Breanna Stewart’s Public Stand Against ICE

Unrivaled co-founder and two-time WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart made a powerful statement during player introductions at Unrivaled on Sunday afternoon. She held up an “Abolish ICE” sign, a move that came just one day after federal immigration officers killed a second person in Minneapolis this month. Stewart expressed her deep frustration with the ongoing events, stating, “Really all day yesterday, I was just disgusted from everything that you see on Instagram and in the news.” She added that “everyone here [at Unrivaled] is feeling that way, one way or another.”

Stewart emphasized that the current climate is fueled by hate rather than love. She chose to display the “Abolish ICE” message as a simple call for policies that uplift families and communities instead of promoting fear and violence. As a four-time NCAA champion at UConn and three-time WNBA champion with the Seattle Storm and New York Liberty, she has always been vocal about social issues.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities targeting immigrants nationwide hit close to home for Stewart, especially given her wife, Marta Xargay Casademont, is a Spanish citizen working to obtain U.S. citizenship. “It’s scary,” she said. “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 also highlighted the challenges faced by legal permanent residents like her wife, regardless of their status. “It seems like it doesn’t matter,” she said. “And I think 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.”

WNBA Players Support Minneapolis Protests

Several other WNBA players have voiced their support for the thousands of protestors in Minneapolis who are pushing to remove federal immigration agents from the city. Napheesa Collier, a fellow Unrivaled co-founder and player for the Minnesota Lynx, has been among those expressing solidarity.

After winning $50,000 in an Unrivaled free throw challenge last week, 2025 No. 1 pick and Minnesota native Paige Bueckers pledged to match up to that amount in donations to the Hopkins Strong Relief Fund, which supports food security in her home community. “Sending all my love and prayers to Minnesota,” Natisha Hiedeman, a guard with the Lynx for the past two seasons, wrote in an Instagram story. “Minnesota is such a beautiful place with an amazing community who has embraced me fully and I’m heartbroken to see ICE has flipped the city upside down and resorted to violence. There is no place for this.”

Brianna Turner, a member of the WNBPA’s executive committee, posted: “My thoughts are constantly with the Minny residents who are suffering through a politically motivated ICE invasion. There is nothing positive about improperly trained federal agents profiling individuals & antagonizing communities. If it can happen there, it can happen anywhere.”

A Moment of Silence and Continued Activism

A moment of silence was held before tipoff of Saturday’s Unrivaled games, “to take a moment to reflect on the recent tragic events in Minnesota,” the public address announcer said. “Our thoughts and support are with everyone affected, and we send our deepest sympathies to those who have lost a loved one.”

WNBA players have long embraced activism, including in 2020, when they dedicated their “bubble” season to social justice reform and helped bring attention to the senatorial campaign of Raphael Warnock. Stewart emphasized the importance of using their platform to make a difference. “I think doing whatever you can to help your community [is important],” she said. “Obviously, Minnesota is the place that everyone’s seeing is in crisis, but it’s happening in many more cities than just one, and knowing the right people to reach out to — your local council person, your mayor, your governor — and really advocating to change the policies and advocating for reform, knowing that it’s not going to happen overnight.”

Despite tensions as the players and league negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement, Stewart noted that “our respective teams [are] supporting us and behind us.” While they may not agree on all things, she said, “we know that they’re supporting our platform that we have, and we continue to fight in all the ways we can until we do come to a final agreement.”