During a WNBA Lynx game in Minneapolis, four off-duty police officers, who were working security for the game, abandoned their posts after they saw the players wearing black t-shirts with the names of two black men who had been shot by police, including Philando Castile, a man killed by police during a traffic stop in Minnesota. The back of the shirt also had a Dallas police badge in honor of five Dallas police officers killed on the job, and the words “Black Lives Matter.” The players explained that the shirts were made to honor and mourn the dead and advocate for change during the pre-game conference.

The police officers were offended by the shirts and asked the team officials to get the players to take them off, but the team refused to comply. The police federation president, Lt. Bob Kroll, called the protest “anti-police” and claimed that the Lynx players were buying into a “false narrative” alleging police misconduct. He further stated that the players should stick with playing ball and that people went to the game to watch basketball.