“Absolutely. But people look at sports as more of a male-dominant type of thing. I like the Seattle Storm; I keep up with them, but most people don’t. You just have to really be tuned into sports to be worried about both sides of the fence. I’m saying it’s not that people are not worried about female sports and how they are treated; it’s just the fact that people are more in tune with what’s popping, and male sports are popping.”
“So, outside looking in, I would say yes. There’s a lot that goes into player negotiations. Player compensation is based on the business of the sport. I’m not as knowledgeable about the WNBA’s player and league relationships in terms of shared revenue. I’m not as knowledgeable about the WNBA’s position and relationship in accordance with TV contracts. Here’s where I think they can leverage some of the things that the NBA is doing. Let’s look at what the NBA has done from a collective bargaining agreement and find ways that they can implement it into their league in order to increase the compensation and the shared profit — the shared revenue — with the league.”
“I would imagine double standards exist. When it comes to men and women dynamics, there have always been double standards on both sides. Whether you see it from a patriarchal or matriarchal lens, fans of the opposite sex are going to have their perspectives on sports. Fans are going to look at competition through their own eyes and judge accordingly.”
“I can see how men might still be apprehensive about the ability of women to entertain them and have set standards that some women can attain. Women want equality, so their energy a lot of times is to prove themselves, and standards are set for them to compete that are not available to men, so double standards are just the nature of life between men and women.”
“Yeah, I do think that there is a double standard in the way that WNBA players are traded versus NBA players. I don’t think it’s really rooted in the fact that the league is really trying to treat those players differently. It’s just really the fact that it’s honestly two different leagues, right? The audience is different, the engagement is different, the value even is a little different. I think both leagues have got athletes, but it’s just the value that people, in general, attach to each of the leagues. There are still those stereotypes — patriarchal, women are not supposed to play the same sport as men, and this kind of thing. I think that’s really where the difference in treatment is.”
“Yeah, but the NBA has been around longer, so I don’t know — that is a tough one.”
“I think it’s the patriarchy. I think our society, between our male and female individuals, has a hierarchical system. And, you know, our women are treated unfairly, and there is a double standard.”
