It's a tumultuous time in America, to say the least. Going on social media or turning on the news, we can all see the things that are going on. From a sports perspective, we're hearing from more and more athletes who are joining the fight for racial equality, from across all leagues. While athletes have always played some part in social activism throughout the last 100 years, now in particular they have more of a voice than ever.
Without painting too broad of a brush, this century in particular women's basketball players have often been at the forefront in battling injustices across many spectrums. That includes many current and former UConn Huskies, who are doing their parts on varying levels that have impacts far greater than anything they do on the court. Here's a roundup of just some of the efforts they've taken on.
Maya Moore: Folks knew that Maya Moore - on track to be in the conversation as the greatest of all-time - chose to sit out the 2019 season to take on criminal justice reform. But many didn't understand why. In helping Jeremy Irons, a man convicted of robbery and assault in 1998 and sentenced to 50 years in prison, Moore followed a calling. Those efforts appeared to pay off in March, when Irons' conviction was vacated, and though he's not released from prison quite yet (there could still be a re-trial) things are looking up. Moore has stated she's going to again sit out the 2020 season, and in a very well done ESPN article detailing her journey, there's a sense from some - including Geno Auriemma - that she may have played her last professional basketball game.
Renee Montgomery: It started with Montgomery handing out water to protestors in the sweltering Atlanta heat. From there, it grew to The Renee Montgomery Foundation organizing events to aid in social justice reform. And it eventually came to the point where Montgomery opted out of playing this season - the first of multiple WNBA players to do so - in order to do more.
Christyn Williams: The UConn women as a whole were on the forefront of current college athletes demanding the acknowledgement that there needs to be reform, and Christyn Williams is a large part of that. Entering her junior year in 2020-21, the Arkansas native has been as active a voice on social media as any athlete over the last month.
Azura Stevens: Remember the video made by some of the NFL's biggest stars a few weeks back, the one that ultimately led to Roger Goodell admitting the the league hadn't been listening? This is of the same mold. On Instagram, Stevens gathered many WNBA players - including many from UConn - to recite a poem "Peaces of us". Included in the video are Gabby Williams, Kia Nurse, Morgan Tuck, Crystal Dangerfield and Megan Walker.
Sue Bird: Bird's platform was unique, and bigger than most, when she, girlfriend Megan Rapinoe and Seahawks' quarterback Russell Wilson co-hosted the ESPYs over the weekend. Whether it was assorted outfits worn - Black Lives Matter, George Floyd's initials, etc. - or the words spoken, millions saw the message she and others were spreading.
Geno Auriemma: The above are just some of the examples set by current and former UConn players. But what about the man who coached them all? In short, they have his full support.