Femininity in the WNBA by Max Perry, Eddie Hodges, Clay Leser and Tyler Crellin

For our presentation we decided to look at the issue of femininity in the WNBA. We first examine what femininity is and how it is formed as a socially constructed gender role for females to try and emulate. We then look at how femininity is perceived in the WNBA by examining how the WNBA markets itself, the WNBA’s practices and lastly how WNBA superstars present themselves. We’ll be looking at Candace Parker and Lisa Leslie and discussing the pressure they feel to look and act more feminine while still dominating their craft. Tina Thompson is another large figure in the WNBA and we’ll be talking about her decision to wear lipstick and whether or not that would be a good idea for more players in the WNBA. We’ll also be discussing Brittney Griner and her choice of presenting herself in a non-traditional no- feminine way. In addition to her appearance, we will delve into the repression of her sexual identity in college, and why her coming out wasn’t a larger deal when she did graduate and go pro. How in 2013 are athletes, and superstar ones at that, still being forced to repress aspects of their lives? Clearly this is a problem not just symptomatic of female sports, there are currently no gay male athletes active in any of the four major sports, but it is something to still discuss and examine. Could a player of her status withstood the backlash at a private university that doesn’t support lesbians like Baylor? Has her decision to come out now affected her professional career in any way? We will also talk about other out female athletes like Sheryl Swoopes, Martina Navratilova and Megan Rapinoe and how coming out can be different for active and retired athletes and also for athletes in individual sports as compared to athletes in team sports. Overall, we hope to examine the issues that females encounter while trying to compete in sports just like the opposite gender. Hopefully through this presentation we will expand on the ideas we discussed in class while encouraging new thoughts and ideas related to femininity in professional sport. A combination of new examples and rehashing of old ones should allow for the rest of the class to gain a new perspective on female athletes that they didn’t have before our presentation and before this class.