WNBA rookie Paige Bueckers slams ‘White privilege’ in sports media coverage; says black athletes are undercovered

In a recent interview, WNBA star Paige Bueckers addressed racial disparities in media coverage of women's basketball. To be specific, Bueckers said that Black female athletes are undercover and do not get the visibility white female athletes do.The No. 1 overall pick for the Dallas Wings stressed that Black women athletes continue to receive less media attention than white athletes, even with some improvements. This is not the first time the athlete has addressed this issue. During the 2021 ESPY Awards acceptance speech, Bueckers highlighted the limited media coverage for Black women in sports.Bueckers had mentioned that Black athletes frequently dominate in performance, but their media visibility doesn't reflect their contributions. She reiterated this point in her recent interview and said, "It's still an issue, every single day. There's not ever equal coverage." The media coverage gap is particularly clear in the WNBA, a league primarily made up of Black women.Despite this, white players like Bueckers and Caitlin Clark often receive more media attention. Bueckers acknowledged this imbalance, "I feel like I've worked extremely hard, blessed by God. But I do think there's more opportunities for me. I feel like even just marketability, people tend to favor white people, white males, white women."The underrepresentation of Black women in sports media has wider consequences, affecting the visibility of their achievements and the stories told about their careers. During the ESPY Awards, Bueckers had said, “With the light that I have now as a white woman who leads a Black-led sport, and celebrated here, I want to show a light on Black women." “They don’t get the media coverage that they deserve. They’ve given so much to the sport, and the community, and society as a whole, and their value is undeniable. …She further added, “Sports media holds the key to storylines. Sports media and sponsors tell us who is valuable, and you have told the world that I matter today. And everyone who voted, thank you. But I think we should use this power together to also celebrate Black women.”