Brittney Griner’s agent talks sports equity

Your definitive guide to women, politics and power.

Dec 09, 2022 View in browser   By Katelyn Fossett POLITICO illustration/Photos by AP Photo/iStock Good morning, rulers! What a week. We had a very exciting Women Rule exchange event at the Waldorf Astoria, and how timely it turned out to be! More on that below. But it was also very energizing to connect with some of the thought leaders and executives in our network and some of you readers. Thank you to Sophie Gardner for helping to put together this newsletter! News broke early Thursday morning that the Biden administration had reached a deal to free Brittney Griner from detention in Russia. Griner, a WNBA player, had been detained since February, having been convicted by a Russian court for drug possession and smuggling after she was found with vape cartridges containing hash oil in her luggage. The news also came two days after POLITICO's quarterly Women Rule Exchange event in Washington, D.C., where Women Rule editor Elizabeth Ralph spoke with Griner's agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, about Griner's detention and the broader issues about equal pay and treatment in women's sports that it helped highlight. Also on the panel with Colas were Kelley O'Hara, U.S. women's national soccer team defender, and Mikie Sherrill, U.S. Representative (D-N.J.). Colas, a leading sports agent who has long advocated for gender equity and diversity in sports, has written about why Griner was playing in Russia in the first place : unequal pay. Many American women athletes supplement their incomes by playing outside the United States during off seasons, she wrote, which is often the only way to come close to achieving pay parity with men. Colas started off with a confident declaration. "We're going to bring Brittney home," she said to applause — and less than 48 hours later, Griner was indeed back at home. The other panel participants on Tuesday weighed in on when they noticed the vast inequality between women's sports and men's sports that partly contributed to Griner's detention. "When I was growing up, I really never thought I was anything less than, compared to a boy or a man. I honestly thought I was better than [them] on the playground and the classroom," O'Hara said. The first time she realized that men and women were not operating on equal footing, she said, was when she noticed that men's and women's teams were treated so differently in college —despite the women's teams performing better. Sherrill said she's always been a promoter of women's sports, but a turning point came during the 2021 NCAA tournament, when a conversation was sparked over unequal treatment of men's and women's basketball teams. Then she said, "seeing the men's World Cup, and then seeing the women's World Cup [in 2019], with 22 percent higher viewership, and yet still … [there was] not even equal pay, much less more pay." She knew the United States could do more to develop women's sports at all levels. Even with her children's sports teams, there is still an assumption that boys' sports teams are the marquee program, while girls' sports are less funded and less celebrated, Sherill said. How can these inequalities be corrected? Sherrill is the co-sponsor of a bill that would create a bipartisan commission to study gender equity across the NCAA . The commission would suggest recommendations for better federal regulations. She has also introduced a separate resolution affirming the NCAA is in fact subject to Title IX. "There's some catch-up that needs to happen," Colas said. "We need more." By more, Colas means three times more. That's how much she calls on companies to invest in women's sports: three times what they are investing in men's sports. That over-investment, she argues, is what will eventually lead to real parity. "We are seeing the momentum … we see it in the equal pay battles. I think we're seeing it in the valuations of leagues and the hunger to own franchises," Colas said. "Because the data will show you that a dollar spent in women's sports is the best dollar spent in sports." Dollars spent on women's sports, she continued, have been shown to have a larger return than those invested in men's sports. "The momentum is there," she said. Now, the question, she continued, is how to keep it up. As with Griner, Colas said, it's about priorities. "I hope that what we learn is that when we focus on something and when we make it a priority, you can make things happen," she said. "When Brittney is elevated as a priority, we are then willing to do what it takes." "You see the same thing with women's sports," she continued. "When you choose to make it a priority, it moves the needle. It's that simple. It's about choices." As the panel wrapped up, Colas told the other participants that she had another stop to make that day: the White House.   Sponsored by Business Leader members of Women Rule: The Exchange: What if we could reshape society to benefit everyone equally? POLITICO Focus connected with members of Women Rule: The Exchange to learn about how women are remaking communities into sustainable, healthy and inclusive places. Join the Conversation.   POLITICO Special Report Ilia Yefimovich/Getty Images " The Pandemic Has Created Two Very Different Kinds of Workplaces. That Especially Matters for Women ," by Eleanor Mueller for POLITICO Magazine: "Tessa Byars has seen friends scale back at work, transition to part-time jobs, and even swap careers in an attempt to juggle child care and a paycheck. "But Byars, 40, never questioned whether she would have to do the same. Her employer, Patagonia, provided 16 weeks of paid maternity leave along with onsite child care at her office in Ventura, Calif., where she works in internal communications. Those benefits allowed Byars to take the time she needed after giving birth to her two children and when the time came, bring both of them back to work with her. … "To advocates and economists, Byars is a prime example of what can be gained when employers prioritize family-friendly policies. But they would also note one serious problem in Byars' success story: The benefits she had access to — doled out at the whim of a private-sector employer — are the exception, rather than the norm. … "These benefits remain most common at the kinds of high-paying, more flexible, white-collar jobs where employees need these supports less, advocates say, than caregivers in lower-earning, in-person jobs. Though congressional