Megan Rapinoe #15 of Seattle Reign FC sits on the pitch after the Seattle Reign FC lost the NWSL Championship to the FC Kansas City by a score of 1-0 at Providence Park on October 1, 2015 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)

Updated with statement from Washington Spirit players.

Megan Rapinoe, a U.S. soccer star and midfielder for the Seattle Reign, planned on taking a knee last night while the national anthem played at the Washington Spirit’s Maryland SoccerPlex. She’d done so on Sunday before a match against the Chicago Red Stars in solidarity with 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s ongoing protest about race relations, but she never got the chance in Maryland.

The anthem played when the National Womens Soccer League teams were still in their locker rooms—and not by accident.

“We decided to play the anthem in our stadium ahead of schedule rather than subject our fans and friends to the disrespect we feel such an act would represent,” Washington Sprit said in a statement that brings up owner Bill Lynch’s veteran status.

“While we respect every individual’s right to express themselves, and believe Ms. Rapinoe to be an amazing individual with a huge heart, we respectfully disagree with her method of hijacking our organization’s event to draw attention to what is ultimately a personal—albeit worthy—cause,” the statement continued.

Rapinoe called the Washington Spirit’s move “[expletive] unbelievable” in an interview with The Washington Post after the game. “Clearly with [Spirit owner Bill Lynch’s] actions, it’s a necessary conversation. It was incredibly distasteful, four days before one of the worst tragedies in our country, to say that I tried to hijack this event.”

She also explained the message behind her decision. “We need to have an open conversation about race relations in this country and what that means to both sides,” she told The Post. “The conversation gets so mixed up: What are we actually talking about? We’re talking about Americans that have to deal with oppression and racism and poverty—and the intersection of all of that.”

U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe joins 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick in national anthem protest. https://t.co/XydiuC7tq5 pic.twitter.com/eBlhilH5ze

— ABC News (@ABC) September 6, 2016

Earlier yesterday, the Reign issued a statement in support of Rapinoe taking a knee, acknowledging that, while some people may be offended, “we see many inspired by Megan’s decision, as the courage she exhibited by acting on her beliefs empowers others to take action as well.”

On Friday, Washington Spirit players released a statement responding to the incident on Wednesday. “We respect our owner’s freedom to share his views and we understand his intentions. But as a team we don’t necessarily agree with those opinions or the actions taken on Wednesday evening,” it said in part. “As a team, we were disappointed we were not informed of the plans for the national anthem or given an opportunity to weigh in on the decision.”

Rapinoe is no stranger to using her platform to influence the national dialogue. She came out publicly as a lesbian in 2012 because, as she told USA Today, “It’s about standing up and being counted and saying you’re proud of who you are.”

She told Black & Red United last night that Lynch’s homophobia contributed to Spirit’s decision to play the anthem early, and to the Washington team dynamic more generally.

“I’ve had conversations with Spirit players both current and past,” she said. “The fact that they don’t have a Pride night and they have gay players on their team as well as everything else, they’ve made it pretty clear at least internally that that’s not something they’re interested in, which is homophobic to me,”

Spirit beat Reign in last night’s game, clinching a home playoff berth. (“We regret that a historic accomplishment for the club was overshadowed by decisions that had nothing to do with the match,” Spirit players said in their statement.) The two teams will play one another again this Sunday—September 11—in Seattle. Rapinoe told The Post that the team is planning a ceremony that includes veterans. She plans to take a knee during the anthem, and said “giving them the utmost respect is paramount for me and for the club.”