Before the start of their game on Wednesday night, the Women's National Basketball Association and players did something unexpected.
Instead of standing for the national anthem, the Los Angeles Sparks and the Washington Mystics linked the arms and stood tall at the center of the basketball court in support of the Charlottesville victims, the Associated Press reports.
And they weren't alone. The Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm did the same before their game that same night.
The moments of unity followed a similar display by the New York Liberty and the Los Angeles Sparks when they played last weekend.
The gesture has been fully endorsed by the league. The WNBA sent out a memo about the new pre-game procedure this week, saying that the league wanted to "honor the victims of the Charlottesville tragedy" by "suspending the national anthem protocol."
The normal protocol calls for teams to line up solemnly along the court's foul lines.
The WNBA was moved to introduce the option for its teams by Sparks superstar and president of the players' union, Nneka Ogwumike, who specifically petitioned the league for its support for the gesture.
The two teams also released a joint statement saying, "It is not a surprise that racism and bigotry exist in this country, but it is not something we stand for in any way. We feel great shock, sickness, and sadness with the degree of acceptance and normalization of this hatred, culminating in ways in the events in Charlottesville this past weekend."
The teams continued, "We feel pain and disbelief following the blatant hate displayed and the President's response to it. There is no way to innocently protest alongside a hate-based group and to take pause on condemning the acts that took place is inexcusable."
On behalf of her league, WNBA President Lisa Borders said, "We fully support our players, who are offering a demonstration of unity that we hope America can emulate in the wake of the tragic events in Charlottesville. We offer our sincere condolences to the families who lost loved ones and our support to those who were injured during the inexcusable violence that transpired."
In order to make explicit that the teams are honoring those that fell during Charlottesville, the WNBA has crafted an announcement to proceed the tribute:
"Fans, at this time we ask that you please rise, as we take a moment of silence to remember 32-year old Heather Heyer, and Virginia State Patrol Troopers Berke Bates and Lieutenant H. Jay Cullen, who died tragically as a result of the violence that transpired this weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia. As we mourn those who lost their lives, let us also remind ourselves of the strength, values, and diversity that unite us as Americans."
This doesn't mark the first time the league has come together to address a social ill.
Just last year, players of the WNBA unified in support of Black Lives Matter by wearing all black shirts pre-game.
"I like the fact that players in our league have a conscience and are willing to express it," Washington Mystics coach Mike Thibault said. "Our team talked about it this morning and I thought they did the right thing. It was appropriate and it sent a positive message for what needs to be in our country."
The Mystics and the Sparks, who visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture recently, hope to spread a message about standing up for what is right regardless of status or position.
"Our team recently had the honor of meeting Representative John Lewis, and part of his mantra that especially resonated with us was the message of recognition of wrong and having the courage to speak out," the two teams' statement said. "When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something."
