Activism Has No Offseason
How WNBA athletes are using their platform for justice.
By Katherine Elise Pitre
When bubble basketball began this summer, many WNBA and NBA athletes feared that their play would distract from the importance of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, preventing themselves and fans from fully engaging with social action in regards to police brutality and racism in the United States. But on Aug. 25, basketball became the epicenter for a national discussion about athletes and social change.
Katherine E. Pitré (BA 2021) is a freelance writer with a passion for her hometown sports teams. She is an advocate for inclusivity on all levels of the sports industry.
Illustrations by Chanina Katz
On Aug. 25, the Milwaukee Bucks decided to not show up for Game 5 against the Orlando Magic of the NBA playoffs. The Bucks, whose headquarters reside just outside of Kenosha, WI, said this in a statement addressing their absence on the court: “Despite the overwhelming plea for change, there has been no action, so our focus today cannot be on basketball.” The Bucks’ decision was in response to the shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man who was shot seven times in the back by Kenosha police that left him paralyzed from the waist down, and the two killings by Kyle Rittenhouse during the ensuing protests. As protests rage across the nation and athletes use their voices to discuss police brutality and the BLM movement, the Milwaukee Bucks’ no-show was just the beginning for an organization-wide, eventually multi-league, strike.
Alongside the NBA, the WNBA was also set to play the night of Aug. 25, with four teams on-site: the Atlanta Dream, the Los Angeles Sparks, the Minnesota Lynx, and the Washington Mystics, who had arrived wearing T-shirts that bore the letters of Jacob Blake’s name with seven bullet holes painted on the backs. After a lengthy discussion, all four teams decided to join the Bucks and not play. Elizabeth Williams of the Atlanta Dream, as a representative for the players, delivered a powerful statement, saying, “The consensus is to not play in tonight’s slated game, and to kneel, lock arms, and raise fists during the national anthem. . . We stand in solidarity with our brothers in the NBA, and will continue this conversation with our brothers and sisters across all leagues and look to take collective action.” Other NBA players and the rest of the WNBA joined the strike, and the NBA and NBAPA released a joint statement announcing the postponement of games until Aug. 29.
The refusal to play by the Milwaukee Bucks sparked a national debate and cross-organizational action for social justice. And while the NBA has received more media coverage than the WNBA, particularly when regarding matters of social action, the WNBA’s long history of social activism cannot be forgotten in light of recent events.
The WNBA didn’t stop partnering with or supporting social justice causes in 2016.
Prior to this season’s start, the WNBA and the WNBAPA jointly dedicated the 2020 season to the Black Lives Matter movement and the #sayhername campaign. New York Liberty player Layshia Clarendon gave speech regarding the dedication, “We are dedicating this season to Breonna Taylor—an outstanding EMT who was murdered over 130 days ago in her home. Breonna Taylor was dedicated and committed to uplifting everyone around her. We are also dedicating this season to [the] Say Her Name campaign, a campaign committed to saying the names and fighting for justice for Black women, Black women who are so often forgotten in this fight for justice, who do not have people marching in the streets for them. We will say her name: Sandra Bland, Atatiana Jefferson, Dominique ‘Rem’mie’ Fells and Breonna Taylor. We will be a voice for the voiceless.”
The WNBA players also walked off the court for the anthem, which Clarendon explained to ESPN was a decision they made because “Kneeling doesn’t even feel like enough to protest. I don’t want to hear the anthem, I don’t want to stand out there. I don’t want to be anywhere near it, because it’s ridiculous that justice and freedom are just not offered to everybody equally.” But the dedication doesn’t end there. All WNBA players are wearing warm-up tees throughout the season emblazoned with the words “Black Lives Matter” on the front and “Say Her Name” and “Breonna Taylor” on the back. Their jerseys will also have Breonna Taylor’s name written on the back. At the beginning of the season, the WNBA and WNBAPA launched their Social Justice Council and The Justice Movement platform, which will address “this country’s long history of inequality, implicit bias, and systemic racism that has targeted Black and brown communities."
"I don’t want to hear the anthem, I don’t want to stand out there. I don’t want to be anywhere near it, because it’s ridiculous that justice and freedom are just not offered to everybody equally."
Much like how the NBA and WNBA strikes inspired the rest of the sports industry, Colin Kaepernick kneeling for the anthem in 2016 sparked a discourse between athletes, fans, and leagues alike regarding the athletes’ role in peaceful protests. Support and derision for Kaepernick’s actions varied wildly between athletes and teams. Stephen Curry and LeBron James both expressed support for Kaepernick but affirmed that they would stand for the anthem. In contrast, the entire Indiana Fever team chose to kneel for the anthem following Kaepernick’s lead in a show of solidarity.
During that same season, three players and their teams from the WNBA were fined for wearing warm-up T-shirts that supported BLM and victims of domestic violence.
Los Angeles Sparks player and WNBAPA president Nneka Ogwumike has been a vocal advocate for the initiative, as it will “amplify our collective voice.” Ogwumike also acknowledged the WNBA’s long history of social action, saying, “We have always been at the forefront of initiatives with strong support of #BlackLivesMatter, #SayHerName, the LGBTQ+ community, gun control, voting rights, #MeToo, mental health, and the list goes on.”
Ogwumike is right; the WNBA has had a pivotal role in initiating actionable change for years — much longer than they often get credit for — and their decision to strike is not to be taken lightly. The WNBA has long been at the forefront of social justice in professional basketball, and it’s clear that standing up for what they believe in is just as important on the court as it is off of it.
The WNBA’s long history of social activism cannot be forgotten in light of recent events.
