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They say it’s crazy to love something that doesn’t love you back.
But, if that’s true, how do you explain Natalie Achonwa and every other woman like her?
SHE shoots for more against the odds.
SHE jumps higher to rewrite the rules.
SHE dunks on haters to keep playing the game she loves.
For Natalie and every female athlete, it takes Mad Love to keep fighting to play the game.
And yet, It doesn’t matter what obstacles you throw at them - still they will rise.
It takes Mad Love, but we’re committing to a better future for the game.
That starts with making sure the world has girls who grow up to be Natalie.
Because if you can’t stop her, you won’t stop Mad Love.
They say it’s crazy to love something
that doesn’t love you back.
But, if that’s true, how do you explain
Natalie Achonwa and every other woman like her?
SHE shoots for more against the odds.
SHE jumps higher to rewrite the rules.
SHE dunks on haters to keep playing the game she loves.
For Natalie and every female athlete,
it takes Mad Love to keep fighting to play the game.
And yet, It doesn’t matter what obstacles
you throw at them - still they will rise.
It takes Mad Love, but we’re committing
to a better future for the game.
That starts with making sure the world has
girls who grow up to be Natalie.
Because if you can’t stop her, you won’t stop Mad Love.
NATALIE ACHONWA
Canada Basketball launched Mad Love as a campaign and rallying cry for gender equity in basketball and every sport. Our call to arms caught the eye of Natalie Achonwa, a Canadian basketball player on the Senior Canadian Women’s Team and WNBA Minnesota Lynx.
During one long night of insomnia, in the midst of her hardened game schedule, Natalie wrote a poem to try and capture the feeling of being a female pro baller.
This is her support to allies of women, girls and women, female athletes and ballers.
This is a message she wants you to share with the women in your life.
In her own words, this is what Mad Love looks, sounds, and feels like for Natalie.
“the sky is the limit”, just wait and you’ll see...
So I eagerly run to turn on the tv,
to only find out, none of these athletes look like me.
All the sports channels are showing highlights,
and lowlights,
of every sport you can think of...
except the one that every night I dream of.
Like being 4th in the world is an easy feat.
Like we don’t show up EVERY single summer without missing a beat.
But we will continue to do so, year after year,
because we know the honour of wearing Canada gear.
All I ask is for us to get a fair shot,
maybe swap out the rerun during that 7p.m. slot.
Give Canada a chance to see what they’re missin’,
and I swear we’ll have the country tuned in to listen.
It has never been said that equal means we are the same,
we just want a fair shot at our own fame.
We want nothing more than what we deserve,
a chance to inspire that next little girl.
Instead of growing up with comments of “get back in the kitchen”,
or having to coward and hide in submission.
She can stand with her head held high,
knowing she doesn’t have to aspire to hoop like some guy.
Instead, when she turns on the TV,
she can learn to be shifty, like Miah-Marie.
Our faces and names, should be known,
like the Tatham’s, homegrown, Brampton’s very own.
For the resilience, strength, and how we have grown,
we deserve all the flowers, and the love to be shown.
I will always keep it real and give you the facts,
just like the young kids say, I promise “no cap”.
I know a couple of women who would give you the biz,
Try Kia, Mir, Kim, or Liz.
And don’t make me name drop like I don’t know OG’s,
because we can also give you buckets with Stacey, TSB, Bev, or Sweeney.
And listen, I swear, I can do this all day,
cuz that next generation is also storming this way.
The talent is endless,
The commitment is there.
We just ask that the coverage starts to be fair.
If at some point I lost you along the way,
I’ll remind you the message just repeat what I say:
Bet on Women.
Invest in Women.
Protect Women.
Respect Women.
And I promise not to bore you ever again
if you promise to provide equal representation.
Because no one needs a poem, song, or revelation...
JUST PUT WOMEN’S SPORTS ON THE DAMN TELEVISION.
Keep more girls in basketball
Canada Basketball is leveling the court for female athletes. We are committed to keeping young girls and women in the game by providing equal opportunity and experiences for everyone.
We’re launching the first girls Junior Academy program in 2021, a new offering meant to inspire young women to pursue basketball. Each participant will be able to train in a high-performance environment and help supplement their journey to grow and develop as an athlete.
But, we can’t do this alone. It’s a team game and we need your support to fund it.
Love Letters
We’re building a team to challenge Canada’s perception of girls’ and women’s basketball. From Canada Basketball athletes, staff and influential allies of the organization, we’ve gathered Mad Love letters that push the game forward.
Each letter is addressed to their younger selves, or their children, to let them know what the path to sports equity will be.
You’ve heard Natalie’s story. Hear the rest by swiping through here.
It’s time for gender equity in sports.
Together, we can make it happen with Mad Love.
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