NEW YORK – 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 Sunday, June 26.

“The WNBA is deeply committed to the values of diversity, equity and inclusion,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.  “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 Tuesday, 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 (7 p.m. ET).  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 (9 p.m. ET).

On Sunday, June 19, Seattle will visit 2021 WNBA Rookie of the Year Michaela Onyenwere and the New York Liberty on ESPN (12 p.m. ET), and 2021 WNBA MVP Jonquel Jones and the Connecticut Sun will take on the Mystics in Washington on CBS (2 p.m. ET).

In ESPN2’s final two games of the month, Connecticut will host New York on Wednesday, June 22 (7 p.m. ET), and 2021 WNBA All-Star Game MVP Arike Ogunbowale and the Dallas Wings will visit the Lynx on Tuesday, June 28 on ESPN2 (7 p.m. ET).

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 at WNBAStore.com, with all WNBA proceeds benefiting GLSEN.  GLESN works to provide safe spaces for all youth.

Throughout June, team activities will be showcased on WNBA social media channels with the hashtag #wnbapride.  Teams will offer special ticket packages, in-arena experiences, and community events during the month.  More information on WNBA Pride can be found here.

In addition, WNBA Twitter Spaces for June will include Pride programming, with the first Twitter Space conversation coming June 6.

About the WNBA
The WNBA, which tipped off its 26^th season on May 6, 2022, is a bold, progressive basketball league that stands for the power of women.  Featuring 12 teams, the W is a unique sports property that combines competition and entertainment with a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and social responsibility.  Through its world-class athletes, the in-game fan experience, TV and digital broadcasts, digital and social content and community outreach programs, the league celebrates and elevates the game of basketball and the culture around it.

In 2020, the WNBA and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) signed a groundbreaking eight-year CBA that charts a new course for women’s basketball – and women’s sports overall – with a focus on increased player compensation, improvements to the player experience, expanded career development opportunities and resources specifically tailored to the female professional athlete.  Key elements of the agreement are supported through the league’s partnership platform, WNBA Changemakers, with AT&T, the WNBA’s Marquee Partner and inaugural Changemaker, as well as fellow inaugural Changemakers Deloitte and NIKE, Inc, and subsequent additions Google and U.S. Bank.  During the 2020 season, the WNBA and WNBPA launched the WNBA Justice Movement forming the Social Justice Council with the mission of being a driving force of necessary change and continuing conversations about race and voting rights, among other important societal issues.