WNBA Partners with the WNBPA to Donate $25,000 to Black Women’s Health Imperative as Part of the League’s Focus on Health Equity

WNBA Ball , Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images

NEW YORK, April 15, 2021 –  During the WNBA Draft 2021 presented by State Farm®, to be televised on ESPN on Thursday, April 15, from 7-9 p.m. ET, the WNBA will debut a player-led vaccine-relatedPublic Service Announcement  featuring New York Liberty guard Layshia Clarendon, Los Angeles Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike, Atlanta Dream center Elizabeth Williams, and Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson.  The WNBA/WNBPA Social Justice Council, founded after the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, will focus on health equity, highlighting the inequities and systemic racism in healthcare, while championing the importance of mental health, as one of their key focus areas during the 2021 season.

Throughout the PSA, the players shine a light on health inequities experienced by communities of color and the significant impacts of COVID-19 specifically on Black women and girls, and support further awareness and education around the vaccines.

As part of the WNBA’s commitment to combat pre-existing racial and economic inequities, including underinvestment in public health and unequal access to care, the league will partner with the WNBPA to donate $25,000 to the Black Women’s Health Imperative, supporting their mission to help protect and advance the health and wellness of Black women and girls.  Additionally, the WNBA plans to bring community vaccine sites to its markets before the start of season.

The PSA and donation are part of the overarching 25^th Season ‘Count It’ campaign that serves as a backdrop for the entire 2021 season, when the WNBA and WNBPA will celebrate the players’ history of advocacy across a variety of societal issues. Led by the WNBA/WNBPA Social Justice Council, the league and union will continue to advance the efforts of the Justice Movement, the platform initiated in 2020 through which the players lead important work in the community to combat racial and gender inequality, promote advocacy for LBGTQ+ rights, and champion reform in systems where injustice persists. These collaborative efforts represent the WNBA/WNBPA’s continued commitment to advancing social justice and being a driving force of necessary change.