Taking a knee: Several Boise State players exercise their First Amendment rights
More than a half-dozen players from the Boise State and Eastern Washington women’s basketball teams took a knee during the playing of the national anthem Thursday afternoon inside ExtraMile Arena.
Taking a knee to protest police brutality and systemic racism has become increasingly common among athletes in the professional and collegiate ranks since NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick first did it in 2016.
Black Americans account for 13% of the U.S. population, but make up more than 25% of police shooting victims, according to a national database of fatal police shootings compiled by The Washington Post.
“It’s certainly their right to do that, so I have to support them with that for sure,” Boise State coach Gordy Presnell said. “They are good kids, they all have their own story, and that’s kind of where we’re at right now.”
Presnell said his team planned to use its first road trip of the season this weekend to discuss the topic of kneeling during the national anthem. The Broncos (3-0) will be making a 6-hour bus ride to Provo, Utah, to play BYU at noon Saturday.
Some Boise State women’s players also kneeled during the first two games of the season. It is the first known instance of an athlete at Boise State taking a knee during the national anthem.
There were six Broncos who kneeled Thursday.
“We’re gonna talk through a lot of stuff, a lot of issues,” Presnell said. “We want people to be able to express their story and their hurts and highlights. We’re not obviously able to do a retreat this year where we normally do those kinds of things, so we’re just going to talk about it.”
This season, Boise State has typically made one player available for postgame interviews via Zoom, and the Broncos were represented after Wednesday’s 84-64 victory over Eastern Washington by redshirt senior Mallory McGwire, who had a team-leading 18 points and eight rebounds. McGwire was not among the Boise State players who took a knee.
“I mean, it is what it is. I’m gonna support them in whatever they do,” McGwire said of her teammates who took a knee. “We are a team and I do love them, so if they feel they need to, then I’ll support them in that.”
Some of the players who took a knee chose to hold hands, while others bowed their heads.
“The Boise State University campus is a place for all people to peacefully and freely express their views,” the university said in a statement. “A commitment to free speech is not unique to our university; it is both required by the First Amendment and a core value of our institution.”
BSU men add Weber State to schedule
The Boise State men’s basketball team will host Weber State at 2 p.m. Sunday at ExtraMile Arena.
The game replaces a previously scheduled contest against Santa Clara on Dec. 15 that was canceled.
The Broncos (3-1) and Wildcats (2-0) have not played since 2005. Weber State leads the all-time series 42-28.
A video stream of Sunday’s game will be available on the Mountain West Network. The radio broadcast airs on 670 AM.
BOISE STATE WOMEN 84, E. WASHINGTON 64
E. WASHINGTON (0-3)
Kennedy Dickie 5-10 4-4 16; Maisie Burnham 4-7 3-4 12; Grace Kirscher 3-4 0-0 9; Aaliyah Alexander 3-13 0-0 8; Jenna Dick 4-7 0-0 8; Alexyss Newman 3-8 0-0 6; Nuria Cunill 2-6 1-2 5; Milly Knowles 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 24-57 8-10 64.
BOISE ST. (3-0)
Mallory McGwire 7-11 3-3 18; Alexis Mark 7-15 1-3 15; Jade Loville 5-11 0-0 12; Kimora Sykes 3-7 2-2 11; Elodie Lalotte 4-6 2-4 10; Mary Kay Naro 3-7 0-0 8; Rachel Bowers 2-6 2-2 6; Abby Muse 1-3 0-0 2; Martina Machalova 1-1 0-0 2; Raigan Reed 0-0 0-0 0; Cristina Gil 0-1 0-0 0; Chinma Njoku 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 33-69 10-14 84.
Eastern Wash.................. 11 15 18 20 — 64
Boise St...................... 19 23 19 23 — 84
3-point goals — Eastern Wash. 8-16 (Grace Kirscher 3-4; Aaliyah Alexander 2-3; Kennedy Dickie 2-2; Maisie Burnham 1-3; Alexyss Newman 0-1; Jenna Dick 0-3), Boise St. 8-15 (Kimora Sykes 3-5; Mary Kay Naro 2-3; Jade Loville 2-3; Mallory McGwire 1-2; Cristina Gil 0-1; Alexis Mark 0-1). Fouled out — Eastern Wash.-Aaliyah Alexander, Boise St.-None. Rebounds — Eastern Wash. 30 (Nuria Cunill 6), Boise St. 41 (Mallory McGwire 8; Elodie Lalotte 8; Rachel Bowers 8). Assists — Eastern Wash. 12 (Jenna Dick 3), Boise St. 18 (Mary Kay Naro 5). Total fouls — Eastern Wash. 16, Boise St. 9. Technical fouls — None.
