On Thursday, the WNBA announced the launch of “Take a Seat, Take a Stand,” a new
women and girls empowerment program for the 2018 season. Through this
initiative, for each ticket purchased, the league will donate $5 to one of six
organizations of the fans’ choosing in addition to a ticket to send a young
woman or girl to a game.
The six national partner organizations are Bright Pink, GLSEN, It’s On Us,
MENTOR, Planned Parenthood and The United State of Women.
On a conference call with media this week, WNBA stars Candace Parker and Maya
Moore were asked about “Take a Seat, Take a Stand” and activism in sports.
Parker and Moore will go head-to-head when the Lynx host the Sparks in their
season opener on Sunday (5 p.m. ET, ESPN2).
First, here is what each player had to say:
Candace Parker
“The WNBA has always done a great job of being at the forefront of social
issues. Not silencing opinions, and not shying away from discussion. And I think
that’s the biggest thing – just talking to one another and being open to
understanding we have differences. We can’t ignore it. I think that’s kind of
where we’re at in this social climate, in this age. Think about social media.
You send out a tweet, and how many people ready it right away? So it’s not just
playing basketball anymore. And I really respect and credit the WNBA for
supporting the players and supporting inclusion. I feel like that’s the biggest
thing. We have to work together. Everybody’s different, and we are a league that
represents that.”
Maya Moore
“I think there’s been a lot of positive things going on across our country. The
ability to connect in so many ways – because of technology, because of
campaigns, because of people raising awareness – it helps. As the WNBA and its
players, we like to take advantage of our platform and the opportunity to
connect and empower other women. Whatever you’re passionate about, I feel like
our league backs us up. I’m looking forward to continuing to use my platform
individually – and I know I have coaches and teammates that feel the same way –
to make sure we take advantage of the opportunities we have. It’s exciting to
know that we get to come to work and not just play the sport we love, but also
be able to help other women do the things they want to be great at.”
