The link roundups this month are free because it’s Pride Month and since my content is queer year-round, that feels like one thing I can do to mark the occasion for my free subscribers. Thank you for being here! Please consider upgrading to a paid subscription if you like what you read! Paid subscriptions allow me to dedicate more time to this newsletter. It’s not just the time I spend writing, but the time I spend planning, researching, and reporting that is supported by upgrading.
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I spent a few days in NYC this past week and saw my first game at Barclays—it’s a vibe! My partner surprised me with floor seats for the Liberty’s game against the Mystics and I can’t believe it took me so long to get to a game there. I also had a very New York experience in which I was wearing my Jojo Siwa shirt and then Jojo and G Flip walked by me in Times Square (I did not say hi, I never want to bother celebrities in public but it felt very on-brand, as Jojo was ranting loudly to G about TikToks).
Let’s get into it.
Some updates from the world of queer (and women’s) sports, aka happy pride month etc. Stay tuned this weekend for a breakdown of some of the fallout following the PWHL Draft this week, specifically around PWHL Minnesota’s decision to draft Britta Curl, a player with a history of homophobic and transphobic views.
Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman, who have been teammates on the Connecticut Sun and now the Minnesota Lynx, continued their tradition of (probably) fucking with everyone regarding their (potential) dating history:
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed transgender swimmer Lia Thomas’ challenge against World Aquatics. “For decades, the International Olympic Committee and almost all Olympic International Federations have required athletes to arbitrate disputes at CAS,” said Hudson Taylor, Founder and Executive Director at Athlete Ally. “By dismissing Lia Thomas’ legal challenge against World Aquatics, the CAS has denied her fundamental right to access an effective remedy for acts that violate her human rights. This is a sad day for sports and for anyone who believes that trans athletes should have the opportunity for their experiences of discrimination to be heard and adjudicated like everyone else.”
Hobey Baker was America's first hockey star and is the only player in both the collegiate football Hall of Fame and the football Hall of Fame. He was also queer. ESPN has a podcast about his life and legacy and it’s a must-listen.
For anyone on the Connecticut Sun’s DiJonai Carrington and the Indiana Fever’s NaLyssa Smith watch: the two were seen chatting after the Sun and Fever played each other earlier this week, they posed for photos together after the game, and Smith was seen sitting courtside at the Sun’s game against the Chicago Sky tonight.
Shakeia Taylor wrote a great column on why the intersections of race and sexuality matter when it comes to the conversation around Caitlin Clark.
Elliot Page was courtside at Barclays to watch the Liberty (with Chase Strangio, whose tattooed arm you can see on the left side of the photo. hi, Chase!).
So was Fran Lebowitz, who gave an incredible comment about Liberty mascot Ellie the Elephant.
Speaking of Ellie, it was her birthday last week. I was at the game! And now we know: Ellie, the gay icon, was born during Pride Month and is also a Gemini.
What out WNBA player are you based on your sign? Finding out that Chelsea Gray is a Libra just reinforces my theory that Libras make the best point guards (see also: Sue Bird, Paige Bueckers)
Layshia Clarendon showed up to the Sparks’ Pride Game wearing a shirt with their face on it. You can get your own at BreakingT.
Sparks coach Curt Miller also spoke about being the first (and basically only) openly gay male coach in pro basketball. “For the longest time, I didn’t want to be known as the gay head coach but just the successful coach,” he said. “However, too many young coaches are concerned about advancement & opportunities..so I will keep carrying the banner and challenge the decision makers to open doors to others.”
Sparks rookie Cameron Brink said “happy pride, I’m an ally” in this interview with UPROXX: “There is a privilege that we have inherently, and the privilege of appearing feminine. Some of my teammates are more masculine. Some of my teammates go by they/them pronouns. I want to bring more acceptance to that and not just have people support us because of the way that we look. I know I can feed into that because I like to dress femininely, but that’s just me. I want everyone to be accepted — not just paid attention to because of how they look.”
Christen Press and Tobin Heath announced the return of their RE-CAP Show.
The WNBA’s newfound popularity has triggered a boom in commentary from men who have no idea what they’re talking about, writes Jemele Hill at The Atlantic
Shakeia Taylor covered the Chicago Red Stars record-breaking game at Wrigley Field, and talked to an incredible queer family who had traveled from Texas to see the game.
In the fight over transgender participation in U.S. sports, the right to play is simply an opening act, writes Jerry Brewer at The Washington Post
Not Like Other Dykes: On Femininity, Basketball, and the Caitlin Clark Effect—I love this essay from Mac Crane: “Under a white supremacist cisheteropatriarchy, is possible to have an audience, a fanbase, that isn’t complicit in some way? That isn’t feeding into the cycle and perpetuation of desirability politics on the court?”
Happy Pride Month to Olympic gold medal gymnast Laurie Hernandez, who went public with her girlfriend
Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe announced they are developing a docuseries about the lives of pro women athletes: The series promises to spotlight these athletes “as they navigate the complexities of pro-sports and their relationships off the field. With a focus on the unique dynamics within these leagues, such as relationships between teammates or rivals, the show explores the challenges and triumphs of wins, losses and love as a world class athlete.”
Rolling Stone ran a massive feature on the WNBA and included a classic Diana Taurasi quote: “I’m not a marketing major. I don’t fucking know how all this shit works. I’m here to ball out and try to kill whoever’s in front of me. You know what I mean?”
Speaking of Bird and Taurasi… DT will be heading to a record sixth Olympics, making her the first basketball player to do so.
Brittney Griner revealed in the Rolling Stone piece that she wants her kid to call her Pops! Here is BG and her wife, Cherelle, looking stunning in this maternity shoot:
In other WNBA baby news, Candace Parker and her wife, Anna Petrakova, had a son and named him after Parker’s beloved Tennessee coach and WBB legend, Pat Summit.
The
podcast has a deep dive into the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Miriam Adelson. Nobody donated as much to Donald Trump in 2020 than Adelson: “When Miriam Adelson bought the Mavericks last year, sources tell that the NBA and Adam Silver would not allow her to be the franchise's primary owner, or governor, because ‘her political reputation was apparently so radioactive.’”Three Valencia fans have been handed eight-month prison sentences after pleading guilty to racially insulting Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior in the first conviction for racism-related cases in professional soccer in Spain.
Mom and Dad looked great this week: