Last week, Chicago – home to the WNBA’s Sky – was the site of the 2024 Democratic National Convention. The United Center – home to the NBA’s Bulls – was the site for all of the festivities.
This year’s convention is already being lauded as perhaps the greatest convention in the history of politics – a mere microcosm of the palpable (and growing) enthusiasm for the Democratic presidential ticket since President Joe Biden opted to drop out of the running.
Since Biden dropped out and the entirety of the Democratic Party coalesced around Vice President Kamala Harris as the nominee, the enthusiasm on the Democratic side has conjured fond memories of Barack Obama’s successful 2008 presidential bid.
As politically active as WNBA players are, expect a good number of them to make their voices heard throughout these next couple of months as election day draws ever so closer.
At this year’s Democratic National Convention, at least three from the host city’s WNBA team were in attendance. The Chicago Tribune’s Julia Poe reported that Brianna Turner, Elizabeth Williams and Michaela Onyenwere were in attendance on the city’s west side for the second day of the convention. That was the day Barack and our forever First Lady Michelle Obama were the keynote speakers.
Onyenwere gave her thoughts to the Tribune on her experience being among the electric atmosphere at the United Center.
I’m not an emotional person – like, at all. But just to see the emotions from different people, from people who look like me, it’s just so important. Seeing somebody who is in that light do what you can do as well – I can’t even put it into words. It’s so powerful, so inspiring. It’s just everything for young Black girls and boys.
–Michaela Onyenwere, Chicago Sky (Chicago Tribune)
Anyone who has observed Turner over the years understands that she is one of the more outspoken WNBA players – and she is well-versed on both W issues and matters of the greater society at large.
Turner also spoke with the Tribune and gave her perspective. She was particularly asked about how high-profile athletes – such as WNBA players – have fully embraced today’s era of player empowerment to let their voices be heard in the political arena.
They get to clock out of their job and watch a sport to kind of take their mind off of things. But at the end of the day, like yes, we’re athletes, but at the same time we’re humans, we’re voters. We live in the same world. So I know a lot of people might see it as, like, ‘Well, why can’t they just shoot and dribble and do all these other things?’ But we’re humans first, athletes second. And we have a voice. So why can’t we use it?
–Brianna Turner, Chicago Sky (Chicago Tribune)
WNBA players certainly let their voices be known four years ago in the Florida bubble. Despite a global pandemic, WNBA players – particularly those from the Atlanta Dream – rallied Georgia voters around Reverend Raphael Warnock’s bid to unseat former Dream owner Kelly Loeffler in that year’s U.S. Senate election.
Warnock’s bid was successful – as was Jon Ossoff’s effort to unseat David Perdue. Now, Georgia has two Democratic senators. Warnock was another of the noteworthy speakers at this year’s DNC.
The result was the Dream being sold from Loeffler to a group that included Renee Montgomery who was tweeting throughout most of the festivities.
Speaking of players who weighed in with their Democratic National Convention thoughts…
Angel Reese, who also tweeted a series of thoughts throughout the DNC was asked about her take on said convention as well as this year’s election.
Women’s basketball did have a presence at the DNC beyond the three Sky players who were on hand. In the introductory video welcoming convention-goers to Chicago, a clip from Candace Parker’s tenure with the Sky was part of said video package.
And while the Democratic Roll Call of states which pledged delegates to Harris drew headlines for Lil Jon’s cameo representing Georgia, the South Carolina delegation also paid homage to the defending national champion Gamecocks and head coach Dawn Staley.
With around 70 days to go until November 5 and the contest being close in a number of states that will tilt thins in either direction, the time is now to go full out and all in.
That means not only making a plan to vote, but also staying on top of one’s registration status as several states are attempting to play Russian roulette with one’s ability to vote as well.
Whether it is early, whether it is main-in, whether it is absentee or whether it is on November 5th…Reese tweeted it best…
