Frank Franklin II / Associated Press
Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving has pledged $ 1.5 million to help income for WNBA players who have chosen not to participate in their 2020 season, according to Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press.
“Whether a person has decided to fight for social justice, play basketball, focus on physical or mental health, or simply connect with their families, this initiative can support their priorities and decisions,” Irving said in a statement.
The donation will be part of the KAI Empowerment Initiative created by Irving which will also provide WNBA players with a “comprehensive financial education program. “
The WNBA began its 2020 season last Saturday and will play the entire campaign at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, but several notable players will not participate.
Liz Cambage, Chiney Ogwumike, Kristi Toliver and Tina Charles are among those who chose for health reasons, while Natasha Cloud announced that she will choose to help protests against racial injustice, as she explained in a statement:
“There are many factors that led to this decision, but the most important is that I am more than an athlete. I have a responsibility to myself, my community and my future children to fight for something that is much bigger than me and the game Instead, I will continue the fight for social reform, because until the lives of blacks matter, all lives cannot matter. “
Renee Montgomery is another player who will not play in favor of helping to provide social justice.
Cloud and Jewell Loyd reportedly connected Irving to other players who made difficult decisions about exclusion, especially regarding a lost salary.
Twice-MVP Elena Delle Donne was notably denied an exemption despite being high-risk for COVID-19 due to Lyme disease, forcing her to choose “risk my life … or lose my salary, “as he wrote for the Players’ Tribune.
Irving was a driving force behind the push by NBA players to choose not to restart the league in Orlando, leading a call from about 80 players telling them not to play, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
“I don’t support going to Orlando,” he reportedly said in the June call. “I am not with systematic racism and bulls.”
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