How has American Sports Reacted to Roe v Wade?

The Supreme Court of the United States last Friday eliminated the constitutional right to an abortion that had been established for the first time in 1973 by the Roe v Wade decision. In this article, we want to demonstrate how the different American sports leagues have pronounced themselves regarding this decision.

WNBA and NBA

The WNBA, the women's basketball league, was one of the first to rule on the Supreme Court's decision. In a social media post, they expressed their solidarity with people who fear the possible consequences of this historic decision. “The NBA and the WNBA firmly believe that women should have the ability to decide about their health and their future and that this freedom should be protected”. They also assured that they will ensure that their employees have access to reproductive health tools, no matter where they are located in the United States.

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The WNBA players' association took an even stronger stance than the league itself. “Are we in a democracy where guns have more rights than women? This ruling provides a treacherous path to the prohibition of abortion that reinforces economic, social and political inequalities" communicated the WNBA.

On the NBA side, there have been some teams that have taken a more active role in protesting the decision. For example, the Cleveland Cavaliers announced that they will cover the expenses of those employees who must leave their state, Ohio, to seek an abortion.

National Women's Soccer League

The American soccer league also made a statement through its social networks. They clarified that reproductive rights are human rights and that in addition to being a soccer league, they are a group of people who get up every day to "do what is right."

The Orlando Pride franchise has also specifically spoken out against a law that would make abortion illegal in Florida and will go into action in a couple of weeks. They said that this decision "would open a door to the discrimination of future generations and future human rights violations."

Individual athletes

Some of America's most notorious athletes have also shown their displeasure with the Supreme Court's decision.

Among some of the most important athletes to raise their voices is Megan Rapinoe, the most outstanding soccer player of the US National Team. "It's hard to put into words how sad this day is for me personally, for my teammates, for all the people out there that this is going to affect." The star said at a press conference, also stressing that the decision will exacerbate several of the existing inequities and stressed that abortions will not stop, they will simply be more dangerous for women.

Other prominent athletes who have expressed dissatisfaction with her position include tennis player Naomi Osaka, gymnast Simone Biles, and tennis legend Billie Jean King.

Finally, it is worth noting that the silence of certain sports organizations, such as the NFL, which has not published any type of communication related to this historic decision, has been widely criticized.