one belief OR the other; we are capable of having multiple passions, multiple values. We do not believe that one action demonizes the other.”

The statement began by saying that “As a team, we have taken our season theme of ‘What Matters’ to heart. We are a team of individuals who each have opinions about what matters most to us.”

What Matters. pic.twitter.com/Vv9lBTRZxo

— GamecockWBB (@GamecockWBB) November 25, 2020

Many fans and alumni from the university, however, were not thrilled with the gesture. One said, “Disappointed in this..The University & Team should take a few extra minutes before the game to recognize what matters to each player and the team. Make it a focal point. Doing this during the national anthem I have always felt misses the point and divides us even more…GoCocks”

Disappointed in this..The University & Team should take a few extra minutes before the game to recognize what matters to each player and the team. Make it a focal point. Doing this during the national anthem I have always felt misses the point and divides us even more…GoCocks

— JD Nelson (@jdavidnelson) November 25, 2020

Another replied, “What matters, is the Flag represents Liberty and justice for all, just Stand for the flag, I appreciate your right to your beliefs, but display a patch or arm band , not standing for the flag brings separation among us.”

What matters, is the Flag represents Liberty and justice for all, just Stand for the flag, I appreciate your right to your beliefs, but display a patch or arm band , not standing for the flag brings separation among us

— mike tisdale (@miketisdale9) November 25, 2020

One Black Lives Matter supporter questioned many who disagreed and she replied to that post and said, “Why would you stand for something that’s not true? It seems like there’s only liberty and justice for a certain group of people that live under that flag, what about everyone else? They’re not being violent, it’s peaceful and bringing attention to a major problem.”

Why would you stand for something that’s not true? It seems like there’s only liberty and justice for a certain group of people that live under that flag, what about everyone else? They’re not being violent, it’s peaceful and bringing attention to a major problem

— jordan✨ (@jemj__) November 26, 2020