Paige Bueckers holding towelPaige Bueckers (Photo via Twitter/X)
The WNBA & Gatorade are taking heat because of a slogan hatched by the latter this month.

The sports drink brand launched its “Let Her Cook” campaign ahead of the 2025 WNBA All-Star Weekend to celebrate legends such as Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker, along with the league’s current stars.

Fans reckon the entities did not think the slogan through, given that it literally reads as something women have been trying to distance themselves from for decades.

“Let Her Cook” is basically saying “Allow her to thrive.” However, some see it as a way to encourage people who claim that women should remain in the kitchen.

“I don’t think Gatorade & the WNBA fully thought this marketing campaign through😆,” Jon Root wrote as the caption to photos displaying bits from the campaign.

 

“They want women to make men sandwiches and shut up,” one fan commented.

“What are the odds that Gatorade’s ‘Let Her Cook’ campaign was led, overseen, and executed by a woman? I’ve got a hunch!” another wrote.

Gatorade Also Taking Heat For Caitlin Clark/A’ja Wilson Decision

A'ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark in uniformA’ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark (Photos via USA Today Images)
There’s also some contention over Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson sharing screen time in the Gatorade ad. It’s thought that there is some tension between the two stars, and some fans see the campaign as representative of the discord in the WNBA.


It launched in the wake of Clark receiving a record-breaking number of All-Star votes. The Indiana Fever guard also got a historic deal with Nike before arriving in the league, while Wilson had until last December to get one.

She didn’t hide her feelings about the delay.

“It doesn’t matter what we do as Black women,” she said, “we’re still swept underneath the rug.”

While Gatorade is a leading brand in American sports, its recent campaign has left some fans skeptical as they wonder whether the slogan is genuine encouragement or a branding venture covering up very real issues.

Brittney Griner speaking to reporterBrittney Griner (Photo via Twitter)
WNBA star Brittney Griner was at the center of a new debate over what she allegedly said in a game against basketball phenom Caitlin Clark.

The Atlanta Dream center found herself at the center of social media controversy last month when some fans thought she disparaged Indiana Fever star guard Caitlin Clark upon fouling out.

The game’s broadcast focused on an upset Griner saying something as she returned to the Dream bench after fouling out of the game. While there’s no audio of this moment, some who tried to read Griner’s lips thought she called Clark a “trash f–king white girl.”

However, there’s no proof of Griner saying those actual words since others thought she stated something else.

It took weeks for someone to finally get a quote from her, and she provided much of nothing.

Brittney Griner was asked about this moment before her team’s June 15 game against the Washington Mystics and said, “I remember fouling out, being mad. I remember fouling out on, I believe it was [Natasha] Howard driving to the basket. They said I put my hand in.”

WNBA Chooses Not To Investigate Brittney Griner

Griner Drops F-Bomb, Apologizes Amid Clark Slur RowBrittney Griner (Photo By Dale Zanine-Imagn Images)
Moments before the conclusion of the Indiana Fever’s 81-76 victory over the Dream at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta weeks ago, cameras seemingly caught Atlanta Dream star center Brittney Griner labeling Caitlin Clark “trash” before calling her a “f***ing white girl” in frustration over a foul on Natasha Howard.

The clip of Griner speaking on the bench, lacking context, spread on social media and went viral.

Griner, who won a gold medal for Team USA at the Summer Olympics in Paris in 2024, essentially got away with whatever came out of her mouth because the league basically ignored the controversy.

This incident is not the only time Griner vocalized her frustrations this season. Following another game, she stormed off mid-interview, yelling at the referees to “be f—ing better.