NEW YORK -- Mistie Bass, Kelsey Bone and their Mercury teammates met with Phoenix police a few weeks ago after practice.It was an eye-opening experience and an encouraging one for the disheartened Bass.That was such a great opportunity for us to ask some great questions. I dont think the system that is in place in Phoenix is the system in place everywhere, Bass said after practice Friday as Phoenix prepared for the second round of the WNBA playoffs. To see a model that is so crystal clear and to talk about their training and how much training they get.Bass said she learned the Phoenix police go through simulated processes for shoot or no-shoot situations. She was impressed officers have to pass those tests or return to training.Bass and Bone applaud the Phoenix police, but they also see police shootings of black men as a national problem. Bone first started kneeling during the national anthem a few weeks ago following what San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick did at a preseason game.Bass, a Duke graduate whose father is singer Chubby Checker, joined Bone on Wednesday, kneeling before the Mercurys playoff game against Indiana. The entire Fever team also knelt and locked arms that game. The pair said they will do it again Saturday night before Phoenixs game against the New York Liberty at Madison Square Garden. Bass expects many of the Liberty players to join.For me personally, my heart is too heavy to be able to stand, Bass said. The systematic reasoning of the flag in general is freedom, justice and liberty and thats not for everybody it seems.Fever player Marissa Coleman shared via Facebook on Thursday a lengthy post explaining her decision to protest during the anthem. She explained she has family who served in the military and her father is a retired police officer.Coleman wrote The bigger disrespect to this country and those who fight for it is staying silent on these issues that plague African-Americans and people of color.Bone had her own reason for kneeling.As someone who grew up in the South, my dads side of the family is from Birmingham, Alabama, and my grandparents on my moms side are from Louisiana, Bone said. Ive seen racism my whole life. Me kneeling isnt to call an end to racism. To me, we live in a country thats built on some form of racism. Youre not going to get rid of it.Bones dad is 6-foot-7 and 350 pounds. Her uncles are just as large.They are big black dudes, she said. Id be doing a disservice to my family and my heritage if I didnt use my platform and my voice. For the past three years of my life, I live in Turkey. Every year theres been bombing, terror and issues. The first thing I wanted to do is run home. But what is home? Am I any safer at home than a country that is terror-stricken?All three players know there is a lot of work to be done, but this is a starting place.By people seeing our protests it opens up conversations, Bass said. Conversations are always a good thing as it gets people talking and hopefully that will lead to change.---Follow Doug on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/dougfeinbergChris Smith Jersey . Rinne played two periods in his first game since left hip surgery in early May. Gabriel Bourque scored 3:07 into the second period and Austin Watson tallied 5:15 later for Nashville. Greedy Williams Jersey . Louis Blues absence from top spot in the TSN. http://www.cheapbrownsjerseysauthentic.com/?tag=authentic-jermaine-whitehead-jersey . Third-seeded Murray had the easiest path to victory on New Years Eve, barely breaking a sweat during his 6-0, 6-0 win over 2,129th-ranked Qatari wildcard recipient Mousa Shanan Zayed. Juston Burris Jersey . 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Lindsay Park continues to learn about the imported Pilote Dessai and is hoping to find out even more in the Pakenham Cup.A wide barrier forced Pilote Dessai into a leading role when he passed a distance test to win the Ballarat Cup on November 19 over 2200 metres,The win has given senior trainer David Hayes confidence Pilote Dessai can run a strong 2500m in Saturdays Pakenham Cup.We can give him a try at the trip and it will help me set a path for the autumn, Hayes said.I dont have any queries about him running the trip as he was strong at Ballarat, especially from that barrier.Hayes hopes to set Pilote Dessai on an Australian Cup and BMW path in the autumn.Pilote Dessai had been frustrating for punters before his Ballarat Cup success after getting back in previous races and running on.He looked an above average performer with his Australian debut win at Bendigo in the autumn after which he was spelled for a spring campaign in which he was winnless until Ballarat.ddddddddddddBut Hayes is predicting Pilote Dessai will be even better in the autumn.This is his first real preparation and hes done a great job, Hayes said.Apprentice Regan Bayliss, who guided Pilote Dessai to victory at Ballarat, again has the ride on Saturday.I dont think well change the bowler, Hayes said.He did a pretty good job on him the other day.A field of 14 will line up in Saturdays $200,000 feature with former New Zealander Puccini to carry top weight of 60kg with Stephen Baster to ride.A last-start fourth in the Ballarat Cup, Puccini will be lining up for his seventh start in a Cup race in his past seven start