Roku Documentary Highlights WNBA Stars' Struggle Balancing Motherhood and Careers

At the 24th annual Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival, Roku premiered the documentary “Gamechangers: Mother/Athlete,” part of its Gamechangers series. The intimate portrait follows five WNBA veterans—Sheryl Swoopes, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Bria Hartley, Natalie Achonwa and Allison Feaster—as they recount the joys and obstacles of pregnancy, postpartum recovery and raising children while competing at the highest level.

Director Christine Turner explained that the film aims to humanize athletes, reminding viewers that they face the same daily concerns as anyone else. The women highlighted the league’s historic lack of resources, noting that fully paid maternity leave was only instituted in 2018 and that they have long managed schedules and finances with little guidance. Swoopes, who became pregnant just before the WNBA’s inaugural season, described her fear of sharing the news and her decision to embrace the experience. The documentary will stream for free on The Roku Channel later this fall, seeking to raise awareness of maternal issues in professional sports.