Democrats briefly appeared poised to push through universal child care and paid leave as part of their party-line spending package in 2020, those efforts eventually capsized amid opposition from key moderates like Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) "Now, economists warn that policymakers' inertia and the resulting reliance on employers to administer paid leave and child care is creating two distinct workplaces for women — and risks exacerbating racial and gender inequality for decades to come." " Trudeau's lone Chinese Canadian minister has a tough job ahead of her ," by Zi-Ann Lum for POLITICO: "BERLIN — Canada has a lot riding on Mary Ng's connections. "The international trade minister spent most of fall a world away from Ottawa — air miles in the service of a critical mission for Canada: bolstering the country's presence in the Indo-Pacific and resetting its rocky relationship with China. … "Enter Ng, whose diplomatic efforts in the world's fastest-growing region could well determine the success or failure of Trudeau's plan."   Sponsored by Business Leader members of Women Rule: The Exchange: In the Round: A conversation with today's leaders.   Number of the Week Read more here . MUST READS Jeff Chiu/AP Photo " Women sue Musk's Twitter alleging discriminatory layoffs ," by Matt O'Brien for the Associated Press: "Two women who lost their jobs at Twitter when billionaire Elon Musk took over are suing the company in federal court, claiming that last month's abrupt mass layoffs disproportionately affected female employees. "The discrimination lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal challenges over Musk's decimation of Twitter's workforce through mass layoffs and firings. "Days after the world's richest man bought the social media platform for $44 billion, the company told about half of employees on Nov. 4 that they no longer had a job but would get three months severance. The lawsuit filed in a San Francisco federal court this week alleges that 57% of female employees were laid off, compared to fewer than half of men, despite Twitter employing more men overall before the layoffs. … "The lawsuit alleges that also disproportionately harmed women, 'who are more often caregivers for children and other family members, and thus not able to comply with such demands.'" "' These are not crimes': women in Argentina facing jail for obstetric emergencies ," by Natalie Alcoba for the Guardian. " Yellen honors pioneers as U.S. prints first banknotes with women's signatures ," by Andrea Shalal for Reuters: "FORT WORTH, Texas, Dec 8 - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Thursday hailed fellow pioneers during the unveiling of the first U.S. banknotes printed with two women's signatures, while calling for 'much more' work to advance equity for women and minorities. "Yellen, the first woman to head the Treasury and chair the U.S. Federal Reserve, said the new banknotes being produced at the Treasury's Bureau of Engraving and Printing site in Fort Worth, Texas, were a reminder of the contributions of women who have worked at Treasury and in economics. … "'We've made progress in providing greater economic opportunity for women at Treasury and in the economics profession. But we know that much more needs to be done,' Yellen told printers after a tour of the 675-person facility. 'I hope that today is a reminder of the road we've traveled on equity and inclusion. And I hope it motivates us to continue to move forward.' " The Covid Pandemic's Hidden Casualties: Pregnant Women ," by Apoorva Mandavilli for the New York Times. Quote of the Week Read more here . Transitions Sydney Gart has been hired as a finance assistant at Fulkerson Kennedy & Company. She most recently was a finance assistant for Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.)'s campaign. … Megan Harrington is now deputy director of government affairs at Kroger. She previously was senior policy adviser for Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio). … Anna Buhlinger is now a federal affairs director at the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies. She previously was federal government affairs director at the American Land Title Association. (h/t Playbook) … Pita Juarez is now VP of comms at LGBTQ Victory Fund and LGBTQ Victory Institute. She most recently was national comms and creative strategies director at League of Conservation Voters. … Susan Lagana has joined the strategic comms and public affairs team at Invariant. She previously was a partner at Brunswick Group and is a DOT alum. (h/t Playbook) … Leila Elmergawi has returned to the State Department as economic policy adviser for global women's economic security. She most recently was director for international economic affairs at the NSC and director for strategic workforce planning for the office of the NSC chief of staff. … LaTreshia Hamilton is now legislative director and counsel for Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.). She previously was legislative counsel for Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.). (h/t Playbook).   Sponsored by Business Leader members of Women Rule: The Exchange: As indispensable members of the workforce, champions of civic engagement, and powerful consumers, women support and invest in the communities they inhabit. However, with racial injustice, major disparities in health care, steeper corporate ladders and more, it's easy to question if their communities are reciprocating. But what if we could reshape society to benefit everyone equally? Women would run for office in higher numbers. Health care treatments would be more accessible. Cities and systems would be designed to meet the needs of the most vulnerable. We know what our communities could be. But how do we pursue the paths to achieve it? POLITICO Focus sat down with members of Women Rule: The Exchange to create a blueprint for movements and transformation — and a roadmap to a reimagined future. Read on to learn how women are remaking communities into places that are sustainable, healthy and inclusive.     Follow us on Twitter Katelyn Fossett @KatelynFossett   Follow us

To change your alert settings, please log in at https://www.politico.com/_login?base=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.politico.com/settings This email was sent to rouf@idiot.cloudns.cc by: POLITICO, LLC 1000 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA, 22209, USA Please click here and follow the steps to unsubscribe.