Frank Franklin II/Associated Press

Chiquita Evans 1st Woman Drafted in NBA 2K League After Being Taken by Warriors

Timothy Rapp

Chiquita Evans was selected by Warriors Gaming in the fourth round of the NBA 2K League draft on Tuesday, becoming the first woman drafted into the league.

"It changes everything," she said, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com). "It means everything to me."

The league, now in its second season, didn't have any female players in year one. This season, two women qualified to be drafted through the league's combine—Evans and Brianna Novin—though only Evans was selected. Novin is still eligible to be added by a team as a free agent.

Per the AP's report, the league discovered that male players often didn't pass to their female counterparts, skewing the data when evaluating top women in the game.

"It made us put more emphasis on how good a player was when they got the ball in their hands," 2K League managing director Brendan Donohue said. "That's the only part of it they can control."

A broader culture of misogyny in the gaming space also provided an obstacle.

"I've had sexual remarks put towards me," Evans said. "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."

But Evans is a pro now, and her opponents will be the ones getting cooked.

   

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