The Louisiana State women’s basketball team received backlash on social media for walking off the court before the national anthem prior to their NCAA Tournament game against Iowa.
Iowa went on to defeat LSU 94-87 to advance to the Final Four, led by Caitlin Clark’s 41 points.
Many on social media, including conservative accounts, celebrated the win and noted LSU’s pre-anthem departure, with some suggesting the Tigers got what they deserved.
The 𝗠𝗩𝗣 in 𝗠𝗩𝗣 𝗔𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗮 😎@CaitlinClark22 x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/huUzuR0RId
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) April 2, 2024
“This is the LSU women’s basketball team. They walked off the court during the National Anthem,” Libs of TikTok wrote on X.
“They just got CRUSHED by Iowa 94-87. LOVE TO SEE IT!”
“LSU Women’s Basketball Team skipped the National Anthem. Iowa stood proud. … Let this be a lesson to all players: the cringy, selfish woke athlete moment is OVER,” podcaster Benny Johnson wrote.
LSU coach Kim Mulkey claimed after the game that the team’s exit was unintentional and that she was unaware of when the anthem played.
“Honestly, I don’t even know when the anthem was played,” Mulkey said. “We kind of have a routine where we’re on the floor and then they come off at the 12-minute mark. I don’t know. We come in and do our pregame stuff.”
The incident highlighted lingering divisiveness over athlete protests of the national anthem that peaked during the Black Lives Matter movement but have since subsided.
While athletes need not be overtly patriotic, most feel they should show respect and decorum for their country’s symbols.
