Why Wisconsin's Marsha Howard sits alone while her teammates stand for the national anthem

MADISON, Wis. - When her teammates gather to stand side by side on the court during the national anthem, Wisconsin's Marsha Howard sits alone on the bench, closes her eyes and bows her head.

Howard, a senior forward, does not have the name recognition of Colin Kaepernick or Eric Reid - NFL players who created controversy and sparked national conversation when they protested police brutality and other racial injustices by declining to stand during the national anthem. When LeBron James and other NBA players wore warm-up shirts to call attention to those issues, it warranted a segment on "SportsCenter."

Many articles were written about former Wisconsin men's basketball player Nigel Hayes in 2016, when he stood behind his teammates during the anthem with his head bowed.

Howard's similar silent, peaceful protest is not in the brightest of spotlights as