The WNBA‘s rookies are preparing for their first season in the league. With that comes a slew of new experiences off of the court that involve the press. Introductory press conferences are the norm, and we recently saw the first presser for Angel Reese, as well as Caitlin Clark and Alissa Pili. There were stark differences between Pilli’s and Clark’s presentations as opposed to Reese whose introduction was more subdued and lacked the fanfare.
It’s rather simple to make a racial distinction as to why Reese didn’t receive the welcome that Pili and Clark did. But making that distinction doesn’t necessarily mean that was the impetus for such treatment. The Chicago Sky’s ownership group may have just been negligent. However, they can’t afford to be this negligent again.
The Indiana Fever’s social team has been a blessing to us all with the pageantry of Clark’s arrival to the league. We’re getting content surrounding her thoughts on the way to her presser; we’re seeing fans fill the building where she will get her introduction. It’s smiling faces and good energy all around. Pili’s intro was met with similar documentation. We got to see how the Minnesota Lynx reached out to a folkloric Samoan group to do a presentation for Pili. They went out of their way to show their commitment to her and acknowledged her culture. They showed us backstage footage of Pili meeting the staff and walking into her home arena for the first time.
There has been no such content put out by the Chicago Sky for Reese. It breeds a perception that her arrival to the league is less than, but Reese is anything but. She isn’t a scrub by far, she’s a damn NCAA champion. The Sky has to understand the star that they have on their hands. Her jerseys have sold out too. The optics wreak of a Black woman once again not attaining what she has rightfully earned. It may be unfair, but as an organization, it’s your responsibility to grow your team’s brand and ensure your stars feel like big deals.
Far too often do we have to relate things to race. But it’s necessary to highlight these inequities. Put yourself in their shoes. Imagine walking into a quiet gymnasium for your first-ever presser with no real camera crew and no journey documentation. What’s there to write home about? You see your colleagues being documented with much more dignity. It has to leave a bad taste in your mouth. That needs to change, and fast. If not, the Sky’s public perception will plummet.
