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By Mandy Taheri
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Las Vegas Aces forward and WNBA Players Association treasurer Brianna Turner called out the league's potential plans to feature "USA 250" commemorative patches on player jerseys, arguing that the league's players would have been denied freedom throughout much of U.S. history due to the legacies of slavery and women's disenfranchisement.
In a series of statements posted to X on June 4, Turner wrote "no WNBA players would have been free 250 years ago" adding that the majority of the league's players "wouldn't even have their freedom 100 years ago.”
A WNBA spokesperson told Newsweek in an email Saturday, “Like other major sports leagues, we are exploring how best to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary. Nothing has been finalized at this time.”
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USA 250 Patch Controversy
In a June 4 X post, the Las Vegas Aces’ player said the league should “should have thought through” what adding the patches to jerseys mean and the history they overlook.
In a follow up post, Turner wrote, “We are some of the most elite female athletes. 250 years ago we would have been breeders or in the fields working all day. Be so serious rn.”
Women did not gain the constitutional right to vote nationwide until 1920, and slavery in the U.S. was not abolished until 1865. Legal segregation and discrimination continued for decades afterward, leading to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which banned discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin.
The "America 250" Initiative
The "America 250" initiative, promoted by President Donald Trump, is designed to celebrate the nation’s founding and civic ideals through nationwide programming, festivals, and sports partnerships.
In January, the White House and Fanatics announced a partnership with several sports leagues to commemorate the nation's 250th anniversary through uniform patches and other branding initiatives. The WNBA was not among the leagues listed as participants. NBA players have already worn the patches during the Finals.
Following reports from Sportico indicating that WNBA players would wear the patches during July's All-Star Game festivities, a league spokesperson clarified to Newsweek that the WNBA has not finalized its position.
A Broader Cultural Debate
Supporters of America 250 have framed the effort as an opportunity to celebrate the nation's founding and civic ideals, while some critics have argued that it should also reckon with chapters of U.S. history including slavery, the exclusion of women from voting and other civil rights struggles.
Some conservatives have taken issue with Turner’s comments, such as former collegiate swimmer and conservative activist Riley Gaines, who replied to the New York Post story about Turner on X, writing, “Why do those of us who have never owned slaves and have never been slaves have to keep accepting this excuse for refusing to celebrate America?”
She added: “I don’t bear responsibility for the actions of people who lived 160 years ago. Just no.”
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When Will the America 250 Celebrations Begin?
As America prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, there are huge celebrations to come.
The semiquincentennial celebrations will include an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) card hosted by Trump at the White House on Flag Day, June 14. This will also coincide with Trump's 80th birthday.
The Great American State Fair, meanwhile, will run from June 25 to July 10 and span from the U.S. Capitol to the Washington Monument.
The 4th of July celebrations will also see firework displays across the country, including a 40-minute show in Washington, run by Freedom 250.
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