WNBA player Brianna Turner is facing backlash after saying the league should not wear commemorative “USA 250” patches during All-Star festivities, citing America’s history of slavery and the long denial of women’s voting rights.
Turner, a forward for the Las Vegas Aces and treasurer of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association, objected to the idea of players wearing the patches, according to the New York Post. The patches are tied to America250, the national effort to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States’ founding.
The patches were announced in January as part of a partnership between Fanatics and President Donald Trump. They are connected to a broader America250 initiative that has already appeared in other major sports settings, including Super Bowl LX and the NBA Finals, according to Sportico.
The WNBA had been expected to feature the patches on All-Star uniforms beginning with the league’s July 25 game in Chicago. However, the league was not named in the original Jan. 30 announcement, Sportico reported.
Turner criticized the idea in a post on X, saying it was ironic for the WNBA to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary. She argued that most people living in America today would not have been free when the country was founded.
Whoever called for the WNBA all star uniforms to have the USA 250 patch should have thought that through considering no WNBA players would have been free 250 years ago. The majority wouldn’t even have their freedom 100 years ago https://t.co/N0kkM7IqMb
— Breezy (@_Breezy_Briii) June 4, 2026
“The vast majority of people in America today would not have been ‘free’ 250 years ago,” Turner wrote.
In the same thread, Turner expanded on her point, writing that “250 years ago we would have been breeders or in the fields working all day.”
Her comments quickly drew criticism online, with many users arguing that America’s history of slavery and discrimination should not prevent people from recognizing the country’s progress or celebrating its founding. Some critics said Turner’s comments ignored how much has changed since 1776, while others said the anniversary should be seen as a moment to reflect on both the nation’s failures and its achievements.
Former NCAA swimmer and women’s sports advocate Riley Gaines was among those who responded. Gaines rejected the idea that Americans today should be held personally responsible for the actions of people who lived more than a century ago.
Brianna Turner says WNBA should not wear ‘USA 250’ patches due to history of slavery: ‘Be so serious’ https://t.co/oxFjPuHc0o pic.twitter.com/olsmzip48x
— New York Post (@nypost) June 6, 2026
“I don’t bear responsibility for the actions of people who lived 160 years ago. Just no,” Gaines wrote.
Conservative activist Robby Starbuck also weighed in, arguing that Turner’s criticism lacked historical context. He questioned how women’s rights compared elsewhere in the world 250 years ago and pointed out that slavery still exists in parts of the world today.
America250 is a congressionally established nonprofit responsible for coordinating the country’s commemoration of the 1776 founding. The effort is expected to include events, partnerships, and public campaigns leading up to the anniversary.
The WNBA later said the patch plan is not final. In a statement to USA Today, the league said it is still “exploring how best to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary” and that “nothing has been finalized.”
