On a Zoom call ahead of the rescheduled Summer Olympics in Tokyo, United States women’s national team star Megan Rapinoe responded to a string of tweets sent by Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green last month, according to ESPN.
Addressed to WNBA stars Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Candace Parker, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Brittney Griner and WNBA’s players’ association president Nneka Ogwumike, Green’s tweets had to do with the pay gap between male and female athletes.
Though the tone of the tweets seemed as if it was intended to be helpful and encouraging, Rapinoe told reporters they were misguided and said she didn’t like the way Green seemed to blame women for making “complaints” instead of taking action.
“It’s really unfortunate, in the position [Green’s] in, having all of the resources that he has and the ability to have a much more educated opinion, that he just hasn’t,” Rapinoe said. “And then, drag all these other people into it by tagging them and speaking at a time when the [NCAA] tournament is going on and all that we saw with the lack of resources and funding. That’s frustrating that’s the take you have. You obviously showed your whole ass in not even understanding what we all talk about all the time — WNBA players and us on the national team. Like what Sue [Bird] said, you tagged the wrong people. You don’t think we asked for more money? I mean, what are we screaming about? Nonstop.”
Rapinoe, who has been a driving force in USWNT’s quest for equal pay and also has spoken about the need for a greater level of investment and media coverage for the U.S. women, continued.
“We are getting obnoxious to ourselves, to be honest. And then two or three days later, to completely double down on it is really frustrating,” she said. “We know all this, about all social movements and all people who are marginalized, whether it’s by race or gender, religion, sexuality, whatever it is, it is not just their job to be the ones fighting oppression. We need all of the other people as well. So to have someone who does know what it is like to be oppressed, in many ways, to heap that all back on female players, or people who play female sports, it is just really disappointing. When we talk about equality and women’s sports, we always talk first about investment, and funding and resources and marketing and branding and investing in not just the players but the support staff and coaching and media, TV media, print media, all of it,” she said. “Those are the things that we talk about first, and I think anybody who watches us or follows us, or really has skin in the game and equal pay or equality in that sense, knows that that’s what we talk about first.”
Green, who is fairly active on social media, has yet to respond.
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