Activism Has No Offseason
How WNBA Athletes are using their platform for justice
By Katherine E. Pitré
The roads to the 2020 NBA and WNBA seasons were long and fraught with controversy over the basketball season potentially overshadowing the Black Lives Matter movement, and preventing players from fully engaging with social action in regards to police brutality and racism in the United States. Bubble basketball is happening, as is the continued fight for racial justice, and, on August 25, basketball became the epicenter for a national discussion about athletes and social change once again.
Katherine E. Pitré (BA 2021) is a freelance writer with a passion for her hometown sports teams. She is an advocate for inclusivity on all levels of the sports industry.
Illustrations by Chanina Katz
On August 25, the Milwaukee Bucks decided to not show up for Game 5 against the Orlando Magic of the NBA playoffs. The Bucks, whose headquarters reside just outside of Kenosha, WI, said this in a statement addressing their absence on the court: “Despite the overwhelming plea for change, there has been no action, so our focus today cannot be on basketball.” The Bucks’ decision was in response to the shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man who was shot seven times in the back by Kenosha police that left him paralyzed from the waist down, and the two killings by Kyle Rittenhouse during the ensuing protests. As protests rage across the nation and athletes use their voices to discuss police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement, the Milwaukee Bucks’ no-show was just the beginning for an organization-wide (and eventually multi-league) strike.
The WNBA’s long history
of social activism can not be forgotten in light of recent events.
Alongside the NBA, the WNBA was also set to play the night of Aug. 25, with four teams on-site: the Atlanta Dream, the Los Angeles Sparks, the Minnesota Lynx, and the Washington Mystics, who had arrived wearing T-shirts that bore the letters of Jacob Blake’s name with seven bullet holes painted on the backs. After a lengthy discussion, all four teams decided to join the Bucks and not play. Elizabeth Williams of the Atlanta Dream, as a representative for the players, delivered a powerful statement, saying, “The consensus is to not play in tonight’s slated game, and to kneel, lock arms, and raise fists during the national anthem. . . We stand in solidarity with our brothers in the NBA, and will continue this conversation with our brothers and sisters across all leagues and look to take collective action.” Other NBA players and the rest of the WNBA joined the strike, and the NBA and NBAPA released a joint statement announcing the postponement of games until Aug. 29.
The refusal to play by the Milwaukee Bucks sparked a national debate and cross-organizational action for social justice. And while the NBA has received more media coverage than the WNBA, particularly when regarding matters of social action, the WNBA’s long history of social activism can not be forgotten in light of recent events.
Much like how the NBA and WNBA strikes inspired the rest of the sports industry, Colin Kaepernick kneeling for the anthem in 2016 sparked a discourse between athletes, fans and leagues alike regarding the athletes’ role in peaceful protests. Support and derision for Kaepernick’s actions varied wildly between athletes and teams. Stephen Curry and LeBron James both expressed support for Kaepernick but affirmed that they would stand for the anthem. In contrast, the entire Indiana Fever team chose to kneel for the anthem following Kaepernick’s lead in a show of solidarity.
During that same season, three players and their teams from the WNBA were fined for wearing warm-up T-shirts that supported BLM and victims of domestic violence.
The WNBA didn’t stop partnering with or supporting social justice causes in 2016.
Prior to this season’s start, the WNBA and the WNBAPA jointly dedicated the 2020 season to the Black Lives Matter movement and the #sayhername campaign. New York Liberty player Layshia Clarendon gave a speech regarding the dedication, “We are dedicating this season to Breonna Taylor — an outstanding EMT who was murdered over 130 days ago in her home. Breonna Taylor was dedicated and committed to uplifting everyone around her. We are also dedicating this season to [the] Say Her Name campaign, a campaign committed to saying the names and fighting for justice for Black women, Black women who are so often forgotten in this fight for justice, who do not have people marching in the streets for them. We will say her name: Sandra Bland, Atatiana Jefferson, Dominique ‘Rem’mie’ Fells and Breonna Taylor. We will be a voice for the voiceless.”
"I don’t want to hear the anthem, I don’t want to stand out there. I don’t want to be anywhere near it, because it’s ridiculous that justice and freedom are just not offered to everybody equally."
The WNBA players also walked off the court for the anthem, which Clarendon explained to ESPN was a decision they made because “Kneeling doesn’t even feel like enough to protest. I don’t want to hear the anthem, I don’t want to stand out there. I don’t want to be anywhere near it, because it’s ridiculous that justice and freedom are just not offered to everybody equally.” But the dedication doesn’t end there. All WNBA players are wearing warm-up tees throughout the season emblazoned with the words “Black Lives Matter” on the front and “Say Her Name” and “Breonna Taylor” on the back. Their jerseys will also have Breonna Taylor’s name written on the back. At the beginning of the season, the WNBA and WNBAPA launched their Social Justice Council and The Justice Movement platform, which will address “this country’s long history of inequality, implicit bias and systemic racism that has targeted Black and brown communities."
Los Angeles Sparks player and WNBAPA president Nneka Ogwumike has been a vocal advocate for the initiative, as it will “amplify our collective voice.” Ogwumike also acknowledged the WNBA’s long history of social action, saying, “We have always been at the forefront of initiatives with strong support of #BlackLivesMatter, #SayHerName, the LGBTQ+ community, gun control, voting rights, #MeToo, mental health and the list goes on.”
Ogwumike is right; the WNBA has had a pivotal role in initiating actionable change for years —much longer than they often get credit for — and their decision to strike is not to be taken lightly. After all, the WNBA has more to lose financially than the NBA, and the strike, which was held without union approval was a risky decision for WNBA teams to make, as they wield far less economic power than their male counterparts. But the WNBA has long been at the forefront of social justice in professional basketball, and it’s clear that standing up for what they believe in is just as important on the court as it is off of it.
