So why was Brittney Griner, one of the best women’s basketball players in the world, playing basketball in a Russian league?
She, like many other female professional athletes, had to take her athletic talents outside of the United States in order to supplement their income, a decision the majority of their male counterparts don’t have to make.
Britney Griner’s unlawful detainment demonstrates that, despite their athletic talents, the safety of Black women, especially Black queer women, is always uncertain.
Opportunities within the United States are severely limited in women’s basketball. There are only 12 WNBA teams with a limited number of available roster spots each year. Only 36 women hear their names called on Draft Day, but that doesn’t guarantee them a spot. Last year, 16 of those 36 draftees were waived before the season began, and another six were waived or released shortly after the season started.
Given this reality, many women must travel outside of the US if they want to continue playing basketball professionally.
But even many rostered WNBA players travel abroad to play during the offseason, as their earning potential is much higher internationally. Top WNBA players can earn nearly four times their WNBA salary when playing internationally, which is tough to turn down despite safety concerns and foreign politics.
Griner’s plight has laid open the fears many female athletes, specifically Black female athletes, have regarding their safety abroad.
Researchers within other academic disciplines, like myself, are working to understand how sports and geography impact the lived and professional experiences of Black female athletes. In my research, I’ve learned that these experiences significantly shape their personal and professional identities. This is unsurprising given the way these athletes occupy space and their interactions with the places they find themselves.
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