What’s the 411: Black Women Redefining the Basketball World?

The first time I watched women play Basketball was Gina Prince-Bythewood’s Love & Basketball. 

I can still remember Monica’s basketball games in high school and on the college stage. And I can still remember her playing Quincy for his heart. But that’s another discussion for another day. 

For so many years before that, I always thought that Basketball was a male-dominated sport and women didn’t have a place in its history. 

But, once I got to middle school, I watched girls in my class knock the boys out game after game, reminding them that they were just as talented at Basketball.

Although I was not a basketball player, I understood sports’ importance to kids. 

Playing soccer for much of my life, I learned the importance of having a good coach, teammates, and people who cheer you on. 

I can still remember our conversations on the buses heading to our games. Jokes flying from person to person, rap battles in the back of the bus, and our coach calling us to attention to remind us that it was game time. 

Those conversations created a team and a legacy. They were also the times when we learned about the sport and how to execute it as elegantly as possible. 

I am no award-winning soccer player, but I understand the importance of team building. 

And the essentiality of having a leader who shows up and shows out each time the game buzzer goes off. 

In recent years, women’s college basketball has taken off in unprecedented ways. What seemed like a “normal” game has become a historical moment in college basketball. 

Angel Reese

Angel Reese, a forward for the LSU Tigers, took on a contender called Caitlin Clark of the Iowa Hawkeyes. 

I don’t know if they knew that their game would be momentous, but a small clip of the game spread like wildfire putting these two contenders’ names in the mouths of people who didn’t even watch college basketball. 

Men in barbershops, women at nail salons, radio stations, and news outlets became infatuated with two young ladies playing Basketball. 

Now, while you may think that’s not a big deal. I am here to show you why it is otherwise. 

Although we have had the likes of Lisa Leslie, Candace Parker, Skylar Diggins, and Brittney Griner, this was the loudest I had ever heard about women players in the college world. 

Reese would go on to be not only a show-stopper but a team player. Inspiring millions of little girls worldwide that they could be anything they put their minds to. 

But, even further inspiring slogans of resilience and determination, landing herself in music videos with some of hip hop’s biggest stars. 

Reese has been on fire, averaging “18.7 points per game, 13.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and shooting on average 47.9%” from the field goal, taking her senior year by storm (ESPN, 2024). 

I can only imagine where she will be come next year!

While the players are always important to the game of Basketball, it is the leaders who hold them down and show them right from wrong. 

Dawn Staley

I could not discuss Black women in Basketball without talking about the one and only Dawn Staley!

If you don’t know who this superstar is then I don’t know where you have been! But don’t worry. I am here to tell you who she is and what she does for college basketball. 

As head Coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks, Staley has produced undefeated regular seasons back to back, taking the women of her program to heights they’ve never reached. 

And, if you think she just got started, you are most certainly mistaken. Dawn Staley has been doing her thing for years. 

She is an American basketball Hall of Famer, six-time WNBA all-star, two-time NCAA Division 1 Tournament champion as a coach, and a three-time Naismith Coach of the Year!

Hailing from Philadelphia, PA, Staley has been on a mission since 1996. In 1999, she was drafted into the WNBA as the ninth pick in the first round. 

Why does this matter, you may ask? 

It comes down to two simple words: Representation Matters! 

Without individuals like Dawn Staley, we don’t have the players we will discuss today. Her years of hitting the pavement allow women’s Basketball to continue! 

And honestly, if it wasn’t for her, we wouldn’t know what the game of Basketball truly is for women! She is a blueprint. 

Chiney Ogwumike

And, with her being one of the blueprints, she has allowed individuals like Chiney Ogwumike to find their own! 

A Power Forward for the Los Angeles Sparks, Chiney is alone in a lane. She is a beast not only on the court but also in the analyst world. 

Earning a multi-year contract with ESPN to become a full-time basketball analyst, Chiney has shown Black women’s basketball players that the love of the game goes beyond the court. 

She is currently the vice president of the WNBA Players Association, and when she is not covering for the NBA, she acts on President Biden’s council on African diplomacy. 

I can barely do one job. Chiney does more than three, showing the versatility of what it can mean to be in the basketball world. 

And showing little Black girls, they can also be ESPN sports analysts!  

Through her commentary on ESPN, she has lit a match on college women’s Basketball, shedding light on the upcoming generation of players who will follow in her footsteps. 

As you know, I believe in legacy, so we can’t discuss the greats without addressing who will come next. 

Juju Watkins

If you’ve never heard the name Juju Watkins, it’s time to research. 

A Freshman at USC, Watkins has taken the college basketball world by storm. 

Hailing from Los Angeles, Watkins came to USC with badges already earned. For example, she is a McDonald’s All-American MVP, Gatorade National Player of the Year, and most recently a PAC-12 Freshman of the Year. 

And, let me not forget her gold medals at the FIBA Under-17 World Cup. 

Watkins, a Nike-endorsed player, posted numbers in her first year. Averaging “26.9” points a game, one can only imagine where she will be by the end of her senior year (ESPN, 2024).

While many may think Basketball is a male sport, women in the WNBA and college basketball teams are destroying that stereotype. 

They knock it out of the box every game, showing others they are just as many contenders as the rest! 

Shout out to these four women who are killing the game because they show others that women belong in the basketball world, making one redefining moment at a time!  

Let me know in the comments if you like or watch basketball. Who is your favorite player?

See y’all next week for our next post!

Peace and Prosperity, as always!

Jadis DeShong-Venay

References

ESPN. (2024). Angel Reese Stats Per Game. ESPN. https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/player/gamelog/_/id/4433402/angel-reese

ESPN. (2024). Juju Watkins-USC Trojans Guard. ESPN. https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/player/_/id/5175946/juju-watkins