As the 14-3 Aztecs looked to stay undefeated in the Mountain West, Viejas Arena was decked in rainbow colors as SDSU celebrated its second annual Pride Game.
Reed Plunkett, one of SDSU’s Assistant Directors of Marketing, knew this game was monumental for the university, aiming “to reach even more fans than normal and invite them to feel a community here with women’s basketball”.
Plunkett also highlighted the Hillcrest Youth Center, where members were seen during halftime, with a Pride Flag display to show appreciation for the LGBTQ+ community and all Aztecs. The Hillcrest Youth Center is a drop-in recreational center for any youth ages 14-18 in San Diego looking for support.
To celebrate Pride further, the first 500 fans at Viejas Arena received a limited-edition SDSU T-shirt featuring the Pride flag, and the Aztec logo on the scoreboard remained draped in the flag for the duration of the game.
Aztec fan Wendy Trout is a member of the LGBTQ+ community and deeply appreciates the women’s basketball program’s new Pride Game tradition. When asked why she came to this game specifically, Wendy stated, “It means everything to me because I’m part of this community, and it’s very special that SDSU has a day like this.”
While this new tradition is a huge step for the community, there are still more advancements that can be made throughout the university. Women’s basketball is the only sport currently that has a “Pride Game”, and fans believe this tradition should be expanded amongst all the programs.
Trout stated, “I would love for the other athletic programs to pick up on this, football, baseball, men’s basketball- I would love to go to all of them”. For Trout, the game represented a rare moment where her identity and her love for Aztec athletics intersected in a new way.
For senior star Nala Williams, the honor of carrying the Pride game runs deeper: “It feels great representing the LGBTQ+ community, I’m a masculine-presenting woman, so I like to show that you can look like me and still be a woman and have a good time,” she reflected post-game.
Williams’ presence resonated with fans who see her confidence and success as a reminder that there is no single way to look, act, or identify as an athlete.
SDSU alumna, Jessica Brooks from the Class of 2023 appreciates the women’s program for their respect for the LGBTQ+ community, but thinks the men’s programs are lacking.
“I feel like there’s a stigma in men’s sports, if you’re gay, you are not manly enough, but that is why we need that representation,” Brooks said.
Brooks also states, as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, “I’m lucky my mom is here and supports me, not everyone has that- we need to protect people and include all of them.”
The Pride game marked a blueprint for how collegiate sports can foster inclusivity while strengthening connections between athletes, fans and the broader community.
