WNBA says 99% of its players are fully vaccinated against COVID-19

The WNBA announced on Monday that 99% of its players have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The WNBA has a higher percentage of vaccinated players than any other major U.S. sports league that has announced its vaccination rates. 

In a statement, the WNBA said “99 percent of the league’s players are now fully vaccinated, and all 12 teams have met the threshold for being considered a fully-vaccinated team.”

The WNBA players’ union thanked the medical professionals who helped educate players about the vaccine in a tweet. “Thank you to all of the experts, physicians and other healthcare professionals who dedicated time to our player-led vaccine education sessions during the offseason!” the WNBPA wrote. 

The league said none of its players have tested positive for the virus since the regular season began. It is currently more than halfway through the season.

The MLB announced Friday that 23 teams have vaccinated 85% of their players and on-field personnel being vaccinated, which allows those teams to relax some protocols. There were no positive tests in the last week, the league said. 

ESPN reported last week that 65% of NFL players have received at least one shot. In May, the outlet reported that around 75% of NBA players have been vaccinated. 

While many sporting events are returning to normal, some continue to face disruptions or limited crowds due to COVID-19. The Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens will face off in the Stanley Cup Finals in Florida on Monday — but Montreal’s home crowds have been capped at 3,500 during the playoffs because of the pandemic. The North Carolina State’s baseball team was removed from the College World Series on Saturday because of a coronavirus outbreak.