By: Emily Herard
A’ja Wilson is dominating her rookie season in the WNBA for the Las Vegas Aces and she is using her platform to speak up for better pay and gender equality within the basketball world and society. After it was announced that LeBron James would sign with the LA Lakers for $154 million, Wilson took to Twitter to bring light to the pay disparity between NBA and WNBA players. She wasn’t attacking LeBron or any other NBA player but instead was speaking up for WNBA players who deserve to be paid more. But of course the Twitter trolls came out ready to attack with sexist comments. When some of the best basketball players in the world can’t speak up for themselves without being attacked online, it angers me and it should anger you too.
A’ja Wilson is dominating her rookie season in the WNBA for the Las Vegas Aces and she is using her platform to speak up for better pay and gender equality within the basketball world and society. After it was announced that LeBron James would sign with the LA Lakers for $154 million, Wilson took to Twitter to bring light to the pay disparity between NBA and WNBA players. She wasn’t attacking LeBron or any other NBA player but instead was speaking up for WNBA players who deserve to be paid more. But of course the Twitter trolls came out ready to attack with sexist comments. When some of the best basketball players in the world can’t speak up for themselves without being attacked online, it angers me and it should anger you too.
First of all, people need to get their facts right. WNBA players aren’t asking to be paid the same as LeBron James or any other NBA star, so that shouldn’t be the conversation. I could write forever about why and how WNBA players should get paid more but that’s not the point of this blog. (If you do want to read more about the pay discrepancy, check out this Forbes article). I understand that because the demand for the WNBA is lower than that of the NBA, the WNBA brings in less revenue and therefore its players are paid less. But I believe this lack of demand is strongly linked to the sexism that is unfortunately all too common in sports. If you don’t believe sexism has anything to do with it, just look at Twitter comments about the WNBA.
It’s one thing to not like a sport or find it boring, but it’s another thing when you go out of your way to attack it. What, are you offended by females speaking their mind and advocating for themselves? Why does it make you so upset when Wilson says WNBA players should make more? Even if there wasn’t more money to pay them (there is), what’s wrong with someone speaking up when they know they deserve to make more money for how hard they work? Do powerful and strong women make you feel insecure? NBA players respect their female counterparts so why can’t you? Just yesterday, Damian Lillard, DeMar DeRozan, and Quinn Cook attended a thrilling game between the Aces and the Connecticut Sun. If you don’t watch the WNBA and don’t plan on watching, then just shut it and don’t try to bring down the top basketball players in the world.
But if you’re going to troll the WNBA be a little more creative with your insults, because most of the time it’s 50 replies of “get back in the kitchen.” I mean come on really? REALLY?? I hope you’re this sexist in the real world, because if you are no woman’s going to do anything for you, especially make you a sandwich. YOU better get in the kitchen.
Do you think it’s a compliment when you say “yeah she’s pretty good, she would beat me one on one” – no sh!t, glad you gave your male stamp of approval. You just sound like a dumbass. Imagine if I said “yeah LeBron’s not bad, he’d probably beat me in a pick-up game.” That’s what you sound like when you say you could beat Sue Bird. And by the way, no one asked.
So next time you’re about to respond negatively to a WNBA related tweet and try to tear down the league, why don’t you think twice. I’m asking that before you say something sexist why don’t you just give it chance. I’m sure if you watched a game or two you would enjoy it. If not, do something more productive with your time than attack someone’s passion and profession.
Cover image from: Gordon, S. (2018, July 06). Kayla McBride, A'ja Wilson propel Aces to win over Sky. Retrieved from https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/basketball/aces-wnba/kayla-mcbride-aja-wilson-propel-aces-to-win-over-sky/