WNBA Star Sparks Uproar: ‘Abolish ICE’ Demand Rocks Sports World

Paul Riverbank, 1/26/2026WNBA’s Breanna Stewart ignites debate, demanding ICE abolition amid tragedy and rising athlete activism.

It hadn’t even been 24 hours since the country learned what happened to Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse in Minneapolis. Footage is everywhere now: Pretti is seen trying to block a woman from being pushed around by immigration officers—he’s got his phone out, one hand raised, a legal handgun on his hip. Amid the chaos—pepper spray filling the air—he falls, and shots ring out. By the time the dust settles, Pretti is dead.

After the game, Stewart addressed reporters, her words carrying the agitation so many felt. “Honestly, all day yesterday I was just disgusted. Instagram, the news, everywhere you look—it’s fueled by hate instead of love,” she said, voice shaking between conviction and frustration. “So I wanted to keep it simple: ‘Abolish ICE.’ That means policies that actually support families and communities, not perpetuate this cycle of fear and violence.”

For Stewart, these are not distant policy debates—they live close to home. Her wife, Marta Xargay, is Spanish, navigating the long and uncertain process of gaining U.S. citizenship. “She’s a legal permanent resident,” Stewart explained, “and yet, sometimes, it just feels like none of that matters.” Her concern isn’t abstract—it’s for families separated, lives upended, injustices that no border or document can excuse.

That same day, Minneapolis seemed to reach a boiling point. Mayor Jacob Frey and Senator Amy Klobuchar asked ICE to leave the city, which was already on edge. Protests swelled around city hall while grief and frustration buzzed through social media. NBA All-Star Tyrese Haliburton was blunt in his reaction: “Alex Pretti was murdered.” Meanwhile, WNBA veteran Brianna Turner made her stance crystal clear, posting, “The minority that are still defending ICE will forever be on the wrong side of history.” Angel Reese of the Sky added little more than “praying for the USA”—but sometimes, that’s enough.

These are not uncharted waters for the WNBA. Four years back, after the murder of George Floyd just miles from Tuesday’s unrest, the league broke ranks with sports protocol—players in “Black Lives Matter” tees, others with “Say Her Name.” It wasn’t all smooth sailing; Kelly Loeffler, then the Atlanta Dream’s owner and a sitting U.S. Senator, denounced their activism. The team answered not with silence, but in shirts supporting her opponent Raphael Warnock—who, in quite a twist, wound up winning the seat. For the WNBA, activism isn’t a sideline—it’s woven into every game, every locker room.

The most recent tragedy has only sharpened that sense of purpose. Before the weekend’s games, Unrivaled held a moment of silence for those mourning in Minnesota, a rare pause in a sport that thrives on speed. Fans, coaches, Stewart herself—there’s a collective urgency now, a call to reexamine what the country’s immigration policies are actually achieving, and at what cost.

Debates around ICE aren’t new, but the slogan “Abolish ICE” still triggers fierce reactions. Stewart’s message was more than protest—she was asking for a hard look at what safety means, and who gets to feel it. Her resolve, clear in every word: “It was important to get that message out. You can feel it—everyone’s carrying this, in their own way. This was the time.”

For now, the arguments rage on. But in one quiet arena, thanks to Stewart and others refusing to mumble their outrage, the old boundaries between sport and society wore thin. Here, the struggle for justice didn’t pause for tipoff.

The arena in Miami was unusually quiet as the Unrivaled players made their entrance. Nearly everyone’s attention landed on Breanna Stewart—her posture upright, eyes steady, holding aloft a sign with a message that managed to cut straight through the noise: ABOLISH ICE. Breanna isn’t new to the spotlight, but this moment felt different, heavier perhaps.It hadn’t even been 24 hours since the country learned what happened to Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse in Minneapolis. Footage is everywhere now: Pretti is seen trying to block a woman from being pushed around by immigration officers—he’s got his phone out, one hand raised, a legal handgun on his hip. Amid the chaos—pepper spray filling the air—he falls, and shots ring out. By the time the dust settles, Pretti is dead.After the game, Stewart addressed reporters, her words carrying the agitation so many felt. “Honestly, all day yesterday I was just disgusted. Instagram, the news, everywhere you look—it’s fueled by hate instead of love,” she said, voice shaking between conviction and frustration. “So I wanted to keep it simple: ‘Abolish ICE.’ That means policies that actually support families and communities, not perpetuate this cycle of fear and violence.”For Stewart, these are not distant policy debates—they live close to home. Her wife, Marta Xargay, is Spanish, navigating the long and uncertain process of gaining U.S. citizenship. “She’s a legal permanent resident,” Stewart explained, “and yet, sometimes, it just feels like none of that matters.” Her concern isn’t abstract—it’s for families separated, lives upended, injustices that no border or document can excuse.That same day, Minneapolis seemed to reach a boiling point. Mayor Jacob Frey and Senator Amy Klobuchar asked ICE to leave the city, which was already on edge. Protests swelled around city hall while grief and frustration buzzed through social media. NBA All-Star Tyrese Haliburton was blunt in his reaction: “Alex Pretti was murdered.” Meanwhile, WNBA veteran Brianna Turner made her stance crystal clear, posting, “The minority that are still defending ICE will forever be on the wrong side of history.” Angel Reese of the Sky added little more than “praying for the USA”—but sometimes, that’s enough.These are not uncharted waters for the WNBA. Four years back, after the murder of George Floyd just miles from Tuesday’s unrest, the league broke ranks with sports protocol—players in “Black Lives Matter” tees, others with “Say Her Name.” It wasn’t all smooth sailing; Kelly Loeffler, then the Atlanta Dream’s owner and a sitting U.S. Senator, denounced their activism. The team answered not with silence, but in shirts supporting her opponent Raphael Warnock—who, in quite a twist, wound up winning the seat. For the WNBA, activism isn’t a sideline—it’s woven into every game, every locker room.The most recent tragedy has only sharpened that sense of purpose. Before the weekend’s games, Unrivaled held a moment of silence for those mourning in Minnesota, a rare pause in a sport that thrives on speed. Fans, coaches, Stewart herself—there’s a collective urgency now, a call to reexamine what the country’s immigration policies are actually achieving, and at what cost.Debates around ICE aren’t new, but the slogan “Abolish ICE” still triggers fierce reactions. Stewart’s message was more than protest—she was asking for a hard look at what safety means, and who gets to feel it. Her resolve, clear in every word: “It was important to get that message out. You can feel it—everyone’s carrying this, in their own way. This was the time.”For now, the arguments rage on. But in one quiet arena, thanks to Stewart and others refusing to mumble their outrage, the old boundaries between sport and society wore thin. Here, the struggle for justice didn’t pause for tipoff.