In an ever-changing media panorama, girls’s sports activities content material is now, greater than ever, throughout our feeds, timelines and information protection. For these of us who’ve at all times tuned in, this ain’t something new—from media and journalists to sports activities personalities, there are various, many individuals who’ve labored endlessly over time to cowl girls’s hoops. With all the brand new followers and viewers handing over, together with the rise of social media, there’s additionally been an increase of content material creators masking the W in their very own, distinctive methods, too
As we get able to have fun the beginning of the 2024 WNBA season, WSLAM is hyped to highlight a few of the many proficient creatives within the business who’re making waves, rising the sport and serving to push girls’s basketball protection ahead, all on their very own phrases. We requested them a spread of questions, from how they received into social to their method to constructing their private manufacturers, what they’re most excited for this season and, in fact, their common display time.
Don’t get it twisted although, this isn’t an unique listing or “membership,” however moderately a celebration. And when you’re obsessed with girls’s hoops, too, we invite you tune in, faucet in, and share how a lot you like the sport, one submit at a time.
How do you steadiness being a journalist together with your social presence: I believe it’s a mixture of the 2: between being genuine and actual after which naturally constructing a following. I really feel like that for me is what works greatest. There are another journalists who actually attempt to persist with having their social platforms be simply truth based mostly…And that’s effective as a result of which may work for them. For me, I really feel like the rationale why individuals tapped into me is as a result of not solely did I current no matter story I used to be engaged on or no matter data I had, however I did so in a method that was genuine to who I used to be and was relatable. That gave the impression to be what my model has at all times been: being genuine [and] being unapologetically me, but additionally being factual and presenting the knowledge that individuals need to know.
What’s your recommendation to journalists and creators trying to get into this house: For anybody up and coming on this house, I might undoubtedly inform them that one: by no means lose who you’re as a result of that’s necessary. The extra that we’re beginning to see social platforms and content material creators take off, the extra we notice that persons are actually going to narrate with what resonates with them. And so being your self is so necessary. Don’t lose that [and] something that makes you are feeling humorous if you sleep at night time might be not one thing that you just need to affiliate your self with…But additionally, there’s no restrict to creativity. I believe over the past 10 years I’ve performed possibly 50 to 60 various things creatively and a few have labored and a few haven’t, but it surely’s the truth that it’s important to attempt it.
The best way that algorithms and issues work within the social house, one thing could possibly be a success at present and two months later, nobody’s fascinated with it. At all times be prepared to be adaptable change or not essentially change, however enhance and be prepared to step exterior of the field to do issues..Adaptability is certainly one thing that I might share with any younger up and coming journalist.
Display screen time: 12 hours.
How did you begin constructing your private model on social: I received into social media as a result of none of my associates in highschool cared about basketball as a lot as I did and so they stopped answering my textual content messages about it. I needed to exit and discover freaks like me on Twitter, and as soon as I began having enjoyable and making associates on-line I stored going with it.
How would you describe your method to content material creation: I’m right here for vibes, jokes and highlights – however I believe my greatest work is once I can let my ardour for the sport and its athletes shine by means of. I’m by no means going to be as good as coaches or gamers on X’s and O’s, however I believe I’m good at describing why somebody is straightforward to root for, what makes an individual attention-grabbing or why an occasion was monumental.
What you’re most excited for this season: I promise if I had a favourite staff I’d inform you! However I don’t. In all probability as a result of they’ve all bullied me on-line in some unspecified time in the future (I see you, 2x champs). I’m actually excited for each side of the rookies vs. vets battle, although. Are the brand new youngsters nearly as good as marketed? However extra importantly, can the vets present us why the W is a special degree from school?
Display screen time (how lengthy are you in your cellphone per day?): 9.5 hours final week.
What does content material creation imply to you: Masking the WNBA and masking girls’s basketball is a public service as a result of there are legions and legions of followers which have been primarily underserved for a really very long time. And this is a chance to provide them, the followers, protection that ladies’s sports activities and girls’s basketball needs to be getting. If we need to speak concerning the spirit of equality and fairness and what that each one means. And so I used to be gonna put my head proper into this. I used to be gonna dive proper in.
