Outsports’ groundbreaking online video series, “Ballin’ Out,” follows openly LGBTQ women on and around the U.S. Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team.
Now, several of them are set to represent the United States at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris.
“This team going into the Paralympics has a good chance to win a gold medal,” Stephanie Wheeler told Outsports. She knows that well: She won two Paralympic gold medals as an athlete and one as head coach of Team USA.
“When you think about successful teams, they have speed, they have the ability to score in a variety of ways, they can play defense, they have veteran leadership, young players who are on the verge of changing the game, and they have a great coaching staff. This team has everything it takes to win a gold medal.”
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Who are the openly gay, bi, lesbian and queer women looking to bring home medals for America? Meet the openly gay, bi, lesbian and queer women competing as members of the U.S. women’s wheelchair basketball team at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.
Josie Aslakson
Josie Aslakson She may have indirectly come out as an LGBTQ athlete, though she has never worn her love life or sexual orientation on her shirt sleeve.
But she is a featured athlete in Outsports’ “Ballin’ Out” series.
Aslakson was a long-time member of the U.S. women’s wheelchair basketball team, competing in the 2018 World Championships and winning a bronze medal at the 2023 World Championships in Dubai.
She was also part of the team that won the bronze medal under coach Trooper Johnson at the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics. She was part of the group that rebelled against Johnson, which resulted in him being removed from his position as head coach.
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Caitlin Eaton
Caitlin Eaton was a longtime member of the U.S. women’s wheelchair basketball team but took a break from playing at some point in 2023 to deal with health issues.
She was part of the U.S. team that won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Paralympics, but health issues have kept her from the 2023 World Championships team, something she talks about in “Ballin’ Out.”
Now she’s back, aiming for her second Paralympic medal, this time gold.
Eaton has embraced her nickname on the team: “Squirrel.”
Courtney Ryan
Courtney Ryan is a star women’s wheelchair basketball player. Prior to that, she played women’s soccer for the NCAA Division II Metro State Roadrunners from 2008-2010. During her freshman season, the team reached the NCAA Final Four.
It was in 2010 that she suffered a life-changing injury.
“Twenty minutes into the game, I was running for the ball,” Ryan told Ballin’ Out. “A defender came at me with a sliding tackle from behind. My feet froze. I landed on my back.”
Hours later, in hospital, she learned she might be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. “I felt like my sadness turned to anger. I didn’t expect this. I didn’t plan for it,” she said.
After no longer being able to compete in Division II women’s soccer, she began looking for other options, and that’s when she came across women’s wheelchair basketball.
Since then, she has won bronze medals at both the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics and the 2023 World Championships.
Now she’s leading the U.S. team to the Paris Paralympics.
Desi Miller
Desi Miller is the coach of the U.S. women’s wheelchair basketball team and was a player on the 2016 Paralympic gold medal-winning team under coach Stephanie Wheeler.
Miller currently serves as an assistant coach for the team.
She will support head coach Christina Schwab.
The pair led the team to a bronze medal at the 2023 World Championships and a gold medal at the 2023 Parapan American Games.
Non-Paralympic U.S. team members appearing in “Ballin’ Out”
The “Ballin’ Out” series introduces at least one other LGBTQ woman on and off the U.S. team.
Mandy Wilmore competed in track and field in college. South Dakota Mines before becoming a disabled athleteSince then, Wilmore has chosen to forgo his national team pursuits.
Paris is not Dubai
There were concerns that athletes and coaches who came out would be too visible when the 2023 World Championships are held in Dubai.
“We were very hesitant to make sure our actions were modest and did not offend the culture,” Ryan said of the world championships in Dubai.
Same-sex marriage and relationships are legal in France, so coming out as an LGBTQ athlete in and around Paris is a different story. Watch as women share their experiences on social media.
you can You can watch the entire “Ballin’ Out” series on YouTube.
Source: Outsports – www.outsports.com
