A’ja Wilson, a WNBA player, made comments implying white athletes should defer to black peers rather than focus on their own success.
During an interview, Wilson praised Paige Bueckers by saying she recognizes her “privilege” and understands elevating black women.
“Us, as black women, Paige reminds me a lot of you,” Wilson said. “Like you say, ‘It’s not really about me.’ She knows. And she knows how her privilege has gotten her to that point.
Remember when a 19-year old Paige Bueckers used her ESPY’s speech to call out the excessive coverage players who look like her receive in the media? pic.twitter.com/xzroOkIj4Q
— DFAntastic (@PhillyTradesman) April 2, 2024
Some argue, however, Bueckers’ exceptional skills are why she succeeds, not her race.
“And also, she’s good at basketball, obviously. She understands her privilege. It’s like what pushes her over the top in a sense. It reminds me a lot of you. And I mean, that’s a compliment.”
Others feel Wilson inappropriately injected race into the discussion.
“With the light that I have now as a white woman who leads a black-led sport and celebrated here, I want to shed a light on black women,” Bueckers said.
“They don’t get the media coverage that they deserve. They’ve given so much to the sport, the community and society as a whole and their value is undeniable.”
She 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 mattered today. Everyone who voted, thank you. But I think we should use this power together to also celebrate black women.”
While Bueckers has acknowledged black women’s contributions to her sport, comments suggesting athletes apologize for their abilities or “privilege” rather than compete on merit alone were criticized as promoting a draining victim mentality.
“Hope A’ja understand her privilege to say some crazy [expletive] like that,” one Youtube commenter wrote.
“This kind of thinking has to be so exhausting and miserable. What is she even talking about?” another commenter wrote.
