Women's basketball coach fires back at critics after outfit furore
College basketball coach Sydney Carter has hit back at critics after copping backlash over her outfit choice at a recent game.
The Texas A&M assistant coach wore pink leather pants and high heels at a game against the Kentucky Wildcats earlier this month.
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Carter shared photos of herself at the game on social media, with her outfit featuring a pink breast cancer awareness pin.
However the outfit blew up on social media for all the wrong reasons, with some questioning whether it was appropriate.
Carter has since hit back at those questioning the outfit, telling Yahoo Lifestyle: “I just think that people are uncomfortable with a Black woman being in a power position.
“When you see a Black woman who is actually confident and embracing herself, I think that that’s very intimidating.
“You hear so many times that people don‘t want to watch women play basketball, because there’s too many that look manly, or they play like a guy or don’t play enough like guys.
“Women can never satisfy anybody in any aspect of life. Just as a woman, it’s hard enough. It’s hard enough that we’re not paid the same or that people think that we can’t do some of the same things or something as well as men in a male-dominated industry.
“I‘m unapologetically myself every day. And I could care less if anybody thinks that I’m being extra.
"I’m not gonna turn up turn my light off because somebody else is offended or intimidated by the fact that I embrace myself.”
Why would u dress in pants that tight to coach 🤦🏾♂️
— MH Pz (@PiEzEyTheOne) February 8, 2022
But you look professional. She dressed like she's hitting the bar. I guess she prefers to look good rather than be good seeing her team's record...
— Full Press Bears (@FullPressBears) February 12, 2022
It's the heels for me, the heels just make the whole outfit look out of place, white sneakers with pink, boom everybody silent, heels just don't fit the occasion, I mean I guess if you trying to pioneer wearing heels on the basketball court you good. IDK, you look bang n tho!
— JiuJitsu_KINGAG (@clockwurkin) February 11, 2022
So your women's coaches are dressing too sexy and your men's coaches are dressing too old??!🤡 pic.twitter.com/1rHdht9b9j
— Miss Frizzle's Bus (@SceneByAshlix) February 15, 2022
Sydney Carter's powerful response to critics
Carter also took to Instagram, writing: “Thank you to everyone for your support and kind words over the last few days.
“Representation matters. As a Black woman in coaching, I take pride in showing that people who look like me don‘t have to diminish our light to appeal to others, whose opinions never mattered anyway.
“I will continue to unapologetically be myself, apply pressure, and show that Black women can express our individuality while doing our jobs at a high level.”
Carter played for Texas A&M between 2008 and 2012, captaining the team in three of those seasons.
She also played for the Chicago Sky in the WNBA after being selected 27th overall in the draft.
"I just think that my team and other people around see that I don't just say things if I don't live by them," she said.
"And I think that it's important for them to know that if you're going to be surrounded by me, you're going to understand that it is okay to be yourself.
"I think a lot of college kids these days struggle with being confident and embracing who they really are because they are afraid of what the world will say. And I hope that that I am a living example of who cares what they say."
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