Breanna Stewart held a sign, fans at a women’s hockey game chanted and Steve Kerr called for better angels as the sports world reacted Sunday to the Fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, 37, by federal agents in Minneapolis this weekend.
Stewart, a two-time WNBA MVP and co-founder of the Unrivaled League, held an “Abolish ICE” sign during the player introductions before her Unrivaled game between The Mist and Vinyl on Sunday, then explained why she decided to do so with reporters after the game.
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“All day yesterday I was kind of bummed,” said Stewart, 31, who is currently a forward for the New York Liberty in the WNBA. “Everything you see on Instagram and in the news, we’re so fueled by hate right now, instead of love. I kind of wanted to have a simple message ‘abolish ICE.’ Which means… having policies aimed at uplifting families and communities instead of fueling fear and violence.
Federal agents shot and killed three people… Renee Bona Venezuelan who was not namedand Pretti — over the past three weeks, as the Trump administration has ramped up immigration enforcement in Minnesota. On January 7, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent fatally shot Good, 37, sparking protests in Minneapolis and across the country.
The Department of Homeland Security said Pretti “approached” Border Patrol agents with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun, the New York Times reported. Officials did not say whether Pretti was brandishing the weapon. Pretti can be seen with a phone in one hand in several bystander videos of the shooting. None of the videos appear to show him holding a gun. After a struggle with several officers, he was shot several times and died.
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Stewart wasn’t the first athlete to protest the Minnesota shooting. Indiana Pacers star point guard Tyrese Haliburton took to Twitter Saturday night and said, “Alex Pretti was murdered.”
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr speaking before Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, said“There should be a call to our better angels to take care of each other and recognize what is happening.”
This game was previously scheduled to be played Saturday night, but the NBA postponed it to Sunday to “prioritize the safety and security of the Minneapolis community.” The Timberwolves held a moment of silence for Pretti before the announcement, while Wolves announcer and Lynx assistant coach Rebekkah Brunson shared her thoughts on the situation in Minneapolis and sent condolences to the families of Pretti and Good.
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“Our community is not doing well right now, given the things that are happening and what we have to deal with,” Brunson said on FanDuel Sports North. “To see an administration purge us of our neighbors, go into our stores and our schools and our hospitals, and really take away the people who make this community special… it’s unfair, and what we see happening around us is not fair.
Feelings were elsewhere around the WNBA. Napheesa Collier, WNBA star and co-founder of Stewart’s Unrivaled, shared a statement on Instagram from former President Barack Obama, who described Pretti’s killing as a “heartbreaking tragedy.”
Indiana Fever forward Brianna Turner posted on X that “the minority that still defends ICE will forever be on the wrong side of history.”
Natisha Hiedeman, Collier’s teammate on the Minnesota Lynx and a member of “The Hive” in Unrivaled, posted on Instagram that she was “heartbroken to see ICE turn the city over and resort to violence.”
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Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jaylen Clark shared phone video of the incident that led to Pretti’s shooting, writing “sick man of the world.”
The Timberwolves, Minnesota Wild and Minnesota Vikings all signed a public letter on Sunday calling for an “immediate de-escalation of tensions” in their State of origin. The letter was also signed by top executives from Target, Best Buy, General Mills and dozens of other major Minnesota companies.
Meanwhile, the NBA Players’ Association released a statement regarding the unrest in Minnesota, saying that “now more than ever, we must defend the right to free speech and stand in solidarity with Minnesotans who are protesting and risking their lives to demand justice.” »
NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley shared his thoughts on “Inside the NBA” Saturday night. After explaining how ICE’s involvement in Minnesota has already resulted in violence on multiple occasions, Barkley said, “someone has to step up and be an adult.”
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Former Minnesota forward Kyle Anderson, who currently plays for the Utah Jazz, reposted an illustration of Pretti with the words “Justice for Alex Pretti” on it.
Some sports fans also expressed their thoughts. Before a Minnesota Frost Women’s Professional Hockey League game Sunday in St. Paul, fans chanted “ICE OUT” just before puck drop. They also had a moment of silence for Pretti. The NHL’s Minnesota Wild didn’t host one before their game against the Florida Panthers on Saturday night.
In baseball, Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider posted an illustration of colonial British soldiers shooting citizens in Boston to his Instagram Story, before also reposting Obama’s statement.
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This article was originally published in Athletics.
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