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INDIANAPOLIS -- During the playing of the national anthem, the entire Indiana Fever team knelt and locked arms Wednesday night, while two players on the Phoenix Mercury also knelt before the teams first-round game in the WNBA playoffs.The two Mercury players who knelt were Mistie Bass and Kelsey Bone; the rest of the Phoenix players remained standing, as did the coaching staffs of both teams.Athletes from around the nation have joined in kneeling during the anthem at various sports events as part of a protest movement started by?San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.Tamika Catchings, who played the final game of her career in the Fevers 89-78 loss to the Mercury, reached out to her teammates on Tuesday to ask them what they thought about kneeling during the anthem.It was unanimous that we were going to do it together, Fever player Marissa Coleman said. We have a platform, and I think its a disservice if we dont use it. This was bigger than basketball. As important as this game was, there are other things going on in this world. Its just to get conversations started.Coleman posted an extended statement via Twitter on Thursday morning.Fever coach Stephanie White did not kneel during the anthem, but she fully supported her players decision.The first thing she said to us in the huddle before the game started was how proud she was of us for doing it, Coleman said. Im proud to be part of this organization.Phoenixs Diana Taurasi did not kneel but said that should not be taken as a sign that she didnt support those who did.Whether you kneel or stand, everyone is against injustice and people being discriminated against and being killed, Taurasi said. Those are things as a society we have to get better at.Bass and Indianas Briann January were among the most outspoken players in the league earlier this year during a controversy when WNBA players were initially fined for wearing T-shirts during warm-ups that supported the Black Lives Matter movement. The fines were later rescinded.Bass said she did not want the players actions on Wednesday to be seen as disrespectful to police or the military.I have the utmost respect for the amazing police officers who keep the integrity of their job and are upholding what they swore to do, which is to protect and serve, Bass said. As well as all the people overseas who serve and protect us. However, the bad apples are making it a bad situation for all those who are good.There didnt seem to be much of an audible or visible reaction from the crowd at Bankers Life Fieldhouse to the WNBA players kneeling.I have no negative feelings about it at all; I respect the players, said Carla Wise, an Indianapolis resident who has had season tickets for the Fever since the franchise began in 2000. I respect that its addressing an issue we have in society. I think its a very peaceful and respectful way to call attention to something that needs to be addressed.Wise is white; she was at the game with friends who were white and black.The fans that I speak to, and the ones I sit around, I think most of them would be in support, Wise said. Again, its a peaceful thing theyre doing. I think most fans would be appreciative of that. Certainly not everyone, but individuals I talk to respect what the players are doing.Renee Brown, the WNBAs chief of basketball operations, was in attendance on Wednesday to present the Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award to Catchings. Brown did not address the subject of the players actions, but the league released a statement from WNBA president Lisa Borders.I support our players expressing their views on important social issues, Borders said. Standing for an anthem is a sign of respect and a demonstration of unity across many cultures throughout the world.The call to action is for all of us to invest time and resources to help rebuild and strengthen our communities. And we have been actively working with the players on this next impactful effort. Mariners Jerseys 2019 . Burris threw two TD passes, including a key 15-yard fourth-quarter strike to Bakari Grant that effectively countered a Toronto comeback bid and led Hamilton to a 33-19 victory. Custom Seattle Mariners Jerseys . 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Roger Federer wants to be fit and firing again at next years Australian Open after missing the second half of this season through injury.Federer has chosen to sit out the rest of 2016 in order to recover fully from his knee surgery in February, as well as a back problem that ruled him out of the French Open in May.The 35-year-olds last match was his semi-final defeat to Milos Raonic at Wimbledon and, as well as the Olympic Games in Rio, he has dropped out of the US Open, which starts on Monday.It was a tough decision to say the least, but in some ways a simple decision because your health is the most important thing, Federer told national newspapers.I dont see it as the end of something, its the beginning of something. When I come back to the Hopman Cup and then to the Australian Open -- thats what Im working for now.Federer did travel to New York for the launch of the Laver Cup on Wednesday, a new team event to be played between Europe and the Rest of the World, starting in Prague in September next year.The Swiss has signed up to the competition, along with world number five Rafael Nadal, and believes he will come back stronger in 2017.Im doing well and training as much as possible, Federer said. Ive been strengthening my quad muscles for when I head into the gym in the next couple of months.I remain very upbeatt but in a way its painful to be here, and it was hard watching the Olympics and not playing.dddddddddddd. I hope to be super strong when I come back in January.Federer reached the US Open final 12 months ago and his absence will harden the views of those that consider this years mens tournament a two-horse race.Novak Djokovic, the winner of four of the last five grand slams, will be the top seed but Andy Murray is the player in form, having won Queens, Wimbledon and an Olympic gold medal already this summer.It hasnt really changed my opinion that Novak is the favourite, despite a few tough losses, Federer said.He did win [the Rogers Cup] in Toronto. He has a great record against Andy and is a great hard court player, you see that in the conditions like here and at the Australian Open.I think the the new roof (over Arthur Ashe Stadium) will help him as well, as it will be more like Australia. Of course Andy is a great player in the wind, but then so is Novak.But I have been very impressed by Andy, what he has done this summer has been incredible. I hope he can keep that going.I think it will be a very exciting US Open and probably a great race between them until the end of the season. ' ' '