“My first game was a great experience and something I’ll remember for the rest of my life, especially my first WNBA points,” said Washington Mystics guard Alecia “Sug” Sutton. Sutton graduated from Parkway North in 2016. In college, she played women’s basketball for four years at the University of Texas until she was drafted by the 2019 WNBA champions, the Washington Mystics.
In her debut appearance with the Mystics versus the Atlanta Dream, Sutton scored four points helping the Mystics win the game 98-91.
“It’s almost hard to believe that she’s from Parkway North, and we had the opportunity to coach somebody that’s playing at the professional level. For our program, it’s really special for us,” said Parkway North varsity girl’s basketball head coach Brett Katz. Katz began coaching Sutton her freshman year when she began playing for North.
Sutton then went on to play for the University of Texas where she averaged 8.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists.
“Kids [at North] were in awe of [Sutton], I’m hoping that those kids saw her during her senior year of Texas and now in the WNBA and think ‘hey, I want to be like that girl right there’” said Katz.
2020 has been a crazy year for everybody around the world and the same goes for professional athletes. Due to COVID-19, Sutton was unable to practice with the Mystics in May. Sports leagues around the country, including the WNBA, have taken unique approaches to start or restart competitive games.
The NHL, NBA, and WNBA have taken “bubble” approaches, where all players and teams stay in one space and compete without having to travel across the country. The WNorth Alumna, Washington Mystics Guard Sutton Scores on and off CourtNBA bubble is located in Bradenton, Florida, and Sutton is inside that bubble and will remain there until the season is over or restrictions are lifted.
2020 has brought major changes to the world, whether it be the coronavirus or social justice movements arising. The Black Lives Matter protests impact the world and players as well. On Aug. 26 before their game against the Atlanta Dream, the Mystics made the decision to voice their concerns after the shooting of Jacob Blake. The players wore t-shirts with letters on them that spelled out “JACOB BLAKE” when the team united on the court to protest police brutality.
“I didn’t attend any protests before the bubble so this was one of the … biggest things that I’ve done; it was a great experience,” said Sutton. “We want to do something powerful and different, and we want to be heard. We felt like the only way we could be heard was if we didn’t play that day,” said Sutton.
Historically, basketball has been a sport that encouraged players to speak out on issues off of the court. From Bill Russell to LeBron James and Ariel Atkins, players have been vocal about social justice since basketball started being played. The Mystics were not alone in their boycotts, several MLB, NHL and NBA teams sat out following the shooting of Jacob Blake.
Many leagues decided, for the first time in history, to put a pause on games for social justice reasons. The hiatus was brief, lasting only a few days, but made the world pay attention to what players believed were more important than sports.
“It’s important for us to speak on these things now so that the younger generation doesn’t have to go through this. This is why a lot of us are speaking on the situations that are going on by using our platforms,” said Sutton.