Black History Month is over but keep paying attention to Black athletes like A'ja Wilson

In February for Black History Month, USA TODAY Sports is publishing the series "29 Black Stories in 29 Days." We examine the issues, challenges and opportunities Black athletes and sports officials continue to face after the nation’s reckoning on race following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. This is the fourth installment of the series.

Today is the last day of Black History Month, an annual celebration that stretched an extra 24 hours this time because it’s a leap year. By now, you’ve likely read about and watched numerous specials on Black athletes who left their mark on the sports world, from well-know heroes like Jackie Robinson to less visible but equally impactful stars like Lynette Woodard. 

Now the question is, will you keep paying attention? 

A few weeks ago during USA Basketball mini-camp in Brooklyn, New York, WNBA stars A’ja Wilson and Chelsea Gray were chatting with reporters about the explosion of women’s basketball, a sport that’s suddenly become so popular, more people are talking about women’s college hoops on any given day than men’s college hoops (sorry Purdue, but it’s true). 

A lot of that is due to Caitlin Clark, the Des Moines, Iowa, native with a penchant for logo 3s, jaw-dropping passes in transition and ruthless trash talk. So prolific is her scoring and passing, Clark has drawn comparisons to "Pistol" Pete Maravich. She is nicknamed "Ponytail Pete" by older fans who appreciate her star power and versatility. Clark, the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I women’s basketball, has brought countless new eyeballs to the game, with many following her every move, tracking stats and anxiously waiting to see if she can lead Iowa to its second consecutive Final Four. 

But for a variety of reasons, the obsession with women’s college basketball hasn’t trickled over to the WNBA. About to enter its 28th season, the W is widely considered the toughest league to last in, given that there are just 144 roster spots. Every time a new convert has breathlessly told me about how they can’t get enough of women’s basketball now that they’ve found Clark, my response has been the same:

"Do you watch the W? Because let me tell you, if you think Clark is good, you should watch A’ja Wilson − she’s the best player in the world at both ends of the floor." 

This is not to take anything away from Clark, whose game I love. She’s a generational talent who’s elevated the sport. She understands that with her game, she’s lifting all of women’s basketball; this is clear whenever she talks to the media. She has earned every on-court accolade she's been awarded. I can’t wait to see what she does in the league and beyond (and yes, I do think she should make the 2024 Olympic team). 

But in a popularity contest, context matters. And an undeniable piece of Clark’s popularity is that she's white. Throughout the years, numerous studies have been published pointing to data that shows white women, particularly straight white women, command more marketing and sponsorship dollars than women of color. They get more media attention, too. 

This isn’t me getting on my "woke" soapbox. It’s a fact. Before Clark, basketball’s sweetheart was Oregon All-American Sabrina Ionescu, another white guard, who now plays for the WNBA’s New York Liberty. Consider that Ionescu, who has not won any championships at the college or professional level, got a signature shoe in just her fourth season in the league. Wilson, who has an NCAA title, two WNBA championships, numerous MVP awards and is so impactful there’s a statue of her outside South Carolina’s Colonial Life Arena, doesn’t have a signature shoe. She’s about to enter her seventh season. 

Is anyone really naive enough to say race isn’t a factor here? 

None other than Paige Bueckers, another white superstar, acknowledged this three years ago during her acceptance speech at the ESPYS. 

"With the light that I have now as a white woman who leads a Black-led sport and celebrated here, I want to shed a light on Black women," said Bueckers, who had just been named the best women’s college athlete for her play at UConn. "They don’t get the media coverage that they deserve. They’ve given so much to the sport, the community and society as a whole and their value is undeniable.

"I think it’s time for change. Sports media holds the key to storylines. Sports media and sponsors tell us who is valuable, and you have told the world that I mattered today, and everyone who voted, thank you. But I think we should use this power together to also celebrate Black women."

Bueckers was 19 when she said this. 

With the Paris Games nearing, and Wilson and Gray expected to make their second Olympic roster, I asked them what basketball powerbrokers can do to bring more fans to the highest level of the sport, where many of the top players are Black women. They were frank in their responses. 

What makes Caitlin Clark so special? Steph Curry, Maya Moore, other hoops legends weigh in

"So you’re asking us how America can welcome Black women?" Wilson said. "Honestly, and it’s sad that I’m going to say this … we’re playing on the biggest platform in the world and we’re still begging people to give us attention. That just sounds crazy to me. But I feel like, the product is there, the talent is there, it’s just the same thing about ‘How can we grow the W?' Just watch it! Watch it and I guarantee you you’ll be blown away." 

Said Gray, who referenced Malcolm X in pointing out that the most disrespected person in America is the Black woman: “It’s a societal issue that bleeds into our sport … how do you find a way to have conversations like that outside of the sport? I think it’s important. We understand the message we have to spread.

"On A’ja’s point, just investing in our sport, investing in women, that really helps push the needle forward to grow the game. And taking time out to visit our sport, to go to games − a lot of people make comments and are presumptuous without even taking the time to understand who we are as people, too. That gets a little bit frustrating." 

Then Wilson brought up allyship, and how crucial it is that people who have a seat at the table fight for coverage of and investment in Black women every single time they have the opportunity.

"Having those people invest in us and pour into us, not just the week of the Olympics or during Black History Month or whatever, but overall throughout the course of the year and our lives, having allies in those rooms speak about (us) and it’s not taboo," Wilson said. "It’s not, ‘Oh let’s just starting talking about about Black people (now).’ No. We (need to) live it every single day."

That goes for whose stories we tell, too. It’s great that we just spent the past 29 days celebrating Black athletes. But to actually make change, we need to keep talking about them for the rest of the year, and beyond. 

Make no mistake, Wilson and Gray are thrilled that so many people are tuning into the game they love that gave them a career. But all of this attention, Wilson said, can’t be just a trend. 

This might be the last day of Black History Month, but it shouldn’t be the last day you learn about, and advocate for, the Black athletes impacting our society on and off the court.

Follow Lindsay Schnell on social media: @Lindsay_Schnell