Seattle Storm take rare step for pro sports teams in endorsing Biden for president
It’s not often you see a professional sports team outright endorse a presidential candidate, but that’s the direction in which the WNBA has been openly moving in recent years.
The Seattle Storm, coming off their fourth WNBA title, threw their full support behind former Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday.
Join us in support of @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris.
𝙍𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙫𝙤𝙩𝙚 ⬇️️🇺🇸https://t.co/YBC3Hr8i1W
🗳️𝐕𝐎𝐓𝐄 𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐘🗳️#Force4Change pic.twitter.com/Pe4qCSztHS— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) October 21, 2020
The Storm also retweeted team co-owners Dawn Trudeau and Ginny Gilder’s support for Biden. Gilder acknowledged that the team typically doesn’t make presidential endorsements, but the current political situation calls for it.
I'm honored to join my @SeattleStorm co-owners, @lisabrummel & @dawntru to endorse the @JoeBiden & @KamalaHarris ticket for President. We don't typically endorse candidates, but these are NOT typical times. #Force4Change https://t.co/waOa80FY7r
— Ginny Gilder (@ginnygilder) October 21, 2020
There is no doubt who we support in this election. For ourselves. For our family and friends. For our business. For our country. For our future. Vote for Biden/Harris. #force4change @seattlestorm pic.twitter.com/QaZyWushHu
— Dawn Trudeau (@dawntru) October 21, 2020
Team owners have long thrown considerable weight behind countless candidates in the form of financial campaign contributions, but a team itself putting out a political endorsement is truly rare.
And yet, it’s not surprising that it’s happening in 2020, the year that so many teams and players, especially in the WNBA and NBA, have embraced causes like social justice and voting rights.
More than any other league, the WNBA has been on the forefront of that movement. The league outright dedicated its 2020 season to social justice causes. Players have worn jerseys bearing names of women killed by racial violence, a step not even the NBA allowed its players to take. Some have gone as far as wearing shirts endorsing the opponent of Atlanta Dream co-owner Kelly Loeffler for her Georgia Senate seat.
Storm star Sue Bird has been particularly outspoken, skewering the idea of “sticking to sports.”
Biden will doubtlessly welcome the support, though he will likely need little in the Storm’s state. FiveThirtyEight currently gives Biden a greater than 99 percent chance of winning in Washington.
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