What you’re most excited for this season: What I’m most excited for is definitely seeing which pop cultural icons and people come to WNBA video games. That’s gonna be one thing that I will probably be throughout as a result of clearly Caitlin Clark has introduced so many eyes to the game. You realize that Beyonce despatched Daybreak Staley an enormous flower basket, I imagine. And there have been many WNBA gamers, together with New York’s personal Betnijah Laney, who has been attempting to advocate to get Beyonce at Barclays Heart for a Liberty recreation…I’m trying ahead to who’s gonna come to video games. I’m trying ahead to how the scores are going to develop. I’m trying ahead to extra Aces vs Liberty battles. I imply, these are one of the best, proper?
Display screen time: 4 hours and eight minutes.
How did you begin constructing your private model on social: The Ladies Speak Sports activities TV model is constructed off of three pillars the place athletes could be seen, heard and valued. I constructed my model off of the facet that ladies’s sports activities solely obtain lower than 4% of all media protection and fewer than 1 % of that illustration in newsrooms are black girls. So these three features was necessary to me once I was constructing my model, but additionally constructing group was tremendous necessary, particularly within the digital house. For me, I’ve at all times been a hands-on recreation grower, particularly in my group by way of with serving to with youth basketball packages and the nonprofit sector. So for me, constructing a model was all about simply being true to myself, but additionally simply true to that facet of desirous to be a group builder.
What you’re most excited for this season: I’m most excited to see the athletes within the highlight the place they should be. I’m excited to see not solely informal followers, however new followers get to know these athletes by means of their recreation, but additionally by means of the off the courtroom storytelling. I believe that ladies’s sports activities is greater than only a second, it’s a motion and it’s at its inflection level proper now. And I’m simply excited for not solely the athletes to get what they deserve by way of the protection and the highlight, but additionally for the individuals which are doing the storytelling to get larger alternatives.
Display screen time: 15 hours per day.
How would you describe your method to content material creation: What’s distinctive is I’ve been a photographer, however I’ve additionally been a social media supervisor for my jobs. And so I believe what I carry with photographs is with the ability to carry storytelling into my like social media platforms with my photographs. So once I take photographs, particularly on the ladies’s aspect, and I share them, I actually attempt to share, like utilizing the captions and phrases, I attempt to inform tales about these gamers or about these groups and packages. Utilizing my photographs, not simply you understand, dropping the photographs is like, Hey, take a look at these cool photographs. It’s like, Hey, take a look at these photographs. And right here’s some attention-grabbing factor about these girls, or right here’s one thing like right here’s a loopy recreation that this participant had, and actually attempt to join the tales to the photographs utilizing my social media platforms.
Favourite picture: I most likely have a little bit of recency bias right here as a result of I only recently adopted Iowa and Caitlin Clark on like their match run. I’m additionally from Iowa. In order that was like additional particular for me. So I might most likely say, the Caitlin Clark trophy Kobe picture was most likely certainly one of my favorites simply because I received to pay homage to love Kobe and a really well-known photographer whereas additionally displaying like Caitlin’s greatness with three again to again the Huge 10 titles. I might say that’s most likely my favourite. However once more, there’s some recency bias there. I believe one other particular certainly one of Caitlin is rather like her together with her arm stretched out and her tongue out which was like a signature Caitlin transfer. That’s a very particular one to me as a result of it was like the primary recreation of the Huge 10 match and it exhibits her persona. I believe that’s one of many marks particular issues about her is just like the persona that she has on the courtroom. So, with the ability to inform that by means of my photographs, I believe is actually particular.
What you’re most excited for this season: I’m actually excited for the brand new faces within the League and the brand new followers that it’s going to carry, I believe that the WNBA is at a real turning level regarding the consideration that it’s getting and the joy and buzz round it. And so I believe I’m most excited to see, just like the data that this season breaks the historical past that we get from the season that I believe will probably be talked about for many years to come back. I’m excited to see this like new technology of followers see this league and the way particular it’s and the way particular the gamers are and the extent of expertise which are on this league. I’m simply, it’s actually essentially the most excited I’ve been for a season in a very very long time, I believe that that is going to be I believe the 2024 season is one thing that we’re gonna look again on as like a needle mover regarding the WNBA. So I’m very excited for that.
