WNBA legend Sue Wicks proclaims pride in being gay

WNBA legend Sue Wicks, who formerly played for the New York Liberty franchise, talks to the media during the Jr. NBA’s press run Thjursday, May 11, 2017, at Don Bosco Hall in Makati. (Contributed photo)

Sue Wicks has carved out a legendary career in the WNBA, though not through offensive pomp but by virtue of her passionate blue-collar style of play.

Wicks never averaged more than 10 points a game during her six-year career with the New York Liberty. But what made her iconic was her defense and hustle – and a more important aspect in her life: The WNBA pioneer is a proud lesbian and she knows the magnitude of the position she’s in.

Wicks knows young people who are struggling to come out of the closet will experience a sense of depression, and it’s her role as a basketball legend to show to these kids that there are people who will be there for them.

“Because of the loneliness of that situation for all these young people, I will never deny saying who I was,” Wicks said on Thursday at the Don Bosco Hall during the Jr. NBA media availability session.

Wicks is in the country to serve as a coach in the Jr. NBA event that will run from May 12 to May 14.

The Liberty legend added she never felt like a proper spokesman for gender. But she felt she could help families reach a level of acceptance for children in the LGBT community.

“You always want to work with your family in anything,” Wicks, who came out in public in 2016. “If there’s anything that can destroy your family it’s the rejection of your child and making them that choice to not be themselves,.”

“I can understand the conflict of these parents,” she added. “I never feel like a spokesperson for sexuality. I think I’m a spokesperson of family and the fulfillment of human potential.”

Wicks added there were two instances in her life that made her decide to come out and embrace her sexuality.

The first one was a letter her mother sent her before she turned 18.

“My mom sent me a letter saying ‘I think you’re gay. If there’s a problem for you, don’t worry about it because we don’t care, we want you to be happy,’” the 50-year-old Wicks said.

The other time that eventually motivated Wicks to publicly announce her sexuality was when she realized the struggle younger people are facing.

Wicks said it was her conversation with a teammate’s mother, who was a teacher, that a couple of students committed suicide.

“They committed that because they couldn’t deal with their parents and classmates making fun of them,” Wicks said. “She [may teammate’s mom] said to me ‘you should come out and give them a role model.’” /atm