wnbl athletes and the 2023 referendum

‘politics’ verse existence and the podium that is sport

sport and politics 

Basketball Australia and, by extension, the WNBL are voting Yes. 

basketball australia, wnbl clubs and the 2023 referendum

Here are the perspectives of some of the Indigenous athletes who have helped forge the legacy of women’s basketball.

First, a sincere thank you to everyone who has contributed to this article and allowed a small part of a wider conversation to be published. The efforts and insight of each Indigenous player (and official), including those who took the time to politely decline, is invaluable.

It is crucial for (non-Indigenous) people to recognise the impact and risk something ‘progressive’ like the current referendum can have, and has been having, on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It accentuates more than two centuries of oppression. It provides a public arena for that oppression to be dissected and contested.

The mental labour and emotional toll required for these ongoing ‘debates’ should not be taken for granted. There is a deep, long history of traumas inflicted by colonialism; that enduring damage needs to be acknowledged in any conversation around this country’s origin and shared future.  

athletes

Maddie Allen is an Awabakal woman. She has played in the WNBL with Canberra Capitals (2016–2017) and Perth Lynx (2018–2020).

Renai Fejo is a Larrakia woman and athlete. In collaboration with Basketball South Australia, she created the 2023 NBL1 Central Indigenous Player Map. 

Valerie Nancarrow née Ah Wong is a Birri Gubba and Kuku Yalanji woman. She represented the AIS in 1987 and 1988, and the Brisbane Lady Bullets in 1989.

Abby Cubillo is a Larrakia woman. The first player born and raised in the Northern Territory to play in the WNBL, she was signed to the Canberra Capitals from 2018–2022 and now plays with Adelaide Lightning. 

Sian Gillam is a Walman Jano Yawuru woman. An NBL1 athlete, she designed Ringwood Hawks’ 2023 Indigenous jersey. 

Jacqui Dover is a Yugambeh woman. She became the first Indigenous woman to officiate in the NBL, and is one of two in the history of the WNBL.

what does the Voice referendum mean to you? 

Maddie Allen: This one is hard. The cynic in me doesn’t have the best answer. I’m voting Yes, to be clear, but the referendum means the same thing to me as the 2016 plebiscite on marriage equality - a big conversation about whether or not my community and I deserve the bare minimum. The conversations can be really draining, to be honest. I’ve stayed fairly silent. One thing I have noticed, which I love, is non-Indigenous people putting in the work to educate their communities.

Renai Fejo: It means a change for our generation after many years of setbacks. It’s hard to say whether it’s good or bad — it’s one of the ‘what if’ situations.

Val Nancarrow: It doesn’t mean much to me at all. As the baby of the family of five kids, I grew up surrounded white people. Dad passed when I was three, my mum found a new man when I was six, and I was left in the hands of my eldest sister and her white boyfriend. Then, I left my hometown of Ayr in Queensland at the age of sixteen and and moved to the AIS.

When this whole thing came out about the Voice, I thought, ‘Great, now everyone will think [if Yes succeeds] we’re going to get more money and housing; just handouts after handouts.’ But working as a First Nations person, it is a big responsibility to understand why some of our mob will say Yes and some will say No. As I am getting older, I am learning more about my family history, but it is very hard due to not having family history handed down by my parents or my Elders.

Abby Cubillo: The voice to me means an opportunity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to have a say in the laws that are made about them. Our people have fought hundreds of years for our culture and the land and we are now getting a chance to make a positive impact and change for our people.

Sian Gillam: To me it is an opportunity for growth, for all Australians to stand together in support of First Nations people, and formally acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People as the first inhabitants of Australia in the Constitution.

Jacqui Dover: The Voice referendum is a step in the right direction. It’s definitely not the finish line, but it’s a start that provides equal and fair avenues for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to have our say and make tangible improvement.

is the Voice something you and your family/Community have discussed much?

Maddie Allen: Yes. I argued with my parents about it. They both work in university settings (Dad with Indigenous students) and have a very different worldview. For them, and for their generation, this is groundbreaking. For me, it’s past due and again, the bare minimum.

Renai Fejo: I have had a few discussions with family and friends, but not a lot as it does get heated at times, and can create more confusion without complete understanding.

Val Nancarrow: No. My family no longer live in our hometown of Ayr. We are all disbanded throughout Australia. I do not know my full heritage, language, or culture. I do not know or understand what my Elders — Aunties, Uncles, Grandparents — went through in their life. The one thing I do know is that I identify as Aboriginal.

Abby Cubillo: I feel like it has been a very personal time leading to this referendum. My conversations with others about it have been limited, and I appreciate that. I have been able to find information about the Voice referendum which supports both sides of the argument, and then ultimately make my own decision. 

Sian Gillam: I have had many conversations with my Elders and mentors about the proposal and what it means for Australia. I have been lucky enough to be able to listen to Aunties and Uncles discuss if the Voice will truly positively impact First Nations communities. I feel confident that a Voice to parliament will have a positive impact for First Nations people and will not negatively impact Australia as a whole.

Jacqui Dover: Yes, I have had a range of conversations with friends and family, discussing their opinions and thoughts. I’ve had a lot of my referee peers reach out to chat too, asking my point of view and how they can better educate themselves for the voting on Saturday.

is the Voice something you think could create progress?

Maddie Allen: I think what a Yes vote does is tell people it’s a good idea to listen to Indigenous voices. I think the message it sends will be far greater than the actual effect of a constitutional change.

