Culture

The 2021 WNBA Season Will Be Queer Excellence in Action


 

I am a quiet queer. Except when I’m watching Sue Bird. In 2018, when the WNBA superstar buried three-pointer after three-pointer to lead the Seattle Storm to a dramatic come-from-behind victory over the Phoenix Mercury in the crucial last game of the semifinals, I yelled so loud it took me a week to get my voice back.

So you can imagine how excited I am for the start of the WNBA season tonight. In addition to plenty of athletic excitement, the full slate of May 14 games will also mark plenty of milestones, including Layshia Clarendon’s first official game in front of fans as a member of the New York Liberty and the Atlanta Dream’s debut matchup under Renee Montgomery’s new co-ownership. The vaccines are here, the “wubble” is gone, so you can go watch some damn good basketball in person if you’re near one of the 12 teams — or on TV if you’d rather.

And you really should watch the WNBA. If you like supporting LGBTQ+ athletes — especially queer women — this is the league for you. Remember the thrill of watching the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team in 2019? This is like that except it lasts, like, four times as long. Also, you’ll occasionally spot Megan Rapinoe sitting courtside because in addition to being one of the best soccer players on earth, she is also Sue Bird’s partner. They are the definition of a queer power couple.

You might not recognize any of the names in this article, and that’s OK. Maybe the fact that Breanna Stewart just got engaged to her girlfriend after winning 4 NCAA championships and two WNBA championships means nothing to you and you haven’t been waiting patiently for the next Instagram relationship update. I was like you once! After years of being the sort of LGBTQ+ person who joked about “sportsball” and pretended like being gay was incompatible with wearing a team jersey, I went to my first game three years ago and was instantly converted.

What moved me most was being in an arena where people were cheering for Black athletes, women athletes, and queer athletes, not just for being who they are but for being the absolute best at what they do. The power of that experience is undeniable. There are so few opportunities in professional sports to watch LGBTQ+ people get to be heroes. This is one of them.



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