Jordan Walker grew up watching Skylar Diggins-Smith at Notre Dame.
Diggins-Smith, a two-time First Staff All-American, was one of many first outstanding women’s school basketball players to embrace trying female on the court docket. Seeing a Black lady do this on a nationwide stage had a long-lasting impression on Walker as a younger Black participant.
“She’s so fairly and she simply carries herself so good and she appears to be like so elegant, however on the court docket she does the identical factor,” the Tennessee Girl Vols guard remembered considering. “She nonetheless appears to be like elegant, appears to be like put collectively, however she’s a beast, you already know? She will be able to knock down photographs, play protection, all of that.”
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Chicago Sky level guard Dana Evans stated Diggins-Smith, now a six-time WNBA All-Star, marked the start of the brand new technology of players – a technology of Black girls who select to be authentically themselves on the court docket.
“I feel she actually modified issues round the place you are trying girly, you are in a position to present various things on the court docket,” stated Evans. “I feel she was one of many players to form of begin that and I feel a variety of players fed off of that.”
However that shift has not come with out exterior resistance. Players who select to look female whereas taking part in basketball even have confronted criticism for their appears to be like, together with Tennessee center Tamari Key this season.
‘Seeing that made my coronary heart damage’
After Tennessee’s lackluster begin to the season, a faction of fans attacked Key on social media for carrying eyelash extensions and nails, although she wore them throughout her career-best junior season, too.
Some accused Key of caring about her appears to be like greater than profitable, or claimed she was taking part in poorly due to her nails and eyelashes. Key declined to remark for this story.
The accusations highlighted how women’s basketball nonetheless offers with racism and misogyny.
“Seeing these feedback form of made my coronary heart drop, as a result of no one deserves to must take care of that,” South Carolina guard Brea Beal stated. “Seeing that made my coronary heart damage, as a result of I’ve seen these feedback for myself and my teammates or individuals I am pals with within the basketball neighborhood. It is not a superb feeling to must take care of that, and it form of weighs heavy in your thoughts, individuals blaming how I’m taking part in on my look. For some individuals, it begins to mess with them.”
Walker is one among a number of Girl Vols who put on eyelash extensions and stated there is a lack of know-how behind the criticism. Every time she will get her lashes carried out, it is in spite of everything her basketball obligations are taken care of.
“They simply have their opinions on it and it appears like, ‘Oh, she missed that shot as a result of she will’t see due to her lashes,’ however no, I can see completely high quality. I simply missed the shot,” Walker stated. “I really feel like a variety of feedback are like that, but it surely’s simply because they really do not perceive and they do not know. And so I feel that the schooling piece is one of the best half.”
The racism behind the criticism
When Evans was at Louisville, individuals gave her the nickname “lashes.”
Some followers even obtained sun shades with lashes on them. Evans, a two-time ACC Participant of the Yr, has worn eyelash extensions since highschool, but it surely grew to become a part of her model at Louisville. Now, she has a partnership with OpulenceMD Magnificence, selling secure eye magnificence for all girls – and it features a lash merchandising machine at Louisville.
The one manner Beal may categorical herself on the court docket rising up was portray her nails pink. However when she obtained to varsity, she discovered confidence in carrying lash extensions, nails and totally different hairstyles.
How Beal, Walker, Evans and different players select to specific themselves on the court docket is a part of who they’re. Evans stated it is clear that feedback like those directed at Key are racist, and individuals realize it.
“It is not honest to us, and as a fan, I really feel like – you could have a variety of Black girls which are expressing themselves. Why are you making an attempt to downgrade them?” Evans stated. “Why are you making an attempt to make them really feel lower than themselves, when you ought to be supporting them once they’re taking part in for your workforce?”
Regardless that there are non-Black players who put on lashes, it is Black girls being focused.
“I feel they’ve to simply settle for it, as a result of the vast majority of the ladies are Black players. I imply, you possibly can even look within the WNBA, majority of the players are Black,” Evans stated. “They’ve to regulate to Black girls having the ability to categorical themselves and they must stay with it. They simply have to just accept it, as a result of we’re right here to remain.”
How players really feel empowered and market themselves
With the brand new technology of players got here a brand new period of school sports activities.
There’s extra at stake for players with regards to how they current themselves on the court docket and on social media due to alternatives for identify, picture and likeness offers.
“I positively assume for Black girls in any sport, I really feel like it’s important to do the additional issues to be included, or to be broadcasted extra in comparison with different athletes,” Beal stated. “So I do really feel like naturally, as unhealthy because it sounds, individuals do put Black athletes in that field, and they must do loopy issues or stand out to be truly talked about or observed.”
WNBA players aren’t making thousands and thousands of {dollars} like NBA players, and Evans stated they continuously must market themselves and discover different avenues to earn cash.
“We now have to indicate how marketable we’re,” Evans stated, “and how we’re additionally a basketball participant – however we are able to additionally mannequin, we could be fairly, we are able to do different issues.”
Nevertheless it’s additionally about inspiring the subsequent technology of players, as Diggins-Smith impressed Evans and Walker.
“It is so many women that typically are nervous to simply be themselves,” Evans stated. “However I feel as WNBA players, I feel we’re setting a typical and letting them know that it is OK to be you. It is OK if you wish to put on fits, if you wish to put on heels. I feel we’re setting that normal and letting individuals know that they’ll simply be themselves.”
This text initially appeared on Knoxville Information Sentinel: Black women’s college basketball players navigate criticism of appearance
