WNBA Players and Social Issues Discussion

The moment that everyone is talking about,

it actually came in the first quarter

when Chicago's D'Janae Carrington was ejected

for a flagrant two on Sophie Cunningham.

Now after the game, Feverhead coach Stephanie White

said she agreed with the call,

but acknowledged that Carrington's a physical player and

that she didn't think it was intentional.

And obviously this coming after Cunningham recently voiced support

for limiting the eligibility of transgender women in female sports

and race continues to be a part of

the context of conversation all around the league.

You know, we talk a lot this season

about the growth of the WNBA.

I'm curious, Cheryl,

how you expect players to continue to galvanize around the league,

push it forward,

stand in their conviction when they need to and

do both of those things in the 30th season of the WNBA.

You know, I wanna see all those things,

but I also, more importantly, wanna see that same leadership.

During the collective bargaining agreement

and how they rallied around the brand the WNBA

And and that's what I want to see

I want to see the dude want them to do the same things

that they did during That time and

stand up for their brand.

This is our brand and not watch a bunch

of outsiders Hijack the league and our narrative.

Yeah, I mean this is such a nuanced conversation

Probably difficult to have in a halftime segment

But I do think that there are people trying to leverage

our league for their own personal gain and

in my experience as a player Particularly in 2020

what I learned is you have tough conversations behind closed doors

You strategize and that's how you figure out

how to for lack of a better defend Yourselves

and defend what this league has built that

requires Leadership and really on all levels

from the players from the Union from the league

you name it us who are covering the game.

It requires that leadership.

So that's what I think we need to start to do.

I like that you brought up 2020

because it's not new for WNBA players to stand up for social issues,

whether it be race, pay equity, sexuality.

But the difference is it seems as though every flagrant foul,

every incident, every ejection has now become an indictment on the league.

And it's become a cause for some social issue.

And it's just it's hard to see these wonderful players

turn into ammunition for a culture war that is existing.

Absolutely.

That's the hardest thing to see right now, Cheryl.

But that's America and that's what we live with.