![]() Other gamers at Tuesday's draft were eager to welcome Evans and Novin. "In that moment, because it was a great moment for me, and I felt like people ruined it.'' "That's the only time that it's been discouraging for me,'' Evans said. Chiquita Evans is a trailblazer as the first black women drafted in the NBA 2K League.There's no question about that.''Įvans also got loud pushback on social media when she announced last month - on her 30th birthday, no less - that she'd qualified for the draft. "I get told I should be back in the kitchen. "I've had sexual remarks put towards me,'' she said. Her experience when gaming outside that team - with both teammates and opponents - hasn't always been as rosy. ![]() Female gamers can try to ignore an offensive, trash-talking opponent - and there are plenty of those in the 2K community.īut just like in real life, you can't defend a pick-and-roll if your teammates aren't willing to communicate.Įvans has done most of her competitive gaming with a coed team - right now, five of its 12 players are women - and that's helped her thrive as a shot-creating small forward. One of the biggest challenges for women is finding teammates for games that rely so heavily on teamwork. That kind of harassment isn't new to Evans, or women in esports in general. I get told I should be back in the kitchen. The league also monitored communication between players more carefully at this year's combine, removing several players for sexist remarks. "That's the only part of it they can control.'' "It made us put more emphasis on how good a player was when they got the ball in their hands,'' 2K League managing director Brendan Donohue said. One key problem: Data showed that male players weren't passing the ball to their female teammates - something that wasn't accounted for when the league analyzed players to build the 2018 draft pool. The league set out to solve that problem by holding focus groups with top women gamers to spot potential barriers. Prior to last year's draft, NBA commissioner Adam Silver called the lack of gender diversity "a disappointment for all of us so far." The NBA runs the league in coordination with 2K game publisher Take-Two Interactive, and it did not have any women for its inaugural season. The other, Brianna Novin, was not selected but could still sign as a free agent. Frank Franklin IIĮvans was one of two women who qualified for the 2K League draft this year through the league's online combine. Chiquita Evans poses for photographs with Brendan Donohue after being selected as the 56th pick overall by the Warriors Gaming Squad at the NBA 2K League draft Tuesday. The Chicago native is heading to the Bay Area. ![]() No more sessions as a trainer at Planet Fitness. "It means everything to me.''Įvans became the first woman ever drafted into the NBA 2K League on Tuesday night, going in the fourth round to Warriors Gaming, which is operated by the NBA's Golden State Warriors.Ī former college and semipro basketball player, Evans is now the esports league's first female pro, one of the 126 players who will make between $33,000 to $37,000 per season, plus benefits and team housing. Someone put a microphone in front of her and asked her how it felt. She stood, smiled and put on a Warriors cap, striding to the stage backed by the loudest applause of the night. ![]() ![]() NEW YORK - After over three hours of sitting, waiting and stressing, Chiquita Evans heard her name called. ![]()
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