ST. PAUL — Cheryl Reeve will make something clear to her players before the Lynx head down to Bradenton, Fla., to play out the entirety of their 2020 WNBA season this summer.
While Reeve said every decision that has been made leading up to the season has been with safety at top of mind, it’s up to players, coaches and other staff members to be “active participants” in maintaining their own safety.
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“We cannot go down there and be dismissive or be lax and violate the protocols,” the Lynx coach and general manager said last week. “Because that’s when you let your guard down. And you think you’re in this safe bubble, that’s when something could happen.”
You can argue whether athletes should be put in such a position, whether seasons should be played at all under current circumstances while health risks remain prevalent, conversations about more important topics are taking place. But the reality is many professional sports, from the WNBA to the NBA to the NHL, MLB, MLS and beyond, are on the doorstep of returning to action, and some are already competing.
The PGA Tour just completed its second weekend of competition on Sunday. It will come to Minnesota next month, when the 3M Open takes place July 23-26 at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine. That event will be held without spectators, as is the case for each of the first five tournaments being held in the Tour’s return to competition.
Thus far, the Tour’s return has been a relative success. Sure, the competition has been tight and entertaining, but more importantly, only one player — Nick Watney — tested positive for the coronavirus through two weeks of play. He did so last Friday, and immediately withdrew from the tournament. All the players he was reportedly in close contact with were again tested, and all those tests came back negative. Fellow Tour player Cameron Champ tested positive Tuesday ahead of this week’s Travelers Championship.
Watney is now reportedly quarantining in South Carolina for two weeks. Still, two players testing positive are two too many. No, leagues have insinuated one positive result won’t cause another shut down — and positives are likely inevitable — but keeping everyone safe and healthy should always be the goal.
Watney’s positive test left Tour star Justin Thomas “bummed.” Thomas said the players have done “such a great job” following protocols. That wasn’t necessarily true for Hilton Head Island as a community, where the RBC Heritage was played over the weekend. Not in Thomas’ estimation, anyway.
“No offense to Hilton Head, but they’re seeming to not take (the coronavirus) very seriously,” Thomas told reporters over the weekend. “It’s an absolute zoo around here. There’s people everywhere. The beaches are absolutely packed. Every restaurant, from what I’ve seen when I’ve been driving by, is absolutely crowded. … Unfortunately, that’s not on Nick, because I know he’s very cautious and has done everything he can. But I would say a lot of people in this area of Hilton Head just aren’t.”
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You’d have to imagine NBA and WNBA players have similar concerns. They’re heading to Florida, where coronavirus cases are skyrocketing. And while the idea of a “bubble” that no one gets in or out of makes sense, just how practical it is remains to be seen. It only works if everyone involved takes it seriously, and even then there figure to be cracks.
Thomas said he feels “very safe” on the golf course, adding the PGA Tour has “done all the protocols they can.” But he noted you can’t control guys going to get something to eat. Even something as simple as ordering room service to your hotel room can leave you susceptible. Those are risks that are naturally incurred.
Because of the situation they’ve been put in, for their personal safety, athletes and team staffers need to go above and beyond to make sure they don’t put themselves in any greater risk than a return to play mandates.
At each PGA Tour event, Thomas stays at a house with a couple of guys and a chef so he can keep his circle as small as possible. Each league’s return to action will only work if everyone is vigilant in protecting themselves and others.
There is a reason the NBA is reportedly creating an anonymous tip line to report anyone who is breaking protocols in Orlando. In Bradenton, Reeve suggested WNBA Commissioner Kathy Engelbert have a “zero tolerance policy.”
What would that mean?
“Any violation means you’re out of the bubble,” Reeve said. “That’s the only way to ensure our best chance for the most safety for everyone who’s going to be there.”
