On Tuesday night in New York, the NBA held its second NBA 2K draft for the league’s eSports league and Warriors Gaming drafted Chiquita Evans in the fourth round, making her the first woman to be drafted into the league.
Evans was a college basketball player and turned to NBA 2K as an outlet after suffering injuries that cut her career short.
Injuries aren’t the only thing that she’s had to deal with to make it here. As a woman in the gaming community, she’s heard sexist comments and has been iced out of games when others find out she’s not a man.
“I’ve had sexual remarks put towards me. I get told I should be back in the kitchen. ‘2K is not for women,’ I’ve had that. There’s no question about that,” Evans told ESPN.
The league is in its second season and all players make between $33,000 and $38,000 a year playing.
Kevin Durant, Evans’ favorite player, thinks the league is a cool place for the huge, growing eSports space.
“Esports has become a huge thing now. More people who enjoy the game might get an opportunity to be professionals and make some money for themselves … I think it’s cool.”
Evans was only one of two women who was draft eligible on Tuesday night, but hopefully seeing her compete at the highest level will open more doors for women in competitive gaming.
