"I was internally screaming at myself, 'Why are you being silent'" - Abby Wambach recalls male executives discussing women's sports during meeting with Serena Williams
Former American footballer Abby Wambach said that she interrupted an NFL quarterback in the middle of his speech in a meeting where Serena Williams was present as well.
The 41-year-old attended the commencement ceremony at Loyola Marymount University on Saturday. While speaking about how she learned to stand up for herself and others, Wambach recalled a meeting that included herself, Williams, and several male executives and athletes.
She said that one of the topics that was discussed was: “What do we need to know about women’s experience in sports and media?”
Wambach claimed that no one asked her or Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, for their opinions regarding the matter. Instead, an NFL quarterback (who she did not name) took the lead and started to speak.
″[He] began speaking with great authority for a very long time about women’s sports, at a table with Serena Williams and me," Wambach was quoted as saying by CNBC. "I sat there silently for too long. I was internally screaming at myself, ‘Why are you being silent?’
Wambach said that her initial reaction was to do nothing as she wanted others at the table to see her as a team player.
“I wanted the other powerful men at the table to see me as a team player. "
Wambach said that she eventually interrupted the quarterback in the middle of the speech. She claimed that everyone seated at the table fell silent and that she and Serena Williams led the remainder of the conversation.
“It’s very tempting, when we finally make it to the table, to do everything we can to stay there," Wambach added. "“We think we are there to preserve our seat, instead of remembering we are there to use our seat.”
Wambach was among the leaders of securing equal pay for women in American football, while Serena Williams and her sister Venus Williams were instrumental in getting equal pay for women in Grand Slams.
Why Abby Wambach interrupted an NFL quarterback at a board meeting: When you have 'the least privilege, speak up' cnb.cx/3N9roaM
Serena Williams recently returned to training
Serena Williams recently posted a video on Instagram of herself training as she prepares for a comeback. The American has been away from the WTA tour since Wimbledon 2021, with her ranking dropping to 248th in the world.
Williams hinted not too long ago that she could play Wimbledon this year.