Online gamblers have been betting on WNBA players’ potential performances based on their "predictions" — assumptions or lack of substantial evidence would be a better way to put it — regarding those players’ menstrual cycles.
Some are even calling it blood money.
Instagram account FadeMeBets has been one of the faces of the operation uncovered in a recent Wired article in which the anonymous male tipster advises his 29,000 followers to take the "under" on players based on their alleged menstrual cycle.
He claims to have been correct with 11 out of 16 period-related predictions, tracking players’ statistics through the course of a 24 to 38-day cycle, looking for highs and lows in their performances and citing a study discussing menstruating athletes performing worse during their late luteal phase.
In September, he encouraged fans to bet on New York Liberty player Breanna Stewart getting fewer points and assists than normal, because she was in her late luteal phase.
All this despite having no factual evidence to back up his predictions and never having asked a WNBA player about her cycle.
“What’s kind of good, but also kind of bad, is it brings more people to watch the WNBA, but, on the downside of that, it’s usually just all gamblers,” the FadeMeBets tipster, who declined to be named, citing privacy concerns, said.
Funny how he has concerns for himself but has no regard for a women’s body.
It gets worse.
In May, FadeMeBets left comments on his own videos about Chicago Sky’s Courtney Vandersloot, claiming she was on her period.
"I also made sure to play with her feelings and manipulate her on an alt account to mess with her emotions before game time," he wrote.
If that is how people treat our elite female athletes, why would any young girl want to pull on their shoes and be involved in sport?
Periods are already a leading factor in why women are dropping out of sport. How dare someone add fuel to the fire by using menstrual cycles as an avenue for financial gain.
Gambling on their performances — good or bad — is one thing. To bring something outside a women’s control into it is derogatory and barbaric.
I am sure A’ja Wilson, who spearheaded the Las Vegas Aces with a finals MVP performance to a clean sweep of the Phoenix Mercury to win their third WNBA title in four years, would love to hear from that man.
A recent study from Federation University in Australia showed periods significantly impacted girls’ participation in sport. One in five girls aged 10 to 16 considered dropping out due to period-related challenges.
The study revealed 62% of girls missed training due to their periods, and 91% worried about leaking or bleeding through uniforms.
Great strides have been made to support women through their periods — including changing to dark uniforms — but more needs to be done to ensure young women are encouraged to play sport.
Betting on their bodies is not the way to do that.
