buckle up: this week in women's sports has felt like a year

a roundup of news and reading from around queer women's sports

There are a lot of new people here; welcome! Strap in for a rundown of this week in queer women’s sports. It’s a doozy!

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So much queer women’s sports news has happened that this week has felt like a month, particularly in the WNBA. I wanted to send out another roundup of women’s sports news and links so that we don’t get too behind.

Last night were the two semifinal Game 3s and, lucky for us, there will be Game 4s tomorrow in both series. The Minnesota Lynx outplayed a listless Connecticut Sun to take a 2-1 series lead, while the Las Vegas Aces avoided elimination by holding the New York Liberty to just 6 third quarter points. That series is also now 2-1. Both best of five series continue tomorrow.

Before we get into all the things that went down this week, here’s a palate cleanser—PWHL Sceptres goalie Carly Jackson in a suit:

carlyjackson97

A post shared by @carlyjackson97

The discussion of WNBA media coverage has continued all week

Let’s start with the continued discussion of the WNBPA’s statement requesting that USA TODAY columnist Christine Brennan have her credentials revoked. If you haven’t already read my deep dive into her women’s basketball coverage this season, that’s a great place to start.

the WNBA players' unprecedented stand against 'biased' reporting

Here is some more reading (and listening!) on the issue that is very much worth your time. Because all of Brennan’s reporting was about Caitlin Clark this season, many of these conversations address her, too. But the Fever have been eliminated from the playoffs for over a week and people are still talking about Clark and I realize that I am contributing to that dynamic, too. As such, this will be the last I will be discussing her until after the season ends. I’d like to focus on the teams and players who are still out there balling and chasing a chip:

• I was on the End of Sport podcast this week to talk about “The Caitlin Clark Effect,” including the ugly culture wars that have been ignited by her presence in the WNBA this season.

• At The Washington Post, sports media reporter Ben Strauss spoke to players, other members of the media, and Brennan herself about the WNBPA’s statement: “Brennan, who is working on a book about Clark and routinely appears on TV, approached the other reporters and remarked that something like that wouldn’t happen in the NFL. She asked why the WNBA was so sensitive and told multiple reporters that if anyone had questions about her awareness of the racial dynamics at play, they should read her coverage of former NFL quarterback and activist Colin Kaepernick, among other work stretching back decades.”