Hi everyone,
I have always prided myself on hating sports. I’ve never liked them, or been good at them, and when my mom made me play soccer as a kid so that I would be physically active, my favorite position was “bench.” When I’m at a bar watching sports on TV, I’ve always noticed, I’m not watching the game, I’m literally just reading the crawl at the bottom of the screen. It’s always been a moral line in the sand I draw that I am never going to be a sports girl.
That is, until maybe a week or so ago when I discovered how amazing women’s basketball is. And no, it’s not just because I’m gay, I mean, that’s obviously how I got into it because all of my social media was flooded with this stuff, but it’s actually pretty cool because they’re sooooo good.
For those of you, like me, who don’t really know much about sports at all: I’ll tell you what’s important. In March, Iowa Hawkeyes’ Caitlin Clark became the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer across women's and men’s basketball, updating the 54-year-long record. She’s known for shooting three-point-baskets from the printed logo in the middle of the court (which is almost 24 feet from the hoop and anyone at your gym couldn’t do it with all the adderal in the world) She was born in 2002 (which is disgustingly recent) and she is a marketing major! Because yeah, college basketball stars are still in college.
Anyway, she was the number one draft pick for the WNBA, just signed onto the Indiana Fever team (because they get to pick first, I guess it’s a rotation), and for her first year on the team will be paid…$76,535. She’s just about the best basketball player in the world right now, and they’re not even giving her enough money to live without roommates! She’s making entry level money from the team and is being forced to live in Indiana. (she will be okay she’s got a ton of brand deals)
When I was a kid in Connecticut, my lesbian ass gym teachers (not confirmed, but heavily suspected, either way, queer icons) decorated the whole school when Uconn’s women’s and men’s basketball made history by both winning some blah blah blah whatever thing. It was a huge accomplishment, genuinely inspiring, and the most recent time I was proud to be from CT. (I was 7)
It’s badass record-breaking women like Caitlin Clark whose accomplishments truly highlight that we are all capable of anything we set our minds to, except making as much money as men. That’s something I’m still waiting for history to be made in. Clark doesn’t stop hustling on the court, and her hard work shows. She makes me think “I can do anything” except play basketball. I do not think I can do that.
I’m truly so happy that WBB is having a moment that I hope lasts forever, even though it’s forcing me to research what a “point guard” is.
That being said, come support other women following their dreams tonight at the best show in the world, Drule comedy!!!! We have such a cool lineup tonight filled with some of the most funny badasses and I can’t wait to see you there!!
Love, Claire bear