clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Mystics vs. Dream game postponed due to Jacob Blake’s shooting in Wisconsin

According to ESPN’s Holly Rowe, the Washington Mystics were the first team to get the entire WNBA to not play on Aug. 26 due to renewed racial unrest. They were expected to play the Atlanta Dream.

By Albert Lee Updated
Phoenix Mercury v Washington Mystics
Ariel Atkins spoke on behalf of the Washington Mystics on Wednesday after the WNBA players decided not to play games.
Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images

On Wednesday, the WNBA announced that there will be no games played on Wednesday, August 26. This was sparked by a social justice movement to lay attention to Jacob Blake’s shooting in Kenosha, Wisc. last weekend. Blake, a Black man, was shot from behind by police.

The Washington Mystics were expected to play the Atlanta Dream tonight. However, according to ESPN’s Holly Rowe, the team did not feel it was right to play. They were ultimately able to convince the rest of the teams expected to play to not play tonight.

All teams showed up before 7 p.m. ET where they took a group photo and kneeled. Dream forward Elizabeth Williams then made a statement on behalf of WNBA players.

Mystics guard Ariel Atkins then spoke for the team in an interview to Rowe.

The NBA also postponed all playoff games on Wednesday. It isn’t clear when play will resume again.