*Golden State Warriors player Draymond Green recently caused quite the stir when he said he was tired of hearing WNBA players complain about pay disparity.
His Twitter rant came shortly after the UConn and Iowa’s Sweet 16 matchup in the Women’s NCAA Tournament. Green first urged female players to do more than compare their wages to that of their male counterparts, such as “call on companies to support y’all.”
“To all my Lady hoopers out there, I want to share some of my thoughts,” he tweeted.
“I’ve been seeing a lot of talk about the pay gap between women and men. Especially in sports. It’s not even close. But let’s stop allowing y’all complaints to fall on deaf ears due to numbers. As long as y’all make the argument about pay, while the revenue stays the same,” he wrote.
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I’ve been seeing a lot of talk about the pay gap between women and men. Especially in sports. It’s not even close. But let’s stop allowing y’all complaints to fall on deaf ears due to numbers. As long as y’all make the argument about pay, while the revenue stays the same…
— Draymond Green (@Money23Green) March 27, 2021
Green doubled down a few days later at a Warriors’ practice, saying: “I’m really tired of seeing them complain about the lack of pay because they’re doing themselves a disservice by just complaining…They’re not laying out steps that they can take to change that. And so it’s coming off as a complaint because the people that can change it, they’re just going to continue to say ‘The revenue isn’t there…’ They’re going to keep using that. But the reality is, as true as that is, it’s an excuse. Because everyone says ‘We support women, we support women empowerment.’ And everyone uses it to their advantage. But yet, these women are not using these people that are saying those very things to their advantage. So then it just becomes a complaint that falls on deaf ears.”
Many sports fans took issue with him failing to acknowledge the work that WNBA players are putting in, and he also seems to be ignoring the power structures in play within the sport.
“I’m really tired of seeing them complain about the lack of pay, b/c they’re doing themselves a disservice by just complaining.”
Today Draymond talked about his Tweets about women’s sports that received criticism from athletes like @mPinoe & @Layshiac @kron4news #DubNation pic.twitter.com/7iUQ982jx9— Kylen Mills (@KylenMills) April 1, 2021
WNBA Player’s Association President Nneka Ogwumike responded to Green’s remarks, noting that he simply has no understanding of what’s going on.
“I think what I’m feeling is a lot of miseducation and ignorance…It’s great to know that there are allies out there that are seeking to see the women’s game better and the women’s business be better at sport,” she said. “But I do think that a lot of that education and the dispelling of the ignorance that we experience, just on an individual level, it can really be dissolved by us having conversations.”
“I think what I’m feeling is a lot of miseducation and ignorance…I do appreciate Draymond coming out and using his platform to talk about it. I would like to take it a step further…and continue the discussions, even if they’re offline.” @Nnemkadi30 on @Money23Green comments. pic.twitter.com/y0nIXubKyi
— Khristina Williams (Founder, Girls Talk Sports TV) (@Khristina2334) April 1, 2021
She welcomes the chance to continue the conversation with Green and educate him about the efforts being made by WNBA players.
“We’re in a time right now where we need to make space for the people who are directly experiencing the inequities and also allow those who have the power to understand how they can use their power to see things moving forward. So when that comes to women in sport, I do appreciate Draymond coming out and using his platform to talk about it. I’d like to take it a step further and say, hey, let’s continue the discussions for us to figure out how to move forward.”
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