Display screen Time: 9 hours and 12 minutes.
How did you get into masking the WNBA: I had a background in advertising and marketing lengthy earlier than I grew to become a journalist. I used to be really a content material advertising and marketing supervisor proper earlier than I transitioned into sports activities full time. However primarily, I simply, once I determined I wished to transition to sports activities, I actually wished to search for a spot that wanted extra genuine tales. And a very good buddy of mine recommended the WNBA as a result of he knew I used to be a very good storyteller. And he additionally knew that, you understand, the League wanted some extra storytelling. So as soon as I simply opted in sure masking video games, I used to be hooked. And I’ve been right here ever since.
What’s your method to content material creation: As soon as I [started] actually specializing in girls’s basketball, the next stored coming actually fast, and it simply escalated I might say within the final couple of weeks. I received the superior probability to go to the WNBA draft. And in the course of the draft, I went viral…It’s simply been a enjoyable journey to have the ability to lean into that and preserve going.
What are you most enthusiastic about this season: I believe it’s for everybody to sort of see what I’ve been seeing. I believe once I once I received to the WNBA final season, I used to be kicking myself as a result of I’m like, The place have I been like? Why did I not get right here sooner?…To see the League rising after which girls’s school basketball rising and now they’re sort of colliding in real-time with this exponential progress, I’m so excited for anybody to get to come back to a recreation or watch a recreation on TV or actually simply benefit from the League. The [W] is tremendous, tremendous proficient.
Display screen time: 10 hours and 33 minutes a day.
How did you get into content material creation: If I’m being sincere, it was sort of an accident. It was one thing that I sort of fell into. I like girls’s basketball [and] I’ve at all times been tweeting about it on Twitter trigger that’s simply what I do. Posting about it on Instagram and stuff simply naturally—it’s simply one thing that I’ve been in love with since I used to be slightly woman. I seen that I had like a following and I might say stuff and I see individuals repeating it and folks could be latching on to a few of the issues I say.
What’s your method to your content material: It’s authentically me. I imply, in each sense of the phrase. At this level, individuals will have the ability to inform if I’m not being authentically me after which they’re going to be like, Oh no, we’re not messing with you no extra. So at this level [for] my model, it must be.
Display screen time: 4 hours and 31 minutes.
How did you get into being on social: I’m a sports activities author greater than I’m a content material creator. I believe it comes with the territory if you’re on social media. The one social media app I’ve is Twitter. I’ll do humorous memes and stuff like that…I’ve tried to leverage it to develop my platform and share my work.
What are you most excited for this season: I believe, like everyone, this new draft class, there’s simply a lot expertise, but additionally, you understand, NIL modified issues a lot that they’re extra well-known than say different rookies who’ve are available. They’ve already established platforms. They have already got their very own manufacturers. They have already got their very own followings. So, all of that bringing it into the League is like this injection of pleasure. I do know girls’s sports activities appears to be exploding proper now and they’re, however this WIC was led a very long time in the past. Now we’re simply seeing the explosion from it. It’s been slowly constructing to this. And I wanna see how that interprets over to the season [and] how the WNBA can capitalize on it.
Ideas on content material creation: Seeing now, particularly since I first received into sports activities writing, so many extra people who find themselves contributors, who’re writers, who’re content material creators within the house now’s superior. There’s simply a lot protection taking place on completely different ranges and in several inventive methods. As somebody who’s been round for a short while, it’s actually cool to see.
Display screen time: I watch quite a lot of video games on my cellphone or tablets or no matter in the event that they’re not on tv. However with social media, I attempt to take breaks on the weekends.
