Peace, Love, and Women’s Ambitions!

When the entire country seems obsessed with women’s sportsball, it seems a given that I would reach a new level. No matter the sport, I have never been someone who followed stats closely or could rattle off records. Heck, I don’t even know all the names of the players on my fave teams, cause I root root root for my teams. But ROOKIE WATCH has me checking in on the top eight every week - and yes, I’m totally pondering if/when to add Kate Martin especially with Cameron Brink’s heartbreaking ACL tear- and questioning every stat meme I see shared on the internet.

As a math nerd and a baseball fan, not to mention an academic whose livelihood has hinged on a success stat, I know that stats can be manipulated. A few weeks ago the Wrigley Field scoreboard created a funny stat that proves this fact:

This is why one needs to have a little bit of skepticism when debating who is “the best” player at the moment. What are your parameters, friend? Is it merely scoring? Is it best average of the big three stats of points, rebounds, and assists? And is it this week? The last 6 games? The whole season? I think you get the point.

This reflection on how stats are made and used is obviously about the Caitlin Clark conversation. The heralding of Clark as the Gen Z white savor of the WNBA is not only about race, but also ambition and who gets to have it. Which of course is racialized. Three weeks ago (OMG, it feels like three months!) Chennedy Carter, of my Chicago Sky, hip checked Clark during a game. It was a terrible foul in that it wasn’t productive and in a one-point loss looks even worse. Following came an uproar about someone daring to harm Clark - the golden goose. Included in this uproar were dog whistles and downright racist commentary, especially an editorial from the Chicago Tribune. In response I whipped out my letter to the editor pencil. I had to sharpen it cause it’s been years since I sent one in. And y’all it was published! Jump the paywall at http://archive.today/GF7YU. As someone who thinks about women in the workplace and in leadership a lot, I recognized the unstated dig at Carter as someone who is unworthy of being on the same court as Clark.

The accusations of jealousy are based on unsaid beliefs that some players in the WNBA don’t deserve the attention, the recognition, or the fame that is now emerging in mainstream sports culture. That the players who built the league should be grateful for what Clark brings to the league and treat her with kid gloves. This is not only highly offensive to the players who have been giving their all for 27 years, but also to Clark who works hard for what she has earned. Add to that the outrage about her being left off the Olympic team… It is tiring.

Women’s ambition and how our success is seen is often on my mind. I recently read “The Myth of Making It: A Workplace Reckoning” by Samhita Mukhopadhyay. Those of us doing feminist shit online in the early aughts likely were reading the Feministing blog. Samhita did a tour as executive editor and later moved on to Teen Vogue. In “The Myth of Making It” she wrestles with the idea of systemic change in the workplace. Is representation enough to change how the machine treats the cogs? She is quite vulnerable in sharing her stumbles and reflections as a manager despite having what most would say has been a successful career. And through this public meditation on the never-ending grind for success, Samhita interrupts generations of white women who have defined not just women in the workplace, but feminism itself. There aren’t a lot of answers here, but you will find solace that you aren’t the only one fucking tired.

The parts I found most interesting is when she muses that the downfall of the "girlboss" opens space for us to consider power in the representation framework. That having more women & non-binary leaders does not equate to better working conditions. And this is because even when we are at the table, we are not automatically given power. She discusses, even the most feminist CEO is most likely to be hired to manage off a glass cliff, in other words, they are there to just manage through a crisis or crash the company. Think about the 50 days Liz Truss was given to do the impossible in Great Britain.

When she is discussing self-care and other examples of individuals trying to adapt to the inhumane system of capitalism, I thought about a paper I co-authored where I posit that no amount of family-friendly practices can overcome the baked in sexism in the DNA any the organization. Which helps to understand why many of us feel like we are on a hamster wheel no matter what we do and how much "progress" is made in a given workplace. And what success and failure looks like.

That sense of failure is the motivation that Samhita pinpoints as to why we keep hustling even when we know we are in a desperate need of a nap, vacation, or even to quit that job that has told you that you aren't worth investing in anymore, if ever. Like, text me the next time you want to attack me. No need to write a whole chapter.

Overall, this was a great read. It does not go as hard on capitalism as one might want, but it really does help you finally toss that copy of “Lean In.”

Get your copy of The Myth of Making It at Bookshop. That is an affiliate link.

Other things I am reading or have read that you might enjoy:

• Common Grounds: A Romantic Comedy by Allie Samberts. You might recall her name from the last newsletter. This is her fourth book published in just over a year. Amazing. This time we are gifted with an ode to millennial midlife love. Emery, a journalist, and Trevor, indie coffee shop owner, get a classic one-night stand meet cute that turns into a workplace romance.

• Seeing red over Riot Fest: Can Red Stars and music festival find common ground in stadium dispute? by Annie Costabile. OMG. If you don’t know that the city of Bridgeview bumped the Chicago Red Stars for Riot Fest, you obviously haven’t seen me in person lately.

• Seven of Nine Is a Third-Culture Kid by Dawn Xiana Moon (psst, she’s a friend!) I’m not a Trekkie, but loved this beautiful essay on the parallels between Seven of Nine and Dawn’s life as a third-culture kid.

• Chants of 'intifada' ring out from pro-Palestinian protests. But what's it mean? by Adrian Florido (NPR) was a great piece for those of us who want a ceasefire, but hear the concerns of our Zionist friends. Language matters. Words matter. Intent and impact depends on your point of view too.

• Reminders to pre-order Let’s Move the Needle by Shannon Downey and Remember You Will Die by Eden Robins.

Book links are affiliate links. This means that I earn a small commission if you purchase a book or two from Bookshop.

Hope to see you at Miss Spoken on Wednesday!