Mirin Fader: I wish I wasn't the only woman in the locker room still
Mirin Fader Calls for More Female Voices in NBA Locker Rooms
The NBA locker room is often viewed as the inner sanctum of the league—a space where narratives are forged, trust is built, and the rawest moments of the season unfold. For The Ringer’s senior staff writer Mirin Fader, however, it remains a surprisingly solitary environment. In a candid reflection on the state of sports journalism, the best-selling author of Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA MVP highlighted a persistent disparity in the media landscape, noting that she often still finds herself as the only woman in the room when the doors swing open for media availability.
Fader’s comments shed light on a lingering "woman box" within sports media, a professional pigeonhole where female reporters are frequently steered toward covering the WNBA or women’s college basketball exclusively. While the growth of the women's game is undeniable, Fader emphasized the importance of female storytellers having equal footing in the NBA. Her career trajectory—bolstered by her deep-dive coverage of LaMelo Ball in Lithuania and her definitive biography of Giannis Antetokounmpo—proves that unique perspectives are vital for covering the Association’s biggest stars.
The "locker room" is more than just a physical space; it represents access and legitimacy. When Fader remarks, "I wish I wasn't the only woman in the locker room still," she is critiquing an industry pipeline that often stalls for women aiming to cover the NBA beat. Despite the league's progressive stance on hiring female coaches and executives, the traveling press corps remains heavily male-dominated.
Fader argues that diversity in the media scrum leads to better storytelling. Her own work is a testament to this, often focusing on the human element of NBA superstars rather than just the X’s and O’s. By breaking out of the "woman box," Fader has delivered some of the most compelling NBA profiles of the last decade. Her recent comments serve as a challenge to editors and networks: the NBA is a global game with a diverse audience, and the press corps documenting its history should reflect that reality.
The NBA locker room is often viewed as the inner sanctum of the league—a space where narratives are forged, trust is built, and the rawest moments of the season unfold. For The Ringer’s senior staff writer Mirin Fader, however, it remains a surprisingly solitary environment. In a candid reflection on the state of sports journalism, the best-selling author of Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA MVP highlighted a persistent disparity in the media landscape, noting that she often still finds herself as the only woman in the room when the doors swing open for media availability.
Fader’s comments shed light on a lingering "woman box" within sports media, a professional pigeonhole where female reporters are frequently steered toward covering the WNBA or women’s college basketball exclusively. While the growth of the women's game is undeniable, Fader emphasized the importance of female storytellers having equal footing in the NBA. Her career trajectory—bolstered by her deep-dive coverage of LaMelo Ball in Lithuania and her definitive biography of Giannis Antetokounmpo—proves that unique perspectives are vital for covering the Association’s biggest stars.
The "locker room" is more than just a physical space; it represents access and legitimacy. When Fader remarks, "I wish I wasn't the only woman in the locker room still," she is critiquing an industry pipeline that often stalls for women aiming to cover the NBA beat. Despite the league's progressive stance on hiring female coaches and executives, the traveling press corps remains heavily male-dominated.
Fader argues that diversity in the media scrum leads to better storytelling. Her own work is a testament to this, often focusing on the human element of NBA superstars rather than just the X’s and O’s. By breaking out of the "woman box," Fader has delivered some of the most compelling NBA profiles of the last decade. Her recent comments serve as a challenge to editors and networks: the NBA is a global game with a diverse audience, and the press corps documenting its history should reflect that reality.
