Kamala Harris addresses Los Angeles Sparks after 102-87 victory over Chicago Sky

Former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris appeared at a Los Angeles Sparks game and spoke to the team following a 102-87 win over the Chicago Sky, with her remarks and a separate interview broadcast on ION. The Sparks organization recognized Harris and her husband courtside, with "I Miss You" by Aaron Hall playing during the moment. Her visit came during a season when the WNBA has drawn repeated attention for its overlap with elected officials and player advocacy.

Harris addresses the team

After the final buzzer, Harris spoke directly to the Sparks. "You are having an incredible impact," she told the players, adding that "people of every gender, background and race watch the W." She described the league as full of "incredible excellence in terms of athletic ability, in terms of ambition, in terms of discipline, and what they're doing to model the height of athleticism." She said the players give people in their audience a "sense of their value and their dignity and what they have a right to expect in this world."

Harris closed her remarks: "Congratulations on this game, but congratulations as much as anything else, for the path that you guys are charting. It is extraordinary to watch." She then said, "That's it," ending the address.

The ION broadcast also carried a separate interview in which Harris praised the players' athleticism and spoke to the league's reach. She told the broadcaster that the players impact "people who you may never meet, who may never know your names or mine, but they are aware of what you're doing."

A season of political appearances

The Los Angeles visit was not the first intersection of prominent political figures and the WNBA this season. Before a New York Liberty versus Minnesota Lynx game, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz appeared to honor coach Cheryl Reeve, the league's all-time winningest coach, with a declaration making July 11 Cheryl Reeve Day. The Seattle Storm had endorsed Harris during her presidential campaign. Earlier in league history, players on the Atlanta Dream wore "Vote Warnock" shirts during the period when Kelly Loeffler, a Republican senator, held an ownership stake in the team.

The Sparks defeated the Chicago Sky 102-87.