"Example of built-in sexism" - Jemele Hill explains why there is only one Black female head coach in the WNBA citing new Mercury HC's hire

The WNBA players being heavily underpaid has been a conversation for a long time now. Sports commentator Jemele Hill is adding another layer to the multitude of issues that surround the league. According to Hill, there was a "built-in sexism" in the league.

In a video published on her YouTube channel on Thursday, Hill delved into the almost negligible number of women black coaches in the WNBA. Hill noted that before 2022, six of the coaches in the WNBA were black, including three of them being black women.

Jemele Hill added that after last season, there were eight openings for the head coaching job in the WNBA, and none of the positions were filled by any black women coaches. At present, Noelle Quinn (Seattle Storm HC) is the only black woman serving as the head coach in the league.

The sports commentator also brought up the hiring of Nate Tibbetts as the head coach for the Phoenix Mercury in 2024. Tibbetts, who had served as the assistant coach in the NBA since 2011, immediately became the highest ever paid coach in the WNBA with a blockbuster salary of over $1 million.

Hill said that it was because the league was suffering from inherent sexism.

"Now this is no shade to Tibbetts, but he's somewhat of an example of the built-in sexism that women coaches face," Jemele Hill said. "The WNBA has this history of hiring men who have never coached women's basketball and giving them premium salaries and opportunities." "And conversely, there also is a trend of being more impatient when it comes to black coaches in the offseason. The Chicago Sky fired Teresa Weatherspoon, one of the league's most decorated and fiercest players, after just one season. The Atlanta Dream also fired Tanisha Wright after just three seasons."

According to Hill, the WNBA had a good number of former players who had the caliber of being great coaches, like Lisa Leslie, who coached in BIG3 and even won the title.

She also pointed to Kristi Renee, Briann January and LaToya Sanders, who are serving as assistant coaches in the WNBA. However, for Hill, the league lacked the intention to hire them.

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Jemele Hill takes issue with Caitlin Clark's all-time greatest status and Sheryl Swoopes' snub

Caitlin Clark might have changed the narrative around women's basketball forever, but Jemele Hill still has an issue with her being put ahead of other great players. In May, Fox Sports ranked the greatest female college basketball players.

Clark was ranked second, behind Breanna Stewart. Surprisingly, WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes didn't find her place in Fox's top 10, and Jemele Hill took issue with it. She also had an issue with Clark being ranked so high on the list.

"Sheryl Swoopes not being in the top 10 is crazy and as much as I love CC, she is not the second-greatest player ever. I’d put her anywhere between 5-8," Jemele Hill wrote.

While Clark changed the face of women's basketball with unprecedented exposure, Swoopes was one of the pioneers of fame in women's basketball. She won the national title and NCAA MOP in 1993.

Edited by nagpaltusharn25