Welcome to the W!-Inspired AF
I have always enjoyed watching basketball, but over the last few years, I have become a HUGE fan of the WNBA and college women’s basketball. Like a lot of new watchers I have been captivated by the crop of young rookies who entered the league after record breaking viewership for the last NCAA Women’s season where Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark became household names following their famed rival for the championship which LSU won, lead by the Bayou Barbie, Angel Reese. It has been exciting to see the much deserved attention lauded on a league that has been putting up superstars like Dawn Staley, Teresa Weatherspoon, Cheryl Swoops, Lisa Leslie, Candace Parker, Sue Bird for over a decade. . Legends, that laid the groundwork to where the league finds itself in this moment.
While some unfortunate newcomers would have you believe that one person is solely responsible for this newfound attention, those who truly love the sport know that this isn’t true. All attention ain’t good attention, but as many have said “whatever helps grow the league is good.” It’s been exciting to watch the level of skill, energy and passion that women play with finally receiving viewership on networks like ABC, CBS and ESPN. It is also a reminder of how many hurdles women have had to jump through in so many different industries to be recognised for the excellence they bring. America is indeed a patriarchal country that belittles, degrades and commits heinous acts against women from the lack of equal pay, to the overturning of Roe, to physical violence. Regardless of all of this, women continue to persist. We continue to unite in the face of adversity and as the women in the WNBA are doing–ball out of control and show the world the fire and the magic we are working with. It makes me smile to see so many young girls showing up at these games rocking the jersey’s of their favorite players and being inspired one play at a time.
The women of the WNBA remind us that consistency matters–whether the lights are shining on you or not. You keep doing you until the world takes notice!
