‘This has never been a league that wants to propagate narratives centered around racism, sexism, homophobia, discrimination,’ Nneka Ogwumike said
•
2 min read
The WNBA and WNBPA met this week to discuss player security, something that has been a major topic of conversation this season. There have been multiple incidents that have led players to ask for more protection. The two entities released a joint statement on Wednesday.
“Last night, WNBA leadership and members of the WNBPA Executive Committee and Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee met for an honest and meaningful conversation about the recent increase in racist, hateful, and abusive messages directed at players, as well as other matters before the committees,” the statement read.
“The conversation underscored the importance of addressing issues early through proactive communication and strengthening the league-union relationship. The league committed to continuing to enhance security resources and will work with the players’ union to explore collaborations with organizations that share the values of our league and advance our shared priorities.”
Keeping players safe, on and off the court, has been a major topic of conversation this season. Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas received death threats following an on-court incident with Caitlin Clark. Most recently, Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray shared an Instagram message in which she was called a racial slur.
The WNBA and WNBPA added that Wednesday’s discussion was just “the beginning of an ongoing dialogue” and stated they will continue working together on this issue. Per ESPN, the 90-minute meeting included a conversation about pursuing accountability from tech companies and having more streamlined conversations between the WNBA and law enforcement.
“The biggest thing was communication,” WNBPA secretary Elizabeth Williams told reporters. “Communication from [WNBA commissioner] Cathy [Engelbert] and the league side being a little more consistent, so we feel more comfortable.”
“My sentiment now is just that we’re getting the perspective of as many players as we can. And also understand that a lot of the issues that we deal with are kind of pressed on the players to solve, that were problems that they didn’t start on their own,” veteran Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike told Front Office Sports.
“This has never been a league that wants to propagate narratives centered around racism, sexism, homophobia, discrimination. Quite frankly, we stand on the opposite type of platform, and we still do. I do think that there’s so much going on right now, that it’s not just one conversation or one issue that has to be handled. I think there’s a lot of different ways for us to handle it. But one thing that I won’t ever subscribe to is for players to be the only ones to solve the issues that are occurring.”
