The defending WNBA champion Minnesota Lynx wore customized warm-up shirts Saturday to pay their respects to Philando Castile, Alton Sterling and the Dallas Police Department, and held a press conference to protest racial profiling.
These actions prompted four off-duty Minneapolis police officers to walk off their jobs of working security for the game at Target Center.
"I commend them for it," said Lt. Bob Kroll, president of the Minneapolis Police Federation, the union that represents rank-and-file officers.
Kroll also told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that other officers, who were not in the arena that night, plan to stand with them and will not work Lynx games.
"If [the players] are going to keep their stance, all officers may refuse to work there," Kroll added.
During a pregame news conference, Lynx forward Rebekkah Brunson said the team wore the shirts, which included mention of Black Lives Matter, "to honor and mourn the loss of precious American citizens and to plead change for all of us."
"We are highlighting a longtime problem of racial profiling," 2014 WNBA MVP Maya Moore said.
While race is undeniably featured on the shirt, the inclusion of a star on a badge to represent the Dallas Police Department apparently wasn't enough for the Minneapolis police.
"This is a human issue & we need to speak up for change, together." -Maya pic.twitter.com/tyfl65Ag81
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) July 9, 2016
An up close look at the warm-up shirts #LosLynx are wearing to honor #AltonSterling #PhilandoCastile & #DallasPD pic.twitter.com/veqoGXP4VZ
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) July 9, 2016
Kroll accused Lynx players of depicting "false narratives" and said, "Rushing to judgment before the facts are in is unwarranted and reckless."
When asked if rumors of seven or eight officers walking out of the game were true, Kroll tossed some shade at the Lynx and the WNBA: "They only have four officers working the event because the Lynx have such a pathetic draw."
Saturday's game versus the Dallas Wings drew 7,613 fans. The Timberwolves had the NBA's 29th-best home attendance in 2015-16, drawing 14,175 fans.
Other athletes have gotten involved in protests. On Friday, Carmelo Anthony posted an Instagram photo that included Muhammad Ali, Bill Russell, Jim Brown, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and others speaking on Ali's disregarding his drafting to fight in the Vietnam War.
"I'm calling for all my fellow ATHLETES to step up and take charge," Anthony wrote, although, he acknowledged this involves attaining the help of local political officials.
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Follow Jeffrey Eisenband on Twitter @JeffEisenband.