How did you get into content material creation: I got here throughout tunnel suits, I need to say like two years in the past, and determined to make a video about it. I ended up making a number of however they did very well, surprisingly properly, and that sort of made me suppose like, oh my goodness…I simply determined to sort of begin speaking about it right here and there and I did the identical factor with NWSL. The extra I did it, the extra I noticed that: A, there’s individuals watching this and like to see the movies and so they’re commenting on it and all the things. However there’s additionally the people who find themselves like, oh my gosh, like I had no clue this was a factor, didn’t know tunnel suits have been a factor, didn’t learn about these gamers, yada yada. And that sort of made me need to pursue it.
What’s your method to constructing your model: As soon as I noticed that there was sort of a distinct segment for ladies’s sports activities, I made a decision to actually develop it and sort of give myself the job to cowl all the things. And I believe it has coincided very well with the rise of girls’s sports activities as a result of I began [in] 2022, possibly ’21. That’s sort of once we noticed like this massive push to get to the place we are actually. So it’s been actually cool as a result of with that progress, I’ve additionally been rising as a creator. And there was slightly little bit of a swap within the fall of final yr, the place manufacturers began coming to me and all these platforms saying, ‘We would like you to make content material. We love what you’re doing. We would like you to do it for us.’ And that’s sort of actually how I constructed it right into a profession at present.
Display screen time: 8 hours.
What your method to constructing your model on social media: I’m a freelancer. And what meaning is that the majority massive tales are being coated by beat writers or employees writers will say, not at all times in girls’s sports activities, and notably the W that’s clearly been rising, and we’re seeing an enormous change forward of this season. However I might say that the majority of my time masking this League has been actually attempting to persuade publications, that there’s an viewers for this. And what has been profitable for me is looking for angles that aren’t, you understand, this sports activities journalism market is actually oversaturated. And so for me, both going to attempt to discover a actually distinctive angle that nobody has coated.
An instance I can consider that’s most likely my largest story thus far was I wrote for Sports activities Illustrated about nonbinary athletes and the place they match and Layshia Clarendon was sort of the main target, the centerpiece of that story. That was in 2021 and that was an area that nobody had entered. We have been beginning to discuss trans athletes, however non-binary athletes actually weren’t being talked about. And in order that was like a spot I might enter. I believe additionally attempting to pitch girls’s publications issues about girls’s athletes. I’ve been within the New York Occasions a number of instances, and I’ve by no means been revealed within the sports activities part, proper? I’m actually inventive about whether or not I’m writing about in-game proposals for the vows part, or I’m writing about WNBA vogue for just like the opinion part. I’ve at all times tried to be actually, actually inventive about the place and the way and bringing my protection and what different communities is likely to be overlapping other than rating.
What are you most enthusiastic about this season: The W was actually my entry level into changing into a basketball fan and what I liked was what number of athletes have been queer. I’m like, Oh, I’m queer. And I like their coronary heart and I like rooting for them and seeing them be superb. I believe the ladies’s soccer staff, we hear so much about that and lesbian areas, however the W has like been actually neglected I believe for a very long time…I believe to me, that’s actually cool—discovering people who find themselves not solely invested within the recreation, however can discover different causes to purchase in…I’ve liked the entire shit speaking earlier than the season. I like all the truth that everybody’s already getting chippy…I’m simply excited to observe individuals see what the W actually is.
Display screen time: 4 hours and 32 minutes.
How did you get into sports activities media: Along with creating content material, I’m a journalist, host and producer, so I’m actually a jack of all trades. I can do many issues, together with content material creation. I began my profession off at ESPN on the enterprise aspect, and after three and a half years, I noticed I wished to do one thing completely different. I wished to storytell. I wished to be round individuals. And I didn’t need to be in my cubicle anymore. I used to be on the headquarters in Connecticut, and I wished to guess on myself, so I made a decision to do this and that modified my life. I actually have sort of constructed this type of lane for myself. I by no means noticed anyone who appeared like me doing what I’m doing. And it’s been quite a lot of studying alongside the best way.
What’s your method to constructing your model: In each single house and I present up as me. I’m happy with who I’m. A part of my journey, it has not been simple in any respect and I by no means inform of us that it has been simple however I’m additionally proudly Dominican and Puerto Rican and you understand that’s an enormous a part of my id. I’ve realized [that] the extra I lean into that, the extra I have fun myself and individuals who appear to be me, the extra alternatives come.
