On the eve of Geelong United's inaugural Pride Round, Daniel Raber has called on the WNBL to celebrate its LGBTQIA+ community.
Raber will proudly wear United's rainbow jersey against Bendigo on Wednesday night as she represents the community she belongs to, herself and fiancé, Ziv.
The longest running elite women's sporting competition in Australia features athletes, past and present, and fans who proudly and openly identify as LGBTQIA+, yet doesn't have a dedicated Pride Round.
Its clubs, like Geelong this week, however, have taken the lead over the past decade.
In 2015, the UC Capitals made history as the first professional sports team in Australia to where the pride rainbow on its jersey for an entire home-and-away season.
In recent years, Adelaide Lightning coloured the iconic lightning bolt on its jersey with former player Marena Whittle driving a club initiative and partnership with the Queer Sporting Alliance.
The NBL will hold its Pride celebration this weekend, while AFLW, Super Netball and cricket all promote inclusion and diversity through initiatives.
"I'm surprised to know WNBL doesn't have Pride Round, if all the other sporting leagues are doing one and Geelong, I would think the league would do one," Raber told ESPN.
"I think it's something the athletes would want."
There's been a key to Raber's form in recent years as she's represented Israel and brought her game Down Under to Australia, first in NBL1 and now WNBL.
She's in love.
The couple met on Tinder four years ago in Israel during Covid and moved to Australia last year when Raber signed with Cockburn Cougars in NBL1 West.
"I can tell you that my career took a step forward when I got into a relationship with Ziv. All of my family and friends said, 'You're playing so much better!'
"I joked yes that's it not because I wake up at 6am to go shoot. I think life outside of basketball, if you're happy and comfortable it directly effects on the court."
While the connection between the couple was instant, Ziv has had to learn to love basketball.
"We watched the tennis last week at the Australian Open for three hours and she told me 'I'm happy you play basketball because it's only 40 minutes," Raber laughed.
"That's why she likes 3x3 the most."
Raber said her experience with her sexuality has been a positive one, from growing up in a boarding school with the best young talent rising through the Israeli sporting ranks to the endless support of her family.
"As a gay person, I didn't experience anything against me in sport, so this is a good part.
"I don't understand. Who cares what you are, who you love and where you're from - as long as you're a good person and you didn't do anything to me, I will accept you whoever you are."
Hosting a Pride Round, in its first WNBL season, is important to United as a sporting club, its regional Victorian community and athletes.
"It's super cool Geelong is doing it, it's something very important and very nice for the community. By sharing my story, even if it helps one person, a young girl struggling with herself to know she is not alone, it's OK, everyone is welcoming you," Raber explained.
"Sport is a really amazing place for gay people to feel welcome and feel that it's OK to be out, and to be yourself. I don't know about men's basketball because there are not a lot of openly gay athletes that I know of but for women I think it is a good environment and welcoming.
"Before I came here for the NBL1 season and to stay with a host family I told my team 'I'm coming with my partner and she's a woman, is that OK?' "They didn't care. I wanted to have it in my contract, and they said, 'no you don't have to, it's OK'."
Following the WNBL season, Raber will return to the court with the Cougars in WA where she has resigned.
The couple will marry in Israel in September then have a small ceremony in Perth on return to Australia with the community they've built through basketball.
"We've met really good people in Perth and they are our family now. We live so far from home and can't get on a plane to go home just for the weekend," Raber explained.
"To be able to travel the world, see places, meet people and make friendships I wouldn't have made if it wasn't for basketball, it's a great thing about sport."