Hey, Her Campus Sports Girls! We need to talk about something that needs more recognition: The WNBA. Since its beginning, the WNBA has been essential in promoting competitive women’s basketball. Despite the league’s incredible talent, growing fan base, and great impact on culture, it needs help to receive the attention it deserves compared to the NBA. Due to how people perceive women, media coverage, and cultural views on women’s sports, men’s sports get more attention than women’s.
Comparisons
There is a long history of unequal treatment in sports, so the WNBA needs to get more attention. For a long time, sports were seen as something only men could do. Women were left out of the games or not allowed to play. Since then, Women have come a long way in getting into sports, but these comparisons still affect how female players are seen. It’s unfair to compare the WNBA to the NBA because it’s a women’s team. People who criticize women’s basketball often point out the differences in speed or dunking, but they don’t consider the unique skills and tactics that make it unique. The game is the same in both leagues. People criticize the WNBA because they are women. When comparing the two, people find the women’s league less entertaining, which takes away from the accomplishments of WNBA players.
Media Coverage
How the media portrays sports dramatically affects how people think about them. The WNBA gets less attention from the public than The NBA does. This leads to people not tuning into the games or paying for tickets to see them. This can also cause the ratings to go down and cause women to receive less pay. When they do get coverage, the stories are often less detailed or exciting than the stories about male players. Fans also only get a few chances to connect with players, learn about their lives, and keep up with the league because of the lack of media coverage. WNBA games are often shown on less popular or inconvenient channels, while NBA games are on extensive networks such as ESPN and at perfect times. People feel that there isn’t much interest in women’s basketball because of this, making it seem that the women are not entertaining. Yet the viewership goes up when games are shown on more popular channels. Games such as IOWA vs LSU got more ratings in college basketball than any college women’s game, which shows that more people want to see the league when it gets the attention it deserves.
Unequal Pay
Another big issue that affects recognition is the difference in pay between WNBA and NBA stars. WNBA players don’t receive half the money that NBA players make. The highest-paid WNBA stars make less each year than the average NBA athlete who is a bench player. This shows that people need to invest in the game. Many WNBA players must play overseas during their off-season to make enough money to live on. This makes it harder for them to focus on their jobs and gain fans in the United States. Marketing campaigns by the NBA, teams, and companies have made it so that NBA players are well-known. Meanwhile, the WNBA needs more help getting the same amount of media attention. Recently, more changes have started to happen as players like Angel Reese and Catlin Clark have gained attention. Although brands and advertisers are beginning to see the benefits of working with WNBA players, these athletes still have a long way to go before becoming as well-known as their male peers.
Social Media
Many people don’t recognize the WNBA because of how society views women’s sports. Many people grow up mainly watching male games and not any other sports. Kids who don’t get involved can develop unconscious biases that stay with them until they age. Some people think that women’s sports are “lesser” and start making hate comments on different social media platforms. However, this is slowly beginning to change. The WNBA has some of the world’s most skilled and fast players, like Breanna Stewart, A’ja Wilson, and Dijonai Carrington. Social media and well-known brands have also helped players reach a greater audience, fight stereotypes, and inspire young female athletes.
The WNBA could become as great or even better than the NBA with better coverage, pay, and viewership. This league will become more well-known and respected as cultural views change and more people see how vital women’s sports are. Many changes are happening, with viewers becoming more active and players getting promotions. A’ja Wilson even got her signature shoe! Some people call the WNBA a “women’s league,” but it’s a platform for great basketball, and it should get the same attention or even more recognition than the NBA. Men’s and women’s sports are viewed differently, but by supporting them, we can help close the gap and make the future of sports more open to everyone.
