WNBA: Post-election, players must remain steadfast in activism

Throughout the history of the WNBA, the personal always has been political.

It’s never just been about playing basketball for a living, it’s been about simply living. From a livable salary to maternal benefits to bodily autonomy to identity integrity, the players of the WNBA have no other option but to confront these pertinent matters. Therefore, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to see the players engage in social justice activism—because they have to live with it every day.

As the nation prepares for a second presidential term of Donald Trump after he defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the US presidential election, many are expressing concern. if not outright fear, for what lies ahead. Those heightened anxieties are especially evident among women, people of color, immigrants and LGBTQ+ people. All of whom make up the bulk of the WNBA and its fan base.

While the future is unknown, what is known is the WNBA must continue—if not become stronger—in its pursuit of social justice.

The WNBA should be credited with the beginning of what is known as the “third wave of athlete activism” in 2016. One month before NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem to protest police violence and racism, it was Maya Moore, Tina Charles and others WNBA players who cried out, “Change Starts With Us.” They made the profound statement in the aftermath of the police killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, as well as after the murders of five police officers in Dallas, TX.

Since then, WNBA players have met the moment on virtually every social issue, from racial justice to equal pay to transgender rights to reproductive rights to civic engagement.

In 2020, they took their time in the COVID-restricted bubble in Orlando to shine a light on racial justice, especially the issue of police violence against Black women and girls following the police killing of Breonna Taylor in March, two months before the murder of George Floyd.

That same year, WNBA players led the charge to oust then-Atlanta Dream owner and Republican senator Kelly Loeffler after she made criticisms of the Black Lives Matter movement. Their efforts culminated in the election of Rev. Raphael Warnock to the US Senate to represent the state of Georgia after the players put their support behind him when he was originally polling at just one percent. The story is told in the 2024 documentary The Power of the Dream.

On the issue of reproductive rights, players have understood the connection between their athletic endeavors and the ability to have access to the full range of reproductive health care. Once Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, they were on the frontlines. During this election cycle, LeBron James asked Nneka Ogwumike to head up his More Than A Vote organization with a central focus on reproductive rights.

Then there are the intersections of racism, sexism, misogyny, misogynoir, homophobia and transphobia WNBA players have endured from social media trolls to grievance-fueled political commentators who use the league as an avatar for their social insecurities, all of which has been normalized for the past decade, not just in the recent election cycle and its aftermath.

As a result, WNBA players are expected to take stronger sociopolitical stands. However, they can’t do it by themselves. They had a reliable partner in the NBA during the summer of 2020. Despite some notable exceptions, such as James and Steph Curry, the league is generally back to business as usual. Will they step up in the same manner as before?

Nevertheless, the WNBA beats the drum for social and political change louder than most. Will people listen this time?