Before professional sports leagues started back up this summer, there was plenty of concern about whether the safety precautions put into place would be enough to protect the players amid the global pandemic that continues to spread and has taken more than 150,000 lives in the United States.
For the most part, it’s been working. The NBA announced earlier this week that there have been no positive tests among its 343 players since they arrived in Orlando, giving credence to the stringent protocols that have been put into place, as well as the players’ taking up the mantle to hold one another responsible.
The WNBA, which started its new season last month in a similar bubble scenario in Bradenton, Florida, is now reporting similar success. According to an official league announcement, there have been no positive tests among its 139 players since they arrived at the IMG Academy.
The WNBA announced the following: pic.twitter.com/0B2MSlYw6u
— WNBA (@WNBA) August 7, 2020
The WNBA is playing an abbreviated 22-game slate in Florida, which will be followed by a normal postseason format. Several players had previously opted against participating in the season, for both safety reasons and to devote their efforts toward ongoing social reform.
Many other leagues, like the NWSL, NHL, MLS, and TBT, have found success with their own bubble formats, while leagues like Major League Baseball, which opted against bubbles, have experienced outbreaks.