USWNT's Megan Rapinoe: Warriors Draymond Green 'Showed Your Whole A--' With Comments On Women's Sports
SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5)-- Megan Rapinoe, the star of the United States women's national team, has ripped Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green over his comments and tweets about inequities in women's sports.
"You obviously kind of showed your a-- in not even understanding what we talk about all the time," the soccer standout told reporters on Wednesday. "You don't think we've asked for more funding? What are we screaming about nonstop?"
The comments on Green followed a back-and-forth on Twitter between the two over the issue of women pro athletes' compensation. On March 27th, Green tweeted that female athletes are too focused on equal pay. Instead, he urged them to go after huge corporations and their pocketbooks to help further their cause.
Break the mold and change the game! Most importantly, change the BUSINESS. Call on these companies for support, after all they are using y'all to push WOMEN EMPOWERMENT , but not helping y'all. They're simply saving face.
— Draymond Green (@Money23Green) March 27, 2021
They can easily tell y'all stories. But they don't have to because the request that are being made are falling on deaf ears because y'all keep saying pay me more, with no way to drive the revenue. Force hands! Paige number#1 pick 2021!
— Draymond Green (@Money23Green) March 27, 2021
Well a huge part of that is because the payoff isn't as big. It's not the norm. How do you change the norm and y'all keep doing the same thing? All these companies yelling women empowerment can easily endorse Paige to make up for the lack of payment in y'all league.
— Draymond Green (@Money23Green) March 27, 2021
I can go on and on but would love to help drive these discussions with y'all. Lastly, if the goal is to become as big as the NBA, you have to push NBA like things. DT said Paige is the best player in basketball already. Why is there no discussion about her leaving this year?
— Draymond Green (@Money23Green) March 27, 2021
Rapinoe fired back quickly to Green's tweets and explained how she and other female athletes are doing the very things he suggested.
Respectfully, do you really think we haven't been out here asking for more investment more resources more storytelling more branding and marketing dollars more youth investment more investment in coaches more TV time etc etc etc etc etc to infinity... https://t.co/DctSHGhISO
— Megan Rapinoe (@mPinoe) March 27, 2021
Just like with fights around all other social issues, change cannot be made if the only people who care about the change enough are the ones who are suffering the most from it.
— Megan Rapinoe (@mPinoe) March 27, 2021
Days later, Green doubled-down on these comments, telling reporters "I'm really tired of seeing them complain about the lack of pay, because they're doing themselves a disservice by just complaining. They're not laying out steps that they can take to change that," explained Green.
Green said that he sees many companies tout female empowerment during Women's History Month, but aren't putting any money forward to support the cause.
"Because everyone says, 'We support women. We support women's empowerment. We support women in the workplace", said Green. "Everyone uses it to their advantage, yet these women are not using these people who are saying these very things to their advantage."
Just last month, Rapinoe spoke at the White House about the pay gap between men and women in U.S. Soccer. To bring more attention to female sports, she live-tweeted about the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament following a widely-publicized social media post showing the stark differences between the men's and women's facilities at the tournament.