Women's Basketball Unveils Season of Action

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WASHINGTON - GW women's basketball is proud to announce its Season of Action initiative for the 2020-21 season. The season-long marketing campaign brings to light numerous causes identified by student-athletes and coaches that are Bigger Than Basketball.

Throughout the season, women's basketball student-athletes will lend their voices to causes like Black Lives Matter, #SetTheExpectation against sexual assault and physical violence, Women's Empowerment and Women & Girls in Sport, Military Appreciation, Mental Health Awareness, 'Pride' and celebration of the LGBTQ+ community, Play4Kay and more.

"I am so proud of our student-athletes and the effort they have put into being leaders and changemakers in our community," head coach Jennifer Rizzotti said. "For them and for our staff, this season is Bigger than Basketball. They are very passionate about so many things that transcend who they are as athletes, and we are eager to support them using their platform responsibly.

"Thinking back to our Zoom calls while we were apart this summer, we have continuously discussed the ways that our actions can bring about change and that is what this initiative will do: give our young people the opportunity to create change through action and not empty gestures. Our players have faced adversity with online learning, strict isolation and social distancing protocols, and an unconventional preseason. However, it is important that we keep that adversity in perspective. The events of the last six months with the COVID pandemic, ongoing racial injustice, and the fight for social equality have impacted our community in much more adverse ways. This campaign gives our players a chance to respond to that adversity and use their platform to help uplift our community at GW, in Washington, D.C., and beyond."

Each week will feature a multi-faceted approach that highlights the cause. Included in the effort will be Q&A videos with members of the program, informative social media posts, team apparel on game days and fundraising promotion.

The driver of the initiative is the student-athlete themselves, who used their time in this unprecedented offseason to educate themselves on these causes that are bigger than the game they play.

"The Season of Action is important for us because it gives us the chance to establish the conversation and set the agenda on topics that mean a lot to each of us individually and as a program," said captain Jasmine Whitney. "It also is a constant reminder that there are things occurring in our communities and in the world that are not just about basketball."

"This Season of Action is about putting our words into action," fellow captain Neila Luma said. "We've had many conversations about social issues that affect us and those we care about. With the platform we have, we felt that it was important to speak up and raise awareness to actively create change in our community. It means a lot to me to put the spotlight on issues that are much bigger than basketball."

"The Season of Action is important to me and my teammates because it allows us to use our platform as student-athletes to elevate causes and movements that are important to us as individuals," added captain Faith Blethen. "We are a team full of strong, smart women and we have important thoughts and emotions that deserve to be heard and appreciated beyond our abilities as athletes."

The full promotional schedule and content calendar will be available soon. A hub for the Season of Action will be available on GWsports.com to showcase the full breadth of the campaign.

Those looking to get involved with the Season of Action can reach out to Christina Richardson (Women's Basketball Director of Operations) at crichardson@gwu.edu.

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Faith Blethen

Neila Luma

Jasmine Whitney

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