WNBA Announces Season Will Resume Friday After Player Protests

The 2020 WNBA season will resume Friday after games scheduled the previous two days were postponed amid player protests.

The league confirmed games will resume along with a message about the ongoing fight for social justice and racial equality:

On Wednesday, Elizabeth Williams of the Atlanta Dream read a prepared statement on behalf of all the WNBA players explaining their decision not to play:   

Los Angeles Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike, who is also president of the WNBA players union, said on SportsCenter (h/t NBC Chicago's Rob Schaefer) that Thursday's games were postponed to give players a day "to reflect."

"Following yesterday's decision to stand in solidarity with NBA players and Black and Brown communities in Wisconsin, and around the country, we will continue demonstrating our solidarity by not playing today," Ogwumike said.

The WNBA joined the NBA, MLS, NHL, MLB and tennis in player protests of racial injustice that led to the postponement of games this week in the aftermath of Jacob Blake being shot in the back seven times by a police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Sunday. 

Friday's WNBA schedule includes three games—Minnesota Lynx vs. Atlanta Dream, Los Angeles Sparks vs. Connecticut Sun, Washington Mystics vs. Phoenix Mercury—from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.