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WNBA play to resume Friday after walkout in response to Jacob Blake shooting

Two days after WNBA players refused to play, games are resuming Friday night.

The WNBA announced that games will resume on Twitter while posting an image of players kneeling to protest the shooting death of Jacob Blake by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin and a statement reading “The fight for justice and equality never stops.”

Games will tip off Friday evening after a two-day hiatus to address social justice. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Games will tip off Friday evening after a two-day hiatus to address social justice. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

WNBA players joined their NBA counterparts on Wednesday after the Milwaukee Bucks walked out of their playoff game against the Orlando Magic, setting off a chain reaction of professional athletes striking in solidarity.

Why players stopped playing

The player protests were in response to video showing police shooting Blake in the back multiple times in Kenosha. Blake, a 29-year-old father of three, was left paralyzed below the waist, according to his father and attorney.

“What we have seen over the last few months and most recently with the brutal police shooting of Jacob Blake, is overwhelming,” Atlanta Dream center Elizabeth Williams said of the decision to strike. And while we hurt for Jacob and his community, we also have an opportunity to keep the focus on the issues and demand change.”

Shortly after the WNBA announced its plan to return, the NBA and NBPA announced that games in its league will resume on Saturday.

Friday’s WNBA schedule includes three games inside the league’s Bradenton, Florida bubble. The Minnesota Lynx will take on the Dream, the Los Angeles Sparks will play the Connecticut Sun and the Washington Mystics will face the Phoenix Mercury.

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