WNBA Players Sound Off on Inequality
Online trolls went wild when it was announced that the WNBA will be featured in the popular NBA 2K video game franchise. For players and coaches, this dismissal of the women's game is growing tiresome. 🏀
All 12 WNBA teams and players are making their debut in NBA 2K20
Online trolls targeted the NBA 2K video game series for its landmark decision to include WNBA players in its newest title. For members of the team Chicago Sky, this kind of sexism is nothing new. In its 23 years, the WNBA has seen lower attendance viewership coverage by media outlets. Only ahead during the 2019 season has social media pressure resulted in more favorable TV deals, and a rating rise of 64% according to data from the WNBA. Players say they haven’t seen this translate into an uptick in financial support. Still inspiration has come from the World Cup-winning U.S. women’s soccer team, as well as seeing a general shift towards equality.
“Media outlets don't normalize women's basketball on them. It's 50 men's posts for every one women's post. And, you know, if people were to continuously put us on there as much as they put men's and it would become normal. And people wouldn't feel the need to go out of their way to hate it. But. People put less and less of it because of the amount of hate without realizing that's not helping the problem,” explains Katie Lou Samuelson
Facebook, forums like Reddit, personal Twitter handles, YouTube, and even 2K’s own blog hasn’t been spared but the developers have said that it’s proud of its decision to include women in the upcoming title. “Our franchise has always been rooted in capturing the true essence of basketball – it doesn’t matter who is playing – if you love the game, you love the game,” said a spokesperson. “As true lovers of basketball, we take great pride in bringing the women’s game to the millions of NBA 2K fans around the globe.” The moderator claimed that he had to remove dozens of sexist posts in a matter of hours. On Twitter, players like Breanna Stewart and Candace Parker continued to face harassment over the addition.
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351 comments
Nicolas Y.
a dayJust not as exciting
Bill C.
a dayThere will be an uproar if transgender men get to start playing and break all their records.
Nik H.
a dayBill Byrne would be proud of today's WNBA.
James M.
a dayIt’s just not as exciting or entertaining.. that’s why the ratings are dropping... the worst NBA game is better than the best WNBA game...
Gerald U.
2 daysDraw less crowds, sorry
Gerald U.
2 daysIt's not anyone's fault that it's not as exciting to watch? And they draw the crowds because of it. That's why there can't be equal pay. Sales on game will be the same way, sorry
Kwaku D.
3 daysNo, give the wnba their own video game. I'll go a step further give EAsports a call and fund women sports games. Stop looking for acceptance from men when you expect to be treated as an equal. If women can do anything a man can as women always say make your own game that way it's up to the market to make the decision whether it's worth it or not
Ronnie J.
3 dayssome of you make good points but alot of you just sound like a girl beat you on the play ground as a kid and you're still not over it. of course they arent as big and flashy as the men but to say these girls arent skilled is crazy. they would beat almost any one of you chumps in a 1v1
Joshua H.
4 daysIt’s not the dismissal of there game per se but let’s be honest. Number one the WNBA is way less entertaining than the NBA. Number 2 it generates no money as far as professional sports go. If the entertainment factor is small and the wealth generating power is way smaller than that, most people won’t care.
Ray M.
5 daysWell without any disrespect to them, the game itself is absolutely trash.
Jonathan S.
5 daysWith all due respect it is not exciting to watch. I rather watch a good boys high school game. The best woman in the WNBA would get destroyed in the nba. This is not being sexist it is facts. Woman and men are different and woman are better and somethings but basketball is not one of them. Anyways I hope they put real stats for them because they will be riding that pine on my team.lol
Jason K.
6 daysIts not sexism. Its just poorly played basketball. It has nothing to do with them being women. Its because the sport as they play it is boring to watch.
John A.
7 daysThat's cuz y'all suck and nobody wants to see fastbreak layups
TyRelle H.
7 daysTBH you can’t really do anything with the WNBA in that game they are just around
Mike C.
11/16/2019 00:06I'm all for women's equality with that being said u wanna get deals like the men? U gotta ball like the men. Go coed. Only the best will survive but u will get ur equality. How many women would successfully transition? Think about it. Fr.
Demun T.
11/15/2019 14:07We don't hate women's basketball... It's just not as exciting.. Boo hooo tho
Edson S.
11/15/2019 01:51They should lower the goal to 9 feet so they can dunk on each other.. but honestly I’d rather watch lebron fly thru the air and cram it on someone’s face....
Tony B.
11/15/2019 00:20The thing is for most basketball fans the game is best played “above the rim” if you will. High flying, creativity off the dribble, dunks, rebounding and blocks. Break away 2 on 1 layups simply won’t put butts in the seats.
Corey S.
11/14/2019 19:46Liberals and feminist are in a tough spot. The NBA welcomes anyone good enough to play. Women don’t qualify so a separate league was created. Do away with the “lady league” they’re pissed. Keep it going but no one is really interested their pissed.
Ray B.
11/14/2019 03:44The reason it's not sexism is because that's the wnba riding the NBA when they said they didn't need the NBA and should be able to stand on it's own. Women don't even support the wnba, and truthfully if not for the NBA money they would have folded long ago. The wnba instantly started on top because of the NBA association and all the commercials and everything but after twenty years still can't stand on it's own then they complain about getting paid closer to the guys pay but your league doesn't even make money but now once again they wanna ride off the men's game instead of having their own game because they know it wouldn't sell.