EXPLOSIVE: Lin Dunn Calls for Brittney Griner to Be Expelled from U.S. Olympic Team – “You Disrespect the American Anthem, You Don’t Deserve to Represent This Country”
In a statement that has sent shockwaves through the sports world, Lin Dunn, the renowned general manager of the Indiana Fever, has ignited a firestorm by calling for the expulsion of WNBA star Brittney Griner from the U.S. Olympic basketball team. Speaking at a press conference on April 6, 2025, Dunn didn’t mince words, declaring, “When you disrespect the American anthem, you don’t deserve to represent this country.” The explosive remarks, aimed at Griner’s past protests during the national anthem, have thrust the intersection of sports, patriotism, and activism back into the spotlight, splitting fans and pundits as the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics loom on the horizon.
Dunn’s outburst stems from Griner’s well-documented history with “The Star-Spangled Banner.” In 2020, amid nationwide protests over racial injustice, Griner, then with the Phoenix Mercury, refused to stand on the court during the anthem, telling The Arizona Republic, “I honestly feel we should not play the national anthem during our season.” She framed it as a stand against systemic inequality, not a rejection of her country—her father a Vietnam vet and cop, her own Olympic golds in 2016 and 2020 testaments to her pride. But her stance flipped after a harrowing 10-month stint in a Russian prison in 2022, freed via a U.S.-Russia prisoner swap. By 2023, she stood for the anthem, tearfully admitting it “hit different” post-captivity, a shift cemented at the 2024 Paris Games where she wept as gold draped her neck.
So why the fury now? Dunn, a 77-year-old coaching legend with a 2012 WNBA title, points to Griner’s pre-Russia stance as a lingering stain. “You don’t get a pass because you changed your mind,” she argued, suggesting Griner’s earlier protest disqualifies her from wearing the red, white, and blue. It’s a sentiment echoing across conservative circles, amplified by Trump’s second term and his administration’s push to purge “woke” elements from institutions like the military. On X, posts erupted: “Lin Dunn’s right—Griner dissed us, she’s out!” one user cheered, while another tied it to Trump’s influence: “Patriots are taking back sports!” The timing—months after Griner’s third Olympic gold—feels like a calculated jab at a star who’s dodged Trump’s past barbs, like his 2022 swipe calling her a “country-hater” swapped for a “Merchant of Death.”
Griner’s defenders see it differently. The 6-foot-9 center, a nine-time All-Star, has evolved—her Russian ordeal a crucible that reframed her activism. “I still support those who kneel,” she told The Atlantic in 2023, balancing her newfound anthem respect with solidarity for protest rights. Her Paris tears, after a 67-66 thriller over France, moved fans; “BG’s journey is American as hell,” an X user wrote, while another argued, “She’s earned her spot—Dunn’s stuck in the past.” Stats back her case: Griner’s 2024 Olympic run averaged 11.2 points and 6.3 rebounds, her leadership key to an eighth straight U.S. gold. To many, Dunn’s call feels like a personal vendetta, not a principled stand.
The debate’s bigger than one player. Trump’s America—tariffs spiking gas to $4.20, Vance meeting Netanyahu, Orban’s “Christian NATO” bid—craves symbols of unity, and the anthem’s one of them. Dunn, a traditionalist who once coached Old Dominion to a 1979 title, embodies a view that athletes must mirror national pride, especially abroad. “The Olympics aren’t your soapbox,” she insisted, a dig at Griner’s 2020 call to ditch the anthem entirely from WNBA games. Yet, sports have long been activism’s stage—Kaepernick’s knee, Rapinoe’s defiance—and Griner’s shift shows growth, not hypocrisy, her advocates say. “She’s more patriot now than Dunn ever was,” a fan tweeted, noting her resilience post-Russia.
Critics pounce on Dunn’s logic. If Griner’s out, what of others who’ve protested? The U.S. team’s roster—stars like A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart—hasn’t faced such scrutiny, despite similar activism. “Dunn’s cherry-picking—Griner’s just the loudest target,” an X user noted. Her Russian saga, where she pleaded guilty to drug charges (vape cartridges with cannabis oil), still haunts; some see Dunn’s move as piling on a woman who’s paid her dues—nine years in Russia’s shadow, swapped for arms dealer Viktor Bout. “She’s a hero, not a traitor,” a supporter argued, citing her 2024 book detailing the ordeal.
The fallout’s unfolding. USA Basketball hasn’t commented, but Griner’s spot for 2028—when she’ll be 37—hangs in doubt if sentiment sways. Dunn’s Fever, fresh off a 2024 playoff push with Caitlin Clark, risks alienating fans who adore Griner’s Mercury legacy. On X, the divide’s stark: “Expel her—honor matters!” versus “Dunn’s a dinosaur—let BG play!” Trump’s base—47% approval, per Gallup—laps it up, but his 51% disapproval hints at blowback. As tariffs strain wallets and Vance eyes 2028, this fight’s a microcosm: tradition versus progress, anthem versus agency.
Griner’s staying quiet, her focus on the WNBA season. Dunn’s call, explosive as it is, may fizzle—or spark a reckoning. For now, it’s a question splitting a nation: can a patriot protest and still represent? The answer’s as messy as America itself.
