Las Vegas Aces forward Brianna Turner is facing fierce backlash after arguing the WNBA should reject commemorative “USA 250” patches during All-Star festivities because of America’s history of slavery and women’s suffrage.
Turner, who also serves as treasurer of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association, balked at the thought of WNBA players wearing the anniversary patches, according to the New York Post.
The patches were revealed in January as a partnership between Fanatics and President Donald Trump and are part of the broader America250 initiative that has already appeared across multiple professional sports leagues, including Super Bowl LX and the current NBA Finals, according to Sportico.
The WNBA planned to include the patches on All-Star uniforms starting at their game in Chicago on July 25, despite not being included in the original January 30 announcement.
In a post on X, Turner argued that the WNBA celebrating America’s 250th anniversary is ironic and that “the vast majority of people in America today would not have been ‘free’ 250 years ago.”
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
In the thread, Turner went further, saying “250 years ago we would have been breeders or in the fields working all day.”
The controversy quickly generated pushback from social media users who argued that America’s past failures should not prevent Americans from celebrating the nation’s achievements and progress.
Former NCAA swimmer and women’s sports advocate Riley Gaines was among those who responded to Turner’s comments.
Why do those of us who have never owned slaves and have never been slaves have to keep accepting this excuse for refusing to celebrate America?
I don’t bear responsibility for the actions of people who lived 160 years ago. Just no.
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) June 6, 2026
Conservative activist Robby Starbuck highlighted the broader historical realities of the era, questioning how women’s rights compared elsewhere in the world 250 years ago and pointing to the persistence of modern-day slavery.
What does Brianna think women’s rights were like in the rest of the world 250 years ago? Is she aware there are more slaves today across the world than there ever were in the transatlantic slave trade?
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) June 6, 2026
America250 is a congressionally established nonprofit tasked with coordinating the nation’s commemoration of the United States’ founding in 1776.
The WNBA clarified in a statement to USA Today that it is “exploring how best to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary” and that “nothing has been finalized.”
