for our well-being. In this case, the WNBA fell on the right side of justice.The Minnesota Lynx made an impact in taking a stand, and their act invit

She has 22 Grand Slam titles and her own clothing line. She has earned more than $80 million in prize money and spent nearly six years as the No. 1 tennis player in the world. So what to get Serena Williams on her 35th birthday? We present perspective, from friends, rivals and fans, all of whom told us what Serena means to them.I didnt know anything about tennis, but I definitely knew who Serena Williams was. I remember being out on tour with Destinys Child. She came to a show and she and I havent stopped talking since that day. We just clicked. Shes always seemed to find a way to make me laugh, let me know when Im at my greatest, but will also let me know when Im at my worst, and thats when true friendship is tested. Its how honest one can be with you. How she balances being the No. 1 tennis player in the world and a No. 1 friend baffles me. She is the friend that I prayed and asked God for, whom I also deeply admire. My lifelong friend. Serena Williams.-- Kelly Rowland, singerShes the ultimate competitor, a person that plays the game with so much fire and passion. I have tons of respect for her and what shes been able to do over her career. Arguably one of the best women athletes to ever play any sport, and she does it with grace and passion.-- Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks quarterback I know the numbers and the stats and the records, but I feel her career is the best in the history of the game even without those. I truly believe that. ... I have always admired the way shes handled the ups and downs of her career, and shes always had that champion mentality and the fighting spirit. Its just amazing. To me, shes always been the toughest opponent you can have, but also the most exciting. Ive always looked forward to playing against her, because thats when you truly test yourself or your level. Its always exciting to me. In my mind, shes the greatest player ever, regardless of the record.-- Victoria Azarenka, tennis playerSerena means strength and beauty to me. She breaks barriers in tennis and for women, with just enough of an edge to keep everyone waiting to see what she will do next. Congrats. You set the championship standard for us all.-- Monica Abbott, softball pitcher Shes important to me. Shes important to young girls who look like her and me. Shes important to women in sports in general. With her, I always use the phrase unapologetically fearless. ... She hasnt backed down from her body shape, from wanting to get paid at a high level like the men, from so many issues. You see this kid who came from Compton and what shes been able to achieve; shes been this icon.--Swin Cash, basketball starI mean, body. ... She is a walking goddess. Amazing. Feminine. Strength. Lets take gender and all of that out for a minute, and just focus on an amazing athlete. I know that I couldnt stand up against her. Shes amazing. ... Theres a lot that comes with the expectation of who people perceive you to be, then you could just be who you are. Shes a very elegant woman.-- Usher, entertainerSerena is the epitome of power, finesse, and she has everything in her arsenal. She can do anything, and when I watch her play, its her game to lose. To me, I call it big, bold and beautiful. Thats what Serena means to me. I think to me, whenever she loses a match, she always gives the competitor their dues, and thats what a great champion is -- they played well and they played better than her that day. It wasnt that they were hitting lucky shots. It was, they played to win.Kerry Phomtavong, fan from Oakland, CaliforniaSerena means champion to me. I got a chance to see her 30 for 30 and see how she was raised, see all the challenges her and her family had to go through to even get her to this level. Its rewarding, its like the cherry on top of the cake to the story. Your parents always tell you to work hard, and shes that proof.-- Fabolous, rapper I remember watching her play in her catsuit outfit at the US Open [in 2002]. That was awesome. I was like, Oh my gosh, this girl rocks! I hadnt met her at the time yet. And the first time I did meet her, she was so sweet and just gracious, and nice enough to talk to me. Little me! I couldnt believe it. It was just in passing the first time, it really wasnt anything special, but it was just the fact that it was her -- Serena Williams! -- talking to me.-- Shelby Rogers, tennis playerSerena means a source of comfort for me. When I was younger, I kind of felt alone because I was one of the couple black swimmers in the sport. Just watching her be so dominant in a sport that she was also a minority in comforted me, and kind of helped me realize that if I wanted to fulfill a dream, I could, and I shouldnt let the fact that Im a minority in a sport keep me from reaching those goals and dreams.-- Simone Manuel, swimming gold medalist Watching her, its an inspiration. Shes so powerful in everything that she does. When she loses, I feel like Ive lost. When she wins, its like we all win together.-- Tamika Catchings, basketball starSerena is an amazing athlete and an amazing tennis role model for all players. Shes one of the greatest players of all time. I think Serena should definitely be praised for all of her accolades on and off the court. Shes definitely a role model for all players to look up to. ... Its just herself in general -- her presence on and off the court, what shes brought to womens sports and, selfishly, womens tennis.-- Coco Vandeweghe, tennis playerSerena Williams is the ultimate human being. ... Shes true and real, she owns who she is. She believes in the struggle and is mentally tough. To me ... being mentally tough, that is the most inspirational thing you can have -- is to trust and believe in yourself. That you can succeed and overcome all things -- even when the going gets tough. Being mentally tough, especially as a fitness professional, its not about your body, its not about a size, but rather a mentality. If you want to achieve any goal, it starts from the neck up. And Serena definitely leads the charge as being the greatest athlete of all time because she leads with her mind, but possesses the power.