WNBA Motherhood Doc Premieres at Martha's Vineyard
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- Roku's "Gamechangers: Mother/Athlete" world-premiered at the 24th annual Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival on Sunday, directed by Christine Turner as part of Roku's "Gamechangers" series.
- Sheryl Swoopes, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Bria Hartley, Natalie Achonwa, and Allison Feaster star in the film, reflecting on navigating pregnancy, postpartum, and motherhood as WNBA players.
- Swoopes was the first woman to sign with the WNBA in 1997 and got pregnant just ahead of the league's inaugural season, initially fearing she could not share the news with her team or the public.
- The documentary spotlights that the WNBA did not offer fully paid maternity leave until 2018 — more than two decades after its founding — leaving players to arrange their own schedules, finances, and postpartum support.
- The Roku Channel will stream "Gamechangers: Mother/Athlete" free this fall.
Why it matters: The documentary highlights that the WNBA, founded in 1997, didn't offer fully paid maternity leave until 2018 — meaning for 21 years, players like Swoopes navigated pregnancy with almost no institutional support. The film gives Swoopes, the league's first-ever signee, a public platform to recount that gap.
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