Is Basketball The Most Progressive American Sport?

The NBA and WNBA are arguably the most progressive American-made sports. Surely the NFL and MLB have done their part in charity work—but the percentage of diversity and activism are fairly low compared to basketball. Players are actively choosing to raise their voices about current issues, protest games, and donate to crucial causes. In addition to this, the percent of gender and race diversity amongst players and staff is comparatively higher than any other professional American sport. Let’s dive into how these things stand to be true. 

ESTABLISHING AN EXCLUSIVE WOMEN’S LEAGUE 

After 50 years of establishing the NBA, the WNBA was born—an all women’s national basketball league. Not only is this the only American breed sport to have created an exclusive league for women athletes—besides volleyball—it was also established during a time in which the NBA was hot and heavy in the media. Although not every WNBA team survived until present day—such as the Charlotte Sting, Cleveland Rockers, Houston Comets, Miami Sol, Portland Fire, and the Sacramento Monarchs—several cities are reestablishing their teams and expanding to new places. In addition to this, it's safe to say that the league has accumulated more viewers than ever. The WNBA’s viewership increased by 170% through ESPN from 2023 to 2024. The 2024 season was the most watched regular season on ESPN in WNBA history. With current players like Aj’a Wilson, Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Napheesa Collier, these numbers will only continue to rise. 

SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ACTIVISM

American basketball is the only professional sport where you’ll find the most social and political activism. Players and staff have worn shirts, courts have been specially designed, and individuals have voiced their opinions during post game interviews for causes such as gun violence, natural disasters, voting rights, racial inequality, Black Lives Matter, Indigenous people’s rights, and more. Players have even protested games due to certain events, beliefs, or a lack of consideration for these movements due to our own government. You won’t spot another American sports league with this much passion for social and political activism. It also helps that the fans are equally as passionate towards these causes.

INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY 

The NBA and WNBA have some of the highest inclusivity and diversity amongst other American sports. Players, coaches, and staff have a wide range of gender and ethnic backgrounds. For the 2024-2025 season, the NBA accumulated five assistant women coaches across the league—Jenny Boucek (Pacers), Mery Andrade (Raptors), Brittni Donaldson (Hawks), Sidney Dobner (Bucks), and Sonia Raman (Grizzlies). Currently, there are three women who stand as controlling owners in the NBA—Jeanie Buss (Lakers), Gayle Benson (Pelicans), and Ann Walton Kroenke (Nuggets). For the 2025 season, the WNBA had seven women serving as head coaches—Sandy Brondello (Liberty), Noelle Quinn (Storm), Lynne Roberts (Sparks), Becky Hammon (Aces), Natalie Nakase (Valkyries), Cheryl Reeve (Lynx), and Stephanie White (Fever). Furthermore, there are two women currently part of team ownership in the WNBA—Renee Montgomery and Suzanne Abair of Atlanta Dream. Amongst the players within the NBA, 82.5% of players are either Middle Eastern, African American, Multiracial, Latino, or Asian. Comparatively, 81.1% of WNBA players are either Middle Eastern, African American, Multiracial, Latino, or Asian. In addition to these statistics, as of the 2025 season, there are 44 openly LGBTQ+ players in the WNBA. The inclusivity and diversity of gender and race within the NBA and WNBA is comparatively higher to any other American sports leagues. Currently, the NFL’s non-white players accumulate 75% of the league, but only 42.5% of women are part of NFL staff. The MLB hosts 46.4% of women working within the league, but only about 40.8% of players are non-white. The facts don’t lie—the WNBA and NBA know what it takes to form a league of diverse staff and athletes. 

PHILANTHROPY

It’s tough to detect the exact number of American basketball players who own charities or foundations. It’s also tough to compare whether or not the NBA and WNBA surpass the NFL or MLB in the amount of money donated by players and staff. However, a study conducted in 2008 found that at least 85 NBA players donated to charities or foundations. That number has certainly grown in the last 17 years. Some of the most remarkable foundations include The Magic Johnson foundation which focuses on empowering urban and ethnically diverse communities through HIV/AIDS awareness. Other foundations such as Eat Learn Play—established by Stephen and Ayesha Curry—focus on providing quality nutrition, education, and activities through countless communities. Another memorable foundation, Boston XChange, created by Jaylen Brown, aims to foster economic empowerment for minority owned businesses and creators. WNBA all-star Aj’a Wilson created the Aj’a Wilson Foundation to support young people with dyslexia through various programs and workshops. Another WNBA player, Kelsey Plum, has launched a foundation that targets the improvement of mental health for aspiring athletes. These are just a few of the multiple foundations created by athletes within the NBA and WNBA that support numerous causes across a vast spread of communities. 

The argument of whether or not the NBA and WNBA surpass other professional American sports leagues in terms of philanthropy, activism work, charity work, or gender and race diversity, is tough to determine concrete. Although the gender and race statistics and social and political activism appear to put the NBA and WNBA on a more progressive level than leagues like the NFL or MLB, the rest are up for debate. Which American sport do you consider to be the most progressive or the least progressive?