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The Importance of Women’s Equality in the Sports & Entertainment Industry

The National Basketball Association (NBA) was founded on August 3, 1949 after the merging of the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and the National Basketball League (NBL). However, the first official, professional basketball game was played under the BAA on November 1, 1946. They may not have know it at the time but the NBA would go on to become the most prestigious, profitable basketball league in the world.

However, you might be surprised to find out that back then there were only 11 teams and 0 Black players. Furthermore, women were left out of the conversation entirely. In fact, it wasn’t until April of 1996 that the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) was created, even though by then women had been playing basketball for over 100 years. Despite finally having a professional basketball league to play in, women continued to be discounted, underpaid, undervalued, and unrecognized.

Despite still having a long way to go when it comes to pay equality, exclusive access to practice facilities, fitness, and travel options, as well as equal marketing opportunities, the current players of the Women’s National Basketball Association are beginning to enjoy astronomical improvements in treatment. After years of calling attention to these issues and fighting for the experience they deserve, WNBA players have contributed to soaring ratings, fan engagement, and overall interest and love for the sport of basketball.