What are you most enthusiastic about this season: There’s quite a lot of change inside the groups— Natasha Cloud in Phoenix, Skylar Diggins-Smith in Seattle, Candace Parker retired. All these modifications inside girls’s basketball. Change could be actually good and I’m excited to only see all of the competitors. There are quite a lot of eyes, quite a lot of younger gamers from Caitlin Clark to Angel Reese to Kamilla Cardoso. There’s quite a lot of pleasure proper now.
Display screen time: 7 hours and 18 minutes.
How did you get into content material creation: What has at all times been necessary to me was taking the entry that I had from being in these areas [as a sports writer] and discovering methods to get that data to the followers. I began simply by stay tweeting all these press conferences as a result of they weren’t on TV and I knew that followers wished to know what these gamers have been saying. I suppose my model sort of grew out of that and since then I’ve gotten to write down about so many gamers within the League…It began with simply attempting to share and inform tales and the model, no matter my following has come from there has sort of all grown from that.
Favourite WNBA staff: I believe a lot of my job is simpler when issues are going properly, however the longer I’m on this house and the extra gamers that I get to know and the extra that there’s simply a lot motion within the league that I’m rooting for these gamers that I’ve constructed connections with. So now I’ve received gamers on each single staff that I’m rooting for as a result of I do know them personally on some degree, however I additionally am simply rooting for sort of the general League success.
The rest you’d like so as to add: To have a League that’s majority queer girls, to have a League that’s majority Black girls and to know that these are areas, that these tales are very hardly ever informed. And to pay attention to my privilege as a white man on this house, however to have the ability to use no matter platform I’ve to have the ability to amplify these tales is actually necessary to me. It’s an honor for me.
How did you get into content material creation: It was actually one thing that simply randomly occurred again in 2018 or so. Initially, I used to be at all times a fan of the WNBA and, again in round 2019, a number of individuals reached out to me and mentioned, ‘Hey, we see these alternatives. We expect you’ll be good for it. You’re at all times speaking about sports activities.’…I used to be like, ‘I don’t have a journalism background.’ I used to be working in finance, doing the entire company America factor at the moment And I used to be like, Okay, I’ll give it a attempt. And it actually simply snowballed from there. Went [from] simply beginning out as a author after which it grew to working in social after which to being an on-camera host and a photographer. I’ve been in a position to do quite a lot of issues simply by me [and] somebody taking an opportunity on me and considering that I might be good for the job.
What’s your method to constructing your model: I believe what lots of people get pleasure from, for me is simply, I received’t say hottakes or something, and I don’t suppose I’m a comic, however lots of people simply suppose that, Oh my God, you’re so hilarious...Folks simply at all times suppose that it’s been one thing of only a breath of recent air on the subject of particularly the ladies’s sports activities house surrounding girls’s basketball. They only actually love my following, or what I’ve performed, whether or not or not it’s written work or on air work or pictures, or simply one thing so simple as live-tweeting concerning the recreation. I’ve at all times simply made certain that I attempt to keep true to me, proper? Issues that I like, I simply share that with individuals. I don’t attempt to be anybody else. I’m at all times me. I discuss being late for touring, meals, sneakers and sports activities. And that’s what I like and for some purpose, it resonates with everybody else. They [see] that I’ve an actual life other than what it’s that I do for work.
What are you most enthusiastic about this season: This season, I’m actually simply trying ahead to aggressive basketball. I’m trying ahead to seeing these superb girls with the ability to play on such a bigger stage. We all know that over the previous few years, girls’s basketball and the eye that’s acquired has been on the uptick and, you understand, we’re aware of it. We’ve been right here. We’ve been within the trenches masking it. And so now I’m excited that everybody else is lastly beginning to take discover to one thing that we’ve identified or I’ve identified has been nice for simply so a few years. So, that’s what I’m actually trying ahead to. And I believe that this new wave of expertise that’s coming in, they’re able to compete and I’m all for it.
Display screen time: 9 hours and 50 seconds.
