The WNBA will celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride Month in June with activities and initiatives that empower players, teams, fans and employees to share their voices and create a more inclusive environment around the game and in their communities.
As part of the celebration, the WNBA and NBA will again march and have a float in the New York City Pride March, which will take place on June 26.
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“The WNBA is deeply committed to the values of diversity, equity and inclusion,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, according to a league press release. “WNBA Pride highlights our year-round devotion to supporting members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community, celebrating the diverse WNBA family and uniting people through the game of basketball.”
LGBTQ+ Pride Month features six games across ESPN, ESPN2 and CBS in June, beginning with an ESPN2 doubleheader on June 14.
The first game will highlight former WNBA Most Valuable Player Award winners as Diana Taurasi and Tina Charles lead the Phoenix Mercury on the road against 2021 WNBA All-Star Ariel Atkins and the Washington Mystics.
In the second game, WNBA all-time rebounding leader Sylvia Fowles and the Minnesota Lynx will host two-time WNBA Finals MVP Breanna Stewart and the Seattle Storm.
On June 19, Seattle will visit 2021 WNBA Rookie of the Year Michaela Onyenwere and the New York Liberty and 2021 WNBA MVP Jonquel Jones and the Connecticut Sun will take on the Mystics in Washington.
In the final two games of the month, Connecticut will host New York on June 22 and 2021 WNBA All-Star Game MVP Arike Ogunbowale and the Dallas Wings will visit the Lynx on June 28.
For WNBA Pride, the league will again collaborate with GLSEN and Fanatics on an exclusive line of Pride apparel, including WNBA T-shirts from Fanatics Brands.
Fans can purchase the shirts on the leagues website with all WNBA proceeds benefiting GLSEN which works to provide safe spaces for all youth.
In addition, WNBA Twitter Spaces for June will include Pride programming, with the first Twitter Space conversation coming June 6.
Teams will offer special ticket packages, in-arena experiences, and community events during the month. More information on WNBA Pride can be found here.