Former WNBA standout Candice Wiggins abruptly retired in March at the age of 30, and it had nothing to do with her being physically unable to play anymore.
Wiggins told Tod Leonard of the San Diego Union-Tribune that she hated the culture of the league and says she was bullied for being heterosexual.
“I wanted to play two more seasons of WNBA, but the experience didn’t lend itself to my mental state,” Wiggins said. “It was a depressing state in the WNBA. It’s not watched. Our value is diminished. It can be quite hard. I didn’t like the culture inside the WNBA, and without revealing too much, it was toxic for me. … My spirit was being broken.”
Wiggins hit out at what she felt was a confirmist culture, saying she was mistreated for being heterosexual in a league full of women who aren’t.
“Me being heterosexual and straight, and being vocal in my identity as a straight woman was huge,” Wiggins said. “I would say 98 percent of the women in the WNBA are gay women. It was a conformist type of place. There was a whole different set of rules they (the other players) could apply. There was a lot of jealousy and competition, and we’re all fighting for crumbs. The way I looked, the way I played – those things contributed to the tension.
“People were deliberately trying to hurt me all of the time. I had never been called the B-word so many times in my life than I was in my rookie season. I’d never been thrown to the ground so much. The message was: ‘We want you to know we don’t like you.'”
Wiggins added that the league’s culture meant many women tried to mirror the male players they were often compared to in light of the fact that the league didn’t generate as much interest. She kept playing in large part for the benefit of her associates and the fans, and is currently writing a memoir about her time in the league.
“I want you to understand this: There are no enemies in my life. Everyone is forgiven,” Wiggins said. “At the end of the day, it made me stronger. If I had not had this experience, I wouldn’t be as tough as I am.
“I try to be really sensitive. I’m not trying to crush anyone’s dreams or aspirations, or the dreams of the WNBA. I want things to be great, but at the same time it’s important for me to be honest in my reflections.”
The WNBA is typically a blip on the national sports landscape, and has too frequently been the subject of ignorant, sexist criticism like this. If Wiggins’s allegations of the culture problems are true, though, that’s disappointing and disheartening.
Photo via Wikimedia/Danny Karwoski, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
