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Flavor Flav is the official hype man for Team USA Women’s Water Polo.”Everybody wants to feel like they’ve got their back covered, like somebody has their back, you know what I’m saying?” the rapper said. “And when they feel that, it makes them feel more powerful… It makes them feel better, you know, it gives them energy to go out and win that fourth gold medal.”According to the players, his presence at the games has been more than playful; it’s been powerful. Ashleigh Johnson, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, is the only Black player on Team USA Women’s Water Polo.”I see people just asking questions about water polo, and like people of color wanting to start playing,” Johnson said. “And that’s a different community than I’ve seen talk about our sport in the way they were talking about it than I have at any point since I joined this team.”Johnson also emphasized the need for representation in the sport. “Our sport’s still not representative of the U.S., and I don’t think we have the best competing until we see good representation,” Johnson said.In addition to promoting diversity, Johnson and Flav are also advocating for safety in the sport. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, underserved and minority communities have increased rates of drowning. Johnson believes that seeing her and Flav in the water can help promote safety.”Like just taking those barriers away, and creating a pathway and access to opportunity is super important,” Johnson said.The U.S. Women’s Water Polo team was upset Monday by Spain. Their next game is Thursday against Greece.