What’s your method to constructing your model on social media: I believe my largest factor is that I’ve at all times been unapologetically me. I bear in mind in grad faculty, certainly one of my professors had mentioned to me, ‘Whenever you grow to be knowledgeable, it’s important to preserve your biases apart.’ However you take a look at sure broadcasters or radio personnel, who they root for. I believe that’s been my largest factor. I do know, too, that I’m slightly little bit of an overshare. I sort of share each the nice and the unhealthy of my life, the business and folks actually resonate with that as a result of it isn’t all roses. Folks at all times say [that] social media is a spotlight reel, however I attempt to be tremendous actual with issues. And so I’m simply sort of a goofy individual, I attempt to not take issues too significantly, but additionally in the identical breath, when life will get me down I share that with different individuals as a result of I believe that it’s actually necessary to share that issues aren’t excellent on a regular basis.
I believe that’s sort of how I constructed my private model. It’s simply being true and open and sincere on a regular basis. And on the finish of the day, I’m nonetheless a sports activities fan. I believe that’s the largest factor, too, is that quite a lot of the time you see reporters and so they’re doing their job, in fact, however they’re simply tweeting issues which are skilled and I believe I’ve quite a lot of enjoyable with it. I nonetheless am a fan. On the finish of the day, even once I’m masking the WNBA, if you see a sick participant or a sick shot, you need to get pleasure from it the best way you’ll as an everyday fan. Sure, reporting is my job. And once I’m going to [do] a narrative, I’m going to do it with out bias, however I nonetheless need to benefit from the recreation. Benefit from the gamers, benefit from the groups the identical method any fan would…Sure, I believe I’m good at my job and I attempt to be as skilled and unbiased in my work, however on the finish of the day, I’m nonetheless a fan and I prefer to go on with it. That’s sort of why all of us received into sports activities within the first place.
Ideas on the expansion of girls’s sports activities and content material creation: Thanks guys for showcasing these creators. I believe it’s enormous, particularly within the girls’s sports activities house. As a lot as girls’s sports activities has been rising and we’ve seen the information develop and never even simply in girls’s basketball, however throughout girls’s soccer you’re seeing like the professional leagues for volleyball and issues like that…There’s so many individuals who’ve been masking the W. That is my fifth season and I nonetheless really feel like a rookie as a result of there’s been individuals who have had boots on the bottom because the early days. It’s actually superb that you just guys put within the work to showcase these unimaginable girls who’ve been placing within the work since earlier than everyone else noticed the imaginative and prescient and now everyone’s catching up.
Display screen time: 8 hours and 37 minutes.
When did you get into content material creation: I created a Twitter account in like 2018 as a result of I stored occurring Twitter to examine [game] scores. I figured I would as properly create an account, so I simply began out as a fan. However I believe once I began to get extra into the writing aspect, that’s once I began to fulfill extra individuals, particularly on WNBA Twitter, too. I believe the primary yr that I began masking in 2021, individuals have been very welcoming and it was only a matter of placing myself on the market…Simply to sort of put my title on the market, I might touch upon stay video games, issues like that. I might share the place the W video games are on what channels as a result of as we all know, it may be slightly bit tough at instances to just accept these and so I believe simply by doing that, and getting my title on the market and extra individuals began to see me and so they began to comply with me as properly. I believe being from Toronto, too, there are a lot of Raptors followers that are actually WNBA followers as properly. I believe once I moved into that house of masking a W, quite a lot of the fan base I had constructed from the Raptors aspect sort of comply with by means of and transfer together with me by means of this journey. I believe that’s simply how my platform grew and my model sort of grew to become masking WNBA and girls’s basketball in addition to tennis as a result of that’s additionally my different major sport that I like to observe and to cowl.
What are you most enthusiastic about this season: I’m so excited to see how all the brand new additions to completely different groups sort of paired out, like with the Storm getting Skylar and Nneka… I believe there was a lot motion within the offseason and so I’m very curious to see quite a lot of gamers who are actually sporting new jerseys after sporting, you understand, one jersey for the whole lot of their careers. I believe that’s going to be actually thrilling.
Display screen time: 5 hours.
