Women face barriers in men’s basketball, photographer says

Marita Brigitta Mones, the photographer and social media manager for Estonia’s men’s national basketball team, says working as a woman in a male-dominated environment remains difficult, ERR reported.

Speaking on the R2 Hommik radio programme, Mones said she was excluded from some conversations and social circles and did not attend sauna evenings with the team.

“You are not really one of them. You do not go to sauna evenings, and you are left out of some conversations and circles,” Mones said. “But I do not want to go either.”

She said the work also had advantages, as communication with players could sometimes be easier for her. A large part of the job involves building relationships and fitting into the team environment, she said.

Mones photographs and films the national team and the Big Bank Kalev basketball team, while also producing their social media content. She said fans increasingly expect behind-the-scenes material showing the players’ personalities and relationships.

“Every day is different. Since basketball is very popular at the moment, people already expect social media content. I travel with the team all the time, photographing, filming and posting everything,” she said.

Mones has photographed the men’s national team for several years. She said basketball photography had changed significantly, with blurred and grainy, film-like images currently in fashion. She tries to avoid overused styles and does not follow every trend, she said.

According to Mones, players understand that the content also contributes to their personal brands and are happy to work with her.

Mones studied media at a university in Lithuania and previously worked at the Žalgiris fan shop in Kaunas. She returned to Estonia during the coronavirus pandemic and began working in basketball while looking for media experience, despite having no previous basketball background. She is now entering her seventh season.

The interview was broadcast on R2 Hommik, hosted by Bert Järvet and Margus Kamlat.