Renai Fejo: It is definitely something that can create more progress. It’s hard to see at the moment as it’s an in-your-face scenario. A lot of people are just asking one another who they are voting for and not really giving it much thought for themselves.

Val Nancarrow: No.

Abby Cubillo: I absolutely think it can create progress. It gives us more control over and influence in the decisions that affect us.  I understand that there is hesitance due to the nature of our history, but we are now finally getting the opportunity to move in the right direction. We need to take it with both hands and use this voice to be able to contribute to a more reconciled Australia.

Sian Gillam: I think it has potential to create progress, yes. By no means is the Voice the complete and final answer to the many systematic challenges faced by First Nations peoples. It will not negate the need for truth-telling and treaty. It will however give First Nations people an opportunity to consult and provide input on policies that will affect our communities. And, importantly, a voice enshrined in the constitution is protected from the whims of the political parties trying to win votes in the future.

Jacqui Dover: Big yes. There’s been a range of progress I’ve seen and been involved with, more so on the sporting side but to see this pass, I think will allow for real long term change and progress.

do you agree with the statement that politics should be left out of sport?

Maddie Allen: If you’re a woman, if you’re disabled, if you’re not white, if you’re queer - your existence is political. When I hear ‘leave politics out of sport’ I’m reminded how many people have the luxury of living a life where their existence doesn’t cause nationwide debate. I don’t have that luxury. I can’t imagine not using the privileges sport afforded me to pave the way for future generations.

Renai Fejo: That’s hard to say, as it is forever evolving; everything around us changes continually.

Val Nancarrow: Yes.

Abby Cubillo: Ideally I think politics should be left out of sport. However, sport holds so much of the identity of Australia that I think people naturally look towards sport and sportspeople for the answers. 

Sian Gillam: Perhaps in the past it was possible for politics to be left out of sport, but I think that the platform social media gives people of all professions now means that the public do now look to athletes who they respect for guidance on a range of issues. I don’t think it is possible any more for politics to be left out of sport. I only hope that athletes are given support to understand and learn about important social issues.

Jacqui Dover: No. I think naturally sportspeople become role models and people of influence at the elite level both on and off the court, and in turn I think it’s a positive thing to see these athletes using their privilege and voice to make progress and change for future generations.

are you comfortable sharing which way you are voting?

Maddie Allen: I’m in the ‘I’m voting Yes but this should’ve been an email’ camp. I don’t know where I heard it - I think maybe something Briggs put out - but we’re already at ‘no’. And it’s not working.

Renai Fejo: At this stage, I’m not, as I am still deciding within myself.

Val Nancarrow: Yes, I am comfortable sharing. I will be voting No, but I am still a little undecided. I am very proud to have married my husband (who is white). He’s given me the most precious kids in the world. They were born Australian Aboriginal plus white Kiwi. I worry this Voice would divide us, but [regardless of the outcome of the referendum] they will grow up knowing who they identify as — Aboriginal and white Kiwi.

Abby Cubillo: I am very comfortable with the way I’m voting. I’m voting Yes. I think about my nana and her being a part of the Stolen Generation, and then her fighting her whole life for justice. If the Voice can positively contribute to practical change for us, I’m voting Yes for her. 

Sian Gillam: Yes, I am strongly supportive of a Yes vote. 

Jacqui Dover: I 100% am. I will be voting Yes.

what is one thing you would want voters to know when they go to the polls?

Maddie Allen: The Voice has been framed about bettering the lives of Indigenous people, and maybe it will, but I think that’s wrong. I think it’ll be far more beneficial to non-Indigenous people. Indigenous knowledge can and will help policy makers and average Australians alike. Bring in the experts, I say, and who’s more expert than communities with 60,000 years of knowledge under their belt?

Renai Fejo: Do your own research and stop asking others who they should vote for. It is a heavy topic and it does take a lot of energy from people.

Val Nancarrow: Interesting question. I work in the Health Sector and was asked by my work colleagues about this. I said to them, ‘What is your understanding of what the voice referendum is?’ I explained I was voting No because I don’t want someone to speak on my behalf. I would tell voters to know and understand what they are voting for; don’t go on what someone else has told you to vote.

Abby Cubillo: Read as much information as you can before making a decision. Listen to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their views on the voice, whether they’re Yes or No. You can then make a decision that is best for you and our community. 

Sian Gillam: Please just read the Uluru Statement from the Heart. The Uluru Statement was created by a process of 13 dialogues across Australia. It is the most proportionally significant consultation process of First Nations peoples Australia has ever seen. 83% of First Nations people support the Voice. Please respect the labour of Elders, First Nations people and allies that has gone into the process leading up to this referendum. This should not be an issue that is politicised, but sadly it has been. Having a First Nation’s Voice will not in any way negatively impact the lives of white Australians.

This is such a simple question, and it has been massively complicated by fear-mongering and deliberate misinformation. Hiding behind a veil of ignorance is shameful and frankly not good enough. If you don’t know, find out. And understand who you are aligning with when you vote. Do you really want to tell your kids one day that you chose to vote with the likes of Pauline Hanson, Andrew Bolt, Clive Palmer, Rupert Murdoch, Gina Reinhardt, and Tony Abbott?

Jacqui Dover: I just hope people take the time to research and back their decision, and don’t vote no only because they “don’t know”.

Uluru Statement from the Heart.

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Thank you to Tyson Demos for his patience and contribution to this research.

This is an evolving piece of work. All reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the information included is accurate and comprehensive. Any feedback on detected errors or omissions is welcomed, along with additional perspectives.