-- Shaun T, celebrity fitness trainerProbably the world. We love each other. We have so much fun together and we enjoy each other, so I think that has made our life meaningful.-- Venus Williams, sister Reggie Jackson Jersey . The 15th-ranked Canadian men lost the opening two games of their European tour: 19-15 to No. 17 Georgia and 21-20 to No. Mike Trout Jersey . With their top three point guards and Kobe Bryant all sidelined by injury, the Lakers signed Marshall out of the D-League on Friday before their home game against Minnesota. https://www.cheapangels.com/1703j-luis-garcia-jersey-angels.html . PAUL, Minn. David Fletcher Angels Jersey . -- Running backs Darren McFadden and Rashad Jennings were back at practice for the Oakland Raiders on Wednesday despite being hampered by hamstring injuries. Eddie Murray Angels Jersey . Brett Kulak and Jackson Houck of the Vancouver Giants were each charged with assault causing bodily harm on Aug. 18, according to the B.C. court services. Protest is the act of telling the truth in public.Some have chosen to tell the truth with their bodies -- by standing in and shutting down streets, by participating in or leading rallies and marches, or in other forms of direct action -- with the express function of disrupting the normalcy of everyday life that allows some to ignore inequity, racism and injustice.On?July 5, Alton Sterling was killed by two white Baton Rouge?police officers. The very next day, Minnesota officers killed?Philando Castile, which?was livestreamed on Facebook by his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds. Both deaths led to sustained protests across the country.?Sterling and Castile were killed two years after the Black Lives Matter movement began in Ferguson, Missouri, leading to sustained unrest nationwide.It is in this context that the Minnesota Lynx chose to tell the truth in public.On July 10, the Minnesota Lynx wore black warm-up shirts that read, Change starts with us -- Justice & Accountability?on the front?and had the names of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling on the back, along with the statement Black Lives Matter.The truth is that Castile and Sterling should be alive today. They should be with their families, preparing for the holiday. But they are not. They were victims of a system of police violence that continues to plague this nation, victims of systemic inequity and racism that black people and other people of color have confronted for centuries in this America.In wearing the T-shirts, the Minnesota Lynx joined a long tradition of athletes willing to risk the comfort of their position to push public consciousness to confront uncomfortable truths. On the night they wore these shirts, four off-duty officers left their posts?working security at the game in response to the Lynxs stance. The police seemed more upset by a display of grief than they were by the injustice of the murder of two men.The Lynxs move led to three other WNBA teams joining in protest: the Indiana Fever, New York Liberty and Phoenix Mercury. Afterward, the teams were fined $5,000, along with each player being fined $500, as the WNBA noted that the T-shirts violated the uniform policy.The WNBA issued a statement noting that it was proud of WNBA players engagement and passionate advocacy for non-violent solutions to difficult social issues, but this didnt deeter the players.dddddddddddd They staged media blackouts and asked fans to join them by wearing black in solidarity. Carmelo Anthony became one of the most prominent athletes to support the WNBA players, calling the fines into question.The pursuit of change follows many paths, but it begins with awareness; it begins with a willingness to discuss our most uncomfortable truths in public, to use the public space to build momentum, allowing us to enact the change that our lives deserve. In their act of protest, they inspired athletes across the league and continued to demonstrate what we know to be true: that how we think about the world impacts how we live in it.I think about all the days in the street that I spent in protest alongside so many others in Ferguson, Baltimore, Minneapolis and Baton Rouge. In these cities, the common thread was that there was a willingness to challenge the status quo, to disrupt the complacency and timidity that allows injustice to continue to fester. We were willing to endure the consequences of refusing to be silent because we knew that the seductiveness of silence had dire consequences.In the end, the WNBA lifted the fines for the teams.When we tell the truth in public, we force those who depend on the status quo to respond, we force systems and structures to demonstrate in real-time their commitment to our struggles, to our lives, and to a future that is one of equity and justice. In all, when we tell the truth in public we expose the values of the very institutions that claim that they exist for our well-being. In this case, the WNBA fell on the right side of justice.The Minnesota Lynx made an impact in taking a stand, and their act invited others to the work of social justice. I am proud to stand alongside them in the struggle.More on Minnesota Lynx? Minnesota Lynx wear shirts raising awareness of recent shootings Story ?? Minneapolis cops leave security posts at Lynx game over shirts?Story ?? Carmelo Anthony supports WNBA players upset by T-shirt fines?Story ?The IMPACT25 is espnWs annual list of the 25 athletes and influencers who have made the greatest difference for women in sports. Explore the 2016 list and more content at espnW.com/IMPACT25. ' ' '