Watching a predominantly female Black league like the WNBA slowly succumb to misogynoir has been nothing short of exhausting.
Indeed, in an age in which false narratives are contrived and deployed in real time, watching so many demonize Black women, who are very much still the lifeblood of the WNBA, is actually infuriating.
The WNBA is officially at the top of its game. Players are getting more money and endorsements than ever, and there has been a 21% increase in viewership since 2024. Nevertheless, this increase in fandom is far from random, and rather, is primarily a result of fans taking sides in the racially charged rivalry between Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark, which actually began when both players were in college.
I don’t want to totally rehash the entire origin story. But if you’re interested, I wrote about this a while ago. Read it here:
Suffice it to say, at no real fault of the players themselves, a fictitious and egregious narrative about racism in the WNBA is being spread on the backs of the likes of Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and others. And although there is an abundance of evidence that Caitlin Clark’s race has nothing to do with what is being perceived as racially charged bullying, this hasn’t stopped those who are obsessed with pushing the bogus “reverse racism” narrative from taking shape.
We have now gotten to the point where the Republican Study Committee is appealing to the DOJ to investigate and intervene in WNBA affairs, based solely on the complaints of those who only joined the WNBA fandom because they saw an opportunity to further the racial divide in this country while undermining the very real racism Black women experience everywhere, including the WNBA.
But, at this point, fighting fire with fire will only burn the entire house down. So, instead of addressing the racist bigots who are purposely spreading this rhetoric, I figured my time would be much better spent pointing out how hypocritical and ridiculous this all is.
Basketball or Street Brawls
Basketball, like many other pastimes, is a contact sport. This means that players often come into contact with one another, which, unfortunately, may result in injuries ranging from minor to serious.
In the NBA, this literally results in everything from small altercations to brawls, but none of it is ever considered violence. Why? Well, it’s literally part of the game. Just as hockey players are allowed to kick the sh*t out of each other until the bodies hit the floor, basketball is one of those sports where tensions run high, and physicality reigns supreme.
This is not to say that any player is free to assault or abuse players at will. Rather, it means the league is accustomed to it and has its own set of rules to address players it believes overstep and physically harm other players.
I mean, if you just take some time to review the headlines over the years, the WNBA has some of the most minor fouling infractions when compared to most other contact sports. Yet and still, it’s the only league being threatened by the government in an effort to protect a female White player who never even requested the protection.
Misogyny in Sports
Although the boost in fandom has been great for the WNBA, this has certainly not been without its costs. In particular, the Black players are now being policed in a way that feels unsettling, to say the least.
At the same time, the White players are being coddled in a way that not only stands to interfere with their progress, but also in a way that is creating even more unfavorable dynamics amongst all the players behind the scenes.
On the other hand, NBA players can literally stuff a fist down one another’s throats, and the government doesn’t bat an eyelash. Unfortunately, we have not evolved to the point where women’s sports players are taken seriously and respected for their talents. Rather, they are being viewed only in the context of how they can be politicized, villainized, and martyrized for other agendas.
So, while players such as Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham likely joined the WNBA to compete with high-level athletes and demonstrate their elite athletic prowess, the male powers that be seem intent on encasing their likenesses in capsules and carting them off to rot in hall of fame museums.
Indeed, what they’re doing is akin to a rich kid whose parents play other kids to play with them and let them win to build their self-esteem. Those who love team sports, yes, both men and women, love all aspects of the sport, including the physicality. Going above and beyond to protect players who have been equally aggressive is a recipe for disaster and can literally ruin the integrity of the game.
Speaking of Sophie Cunningham
The situation with Cunningham proved the point — Video Source: Giphy
The little spat between Sophia Cunningham and DeWanna Bonner resulted in a viral meme and one epic misogynoir receipt. Given that so many are crying about violence and aggression against precious White players, it was very telling to see so many reverse racism rhetoric-peddlers champion a technical foul-level action that could have potentially led to more of the violence they keep complaining about.
And indeed, it’s not just that the moment went viral, but that Cunningham was getting painted as some bad a** for triggering Bonner that really proves the point. Like, do y’all want these altercations or not? Because it’s giving that you’re cool with it, as long as certain players are not the ones being ridiculed or injured.
The fact that the meme worked its way up (well… down) to the king of racial divides, Donald Trump, while Cunningham, herself, asserted that the whole thing was one of the weakest things she’s ever seen, says a lot about the ways in which the WNBA, in particular, is being used to further certain agendas and stoke certain flames.
Either way, the incident that led to this potential investigation is the alleged throat punch of Caitlin Clark by Alyssa Thomas. I’m including the video to see if rationality is still a thing. If you saw this play in the NBA, nobody would think twice. The players literally fell over, and Thomas used her fist to lift herself up and get back into the game.
The video of the pointing and “punching” incident can be viewed here:
If you pay close attention, Thomas was hardly even paying Clark any attention and was simply trying to prevent herself from falling on top of the player, and even if you disagree with this assessment, there was no cock back or proof of a punch. Nudging someone with your fist is not the same as intentionally punching them. Yet this is the play that has the outrage that led us here.
Caitlin Clark is No Victim
Not to villainize Caitlin Clark — that’s not my goal at all. But all of the WNBA girlies give it as good as they give it. Indeed, the reason these women are in the league is that they are among the most talented and competitive basketball players in the free world.
Therefore, they actually want to be able to compete and get physical in the same way their male counterparts are allowed to do so. Policing how the game is played based on racial politics that are not even necessarily a part of the game is a great way to ruin a good thing.
Clark doesn’t want to be babied anymore than the rest of the women in the WNBA are.
Let’s take a look at some of her more aggressive moments:
Is it the Violence or Black Women
Honestly speaking, a country that created a whole league just for people to slap the fire out of one another is not concerned with anyone’s well-being. The only land where football means a foot in the arse is certainly in no position to speak out about violence in sports.
Either way, given that we never heard a peep about this so-called violence against White women in the WNBA until all the bandwagoners became quasi-fans after the Caitlin versus Angel beef is very telling. The league is nearly 20% White, which means there have been plenty of non-Black players who have built careers in the league.
To be even more candid, the small percentage of heterosexual players is rumored to be one of the most vulnerable/targeted demographics in the league. Nevertheless, that is far less interesting on a mass scale, which is why it has been swept under the rug.
At the end of the day, physicality is a part of all contact sports. And while rivalries and relationships make it more complex, this is not an indication of racism, especially in a way in which requires government intervention.
The WNBA is being commandeered and politicized to further agendas that have nothing to do with the success of pro sports. And what is the end goal? A segregated league or the pussification of pro women athletes in a way that eliminates true competition and allows the minorities to outshine the rest without competing on the level pro sports is known for?
The WNBA is full of strong, intimidating, yet extremely talented women. Arguing, pointing, fighting, fouling, etc., is literally a part of the game, and any consequences should be handled by those who understand the game, rather than those who are invested in getting a lickback on people they’re angry learned the patterns and language to point out actual racism in real time.
There are very few profitable spaces dominated by melanated women, and no matter how much people keep pointing the finger, that is the true issue underlying all of this.