Chiquita Evans became the first woman ever drafted into the NBA 2K League on Tuesday night, going in the fourth round to Warriors Gaming, which is operated by the NBA’s Golden State Warrriors.
A former college and semipro basketball player, Evans is now the esports league’s first female pro, one of the 126 players who will make between $33,000 to $37,000 per season, plus benefits and team housing.
“It feels surreal,” she said, According to The Associated Press
Evans was one of two women who qualified for the 2K League draft this year through the league’s online combine. The other, Brianna Novin, was not selected but could still sign as a free agent. The NBA runs the league in coordination with 2K game publisher Take-Two Interactive, and it did not have any women for its inaugural season.
Female gamers have had difficulty breaking into pro esports. Among the most popular circuits, League of Legends Championship Series and the Overwatch League have each had just one female player.
Information from The Associated Press and Espn.com contributed to this report.
