Johannesburg - Brittney Griner’s arrest and imprisonment in Russia provides a salient example of the challenges Cricket South Africa face in trying to make the women’s game an entity from which the organisation can profit.
How? Leaving aside the wider geopolitical elements involved in Griner’s recent arrest in Russia for alleged possession of vape cartridges containing oil derived from marijuana, there is the question of why she was playing in Russia in the first place. Griner is one of the world’s best women’s basketball players.
A national collegiate champion in 2012, WNBA champion in 2014, four-time EuroLeague champion, two-time Olympic gold medallist, and twice a world champion with the USA national team are just a few of her highlights.
But Griner can’t live on the salary she makes in the US, where she is a star for Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA. The average salary in a League much touted for its progressiveness and the manner in which it has elevated woman athletes is just $130 000. Griner is understood to earn just under $250 000 in the WNBA. In Russia, where Griner plays for UMMC Ekaterinburg, it has been reported she earns over $1-million.
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The average salary for men playing in the NBA is understood to be $7.9m.
Last week, CSA’s new chief executive Pholetsi Moseki was asked how the governing body could grow the national women’s team so that it could become a money-maker for the sport in this country. The Proteas are in the middle of a World Cup campaign, and in the last fortnight have delayed morning office meetings and lit up social media as they’ve toughed out some very close wins in that tournament.
There have been outstanding performances from Shabnim Ismail, Laura Wolvaardt, captain Sune Luus and especially Marizanne Kapp, who is confirming her greatness as an all-rounder. While the outcome against Australia was sobering, it wasn’t a match in which the Proteas were dominated and they will know that by cutting out silly mistakes they can beat the ‘Southern Stars’ if they come across them again in the tournament.
The team also has a busy year ahead with a high profile tour to England that will include a Test match, and then they will play in the Commonwealth Games. Next year, the T20 World Cup will be played in South Africa. The players won’t be out of the spotlight. It would seem an ideal moment for a company to attach its name to players and the team.
Moseki’s response to that inquiry was painful. “The patriarchal nature of society makes it quite a challenge (getting sponsors for women’s cricket),” he said.
For all the talk that players need to ‘sell’ themselves better, or organisations need to do a better job of marketing teams, at what point does the onus shift to companies?
Momentum showed what can be achieved with their pioneering backing of the women’s national team at a time when even CSA’s support was minuscule.
Whether it be through broadcasters, other media platforms like this one, or big advertisers, the opportunity to diversify the athletes used to assist in marketing needs to change.
Griner should not have had to end up in Russia playing her sport to earn what her talents are worth, and neither do CSA need to be begging for support for its national women’s team that delivers world class performances.