• Unrivaled co-founder Breanna Stewart displayed "Abolish ICE" sign during player introductions in Miami
• Protest followed fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis on Saturday
• Stewart cited personal connection through wife Marta, Spanish citizen working toward US citizenship

MIAMI, FL (TDR) — Unrivaled co-founder and two-time WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart held up an "Abolish ICE" sign during player introductions at Unrivaled on Sunday afternoon, one day after federal immigration officers killed a second person in Minneapolis this month.

The New York Liberty star displayed the sign before her Mist team played the Vinyl at Sephora Arena in Medley, Florida, in the 3-on-3 women's professional basketball league she helped establish.

"Really all day yesterday, I was just disgusted from everything that you see on Instagram and in the news. We're so fueled by hate right now instead of love, so I wanted to have a simple message of 'Abolish ICE,' which means having policies to uplift families and communities instead of fueling fear and violence."

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Personal Connection

Stewart, 31, said the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity targeting immigrants nationwide "hits home" given her wife Marta is a Spanish citizen still working to get U.S. citizenship.

The four-time NCAA champion at UConn and three-time WNBA champion with the Seattle Storm and New York Liberty explained that everyone at Unrivaled was feeling the same way about recent events in Minneapolis.

Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident and ICU nurse at a VA hospital, was fatally shot by a Border Patrol agent Saturday morning during a Department of Homeland Security operation in south Minneapolis. The incident marked the second fatal shooting involving federal agents and Minneapolis residents this month, following the January 7 death of Renee Good, 37, who was killed by an ICE agent.

Broader Athlete Response

Stewart wasn't the first athlete to protest the shootings. Indiana Pacers star point guard Tyrese Haliburton posted on X Saturday night, stating "Alex Pretti was murdered."

Fellow Unrivaled co-founder and WNBA star Napheesa Collier reshared a statement on Instagram from former President Barack Obama, who described Pretti's killing as a "heartbreaking tragedy."

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Natisha Hiedeman, Collier's teammate on the Minnesota Lynx, posted on Instagram that she is "heartbroken to see ICE has flipped the city upside down and resorted to violence."

"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."

The NBA Players Association released a statement vowing that "Now more than ever, we must defend the right to freedom of speech and stand in solidarity with the people in Minnesota protesting and risking their lives to demand justice."

The Minnesota Timberwolves, Minnesota Wild and Minnesota Vikings all signed a public letter Sunday calling for an "immediate de-escalation of tensions" in their home state. The letter was also signed by top executives from Target, Best Buy, General Mills and dozens of other large Minnesota companies.

As professional athletes increasingly use their platforms to address federal immigration enforcement tactics, will sports organizations support or restrict player activism on politically charged issues?

Sources

This report was compiled using information from ESPN's coverage of Stewart's protest, Fox News reporting on the Unrivaled game, Yahoo Sports coverage of athlete responses, and Yahoo Sports reporting on broader protests.

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