What’s your method to constructing your model: Simply sort of having enjoyable with it. That’s sort of my largest factor is simply—I do know I love to do video content material. I prefer to be on digital camera, however finally for me, it’s simply, [do] I need to watch this and do I’ve enjoyable making it? And usually if I’ve enjoyable making it, somebody’s going to have enjoyable watching it whether or not that be social media movies or YouTube movies or no matter that is likely to be. Simply sort of simply having enjoyable with it. And if I can have enjoyable with it, another person can have enjoyable watching it.
I like girls’s basketball. That is what I like to observe. If I wasn’t doing content material for it, I might be speaking about it the identical method, simply in a special method. For me, my largest inviting issue is the truth that I’m a fan similar to everybody else. Sure, I’m within the media. Sure, I’m credentialed to issues, however I’m a fan and I like girls’s basketball.
What are you most enthusiastic about this season: I believe you may really feel the completely different degree of pleasure for this season coming into it. I’m personally most excited [about] all the brand new followers to have the ability to see what we’ve identified about and the way unimaginable that this League really is. And quite a lot of that has to do with how widespread the expertise is and the way good I believe the groups are this season. I’m able to see these groups go to conflict and simply have some good video games. I’m excited for some actual, genuinely good basketball this season.
Display screen time: 11 hours.
How did you get into content material creation: I believe social media—I didn’t notice its energy in reference to sports activities. I believe till I used to be working at The Ringer and I simply noticed how not solely the corporate’s media presence was necessary however every particular person author and persona had their very own following. I used to be like, Wow, that’s actually cool and I sort of had a chat with myself, OK, what do I would like my following to actually be about? I don’t need to have my hand in all the things. What do I would like the individuals following me to actually comply with me for?
I bear in mind I went to my husband, who was my boyfriend on the time, I used to be like, I would like individuals after they consider the WNBA, that they point out my title [and] that they’ve me in these conversations. So, what do I must do to do this? I discovered by sharing my story with my fandom with the WNBA and with the Sacramento Monarchs, actually simply pulled on the heartstrings of lots of people…As soon as I tapped into that fandom, that’s once I began desirous to develop the sport by sharing extra of these tales and extra of these tales concerning the gamers as properly. I’m not gonna be breaking information, however I need to be sure that gamers know that they will speak to me and I’m gonna see them as a human.
I’m going to ensure they know that I’ve been right here from the start and as a former girls’s basketball participant myself, I see them. I’m not simply right here for the second or the motion, I’ve been right here.
What would your recommendation be to individuals, particularly younger Black girls that wish to get into the house and questioning whether or not they need to go the normal media route or content material creation: I believe having your personal model and going into content material creation proper now, you might have the facility to do this. I believe that’s each a optimistic and a adverse as a result of typically as somebody who went to journalism faculty. I’ve my diploma on this, I’m on the identical platform as anyone who has none of these accolades or none of that education. You may as well simply pop up and have your personal video and make your personal YouTube present, like, the facility may be very a lot within the arms of the creator.
[For] the longest time, I used to be so hesitant and so nervous and lots of people within the house and saying, properly, I can’t do this. I’ll simply keep over right here or I’ll by no means get there, I’ll simply keep over right here.And as soon as I simply began and in addition going into freelance, I simply actually guess on myself. That’s at all times my recommendation to younger ladies, particularly younger Black ladies: you’re at all times informed to remain on this field or keep on this lane or do issues that everybody else is doing to get higher. Once I made the choice to cowl the W NBA and girls’s basketball, it was very a lot a, I’m doing one thing utterly completely different than what you guys are wanting me to do or, you understand, simply to cowl the NBA solely. I adopted my ardour and I mentioned, I’ve the ability set, I’ve the data and I’m going to guess on myself.
Display screen time: 8 hours.
What’s your method to constructing your model: I believe actually the largest factor is simply authenticity. Anybody who follows me on Twitter, anybody who listens to our podcast, I believe you’re at all times getting me in my truest type. I’m at all times going to be a fan of my favourite gamers and I’m at all times gonna rep the groups and the gamers that I like whereas additionally attempting to stay goal and supply perception and evaluation and my opinion on issues. So I believe that moderately than like having this completely curated model the place all the things’s so pristine and no matter, I believe I’ve went in the wrong way the place I’ve discovered that the best technique to be myself and provides individuals like authentic distinctive content material is to sort of let that non-public fan aspect come out slightly bit extra. I believe that enables me to entry a deeper degree of storytelling once I’m writing items as a result of it’s extra concerning the individual I’m writing about. I’m not as involved with the way it seems to be or no matter, I simply wanna be spreading the tales of those gamers.
Favourite WNBA staff: It’s two solutions: the true reply is the Aces, after which the opposite reply is no matter staff Kahleah Copper is at present taking part in for. For a very long time, it’s been the Aces and the Sky, however now I’m gonna should rep the Mercury, which is gonna be slightly bizarre for me, however wherever Kai goes, I’m gonna be a fan of them. However Aces, you understand, Jackie Younger and A’ja Wilson are two of my all-time favorites.
Display screen time: 4 hours and 20 minutes.
How did you get into content material creation: I really feel like everybody actually began throughout COVID. I used to be like, properly, I would as properly simply submit some stuff on tiktok as a result of that’s the factor and as soon as faculty began opening up, I began doing like slightly little bit of basketball content material with the varsity staff that I used to be teaching and that may blow up right here and there after which the large blow up was my niece and nephew being as cute as they’re. Me being their aunt, it was actually nothing like that particular—I imply, it’s particular to me that I’m their aunt however nothing that particular the place it was like some massive break. It was similar to, Wow, that woman loves her niece and nephew.
There was one video I did, it wasn’t even with the children, it was a dancing video on my own and I child you not each single remark was like, ‘Get it Auntie Nae! Go Auntie. Yeah, Auntie! I used to be like, OK, is that my title? Is that what individuals name me. So, that’s been the factor ever since then.
I’ve at all times been a fan of the W. I submit Detroit Shock throwbacks on a regular basis, however by no means actually had the possibility or actually by no means knew l could possibly be somebody to speak about it in that method simply because I’m not a reporter, I’m not a journalist. I simply love the sport, love being there. However I used to be in the proper place on the proper time: I used to be in Dallas on the Closing 4 final yr and somebody from the League was like, ‘Hey, I’ve seen a few of your Tik Toks, I actually need you to come back to the draft subsequent week…Earlier than going into the draft, I used to be speaking to my spouse and I used to be similar to, ‘I’m so scared. I don’t know anyone. I’m undecided how I’m going to be acquired there as a result of I don’t know if individuals know me. I don’t need to step on toes. I simply wished to be in expertise and all that. And my first interplay strolling in, I circled and I noticed Aliyah Boston strolling in the direction of me. inside, I’m freaking out, I’m like, Oh my God, it’s Aliyah...That’s the second I used to be like, OK, possibly I’m alleged to be right here.
What’s been your method to content material creation and constructing your model: I don’t take a special method in any respect with my private versus my skilled model. I believe that when you stay constant, your viewers is aware of the place you’re, what you’re going to do. And so by me simply authentically wanting to actually get to the meat of the story and get to know the gamers as people, it’s past simply fast fireplace, proper?… Folks need to get to know individuals but it surely doesn’t should be these fast hitting issues. I believe I do an ideal job of long-form, get to know you content material, versus brief type heavy hitting. I imply, I can do the brief type however I preserve that constant in how I speak to individuals as people and meet them the place they’re as people with the best way I inform tales. My private model, you see quite a lot of athletes simply having enjoyable, getting actual, and simply being open and trusting and susceptible and acknowledged as a privilege. They really feel comfy sufficient to do this. And you then see that once I take it to knowledgeable setting, I’ve a present with the WNBA known as Off Prime and that’s the place we simply sit down [and] I don’t have a preconceived notion of what I need to discuss. I simply say, Hey, welcome to my Huge Comfortable Sofa. And I allow them to take it the place they need to take it. So I, it doesn’t matter what I do between my objective, private model or skilled model, I need to open up house for individuals to be themselves. And I need to facilitate that dialog in a method that it sticks with the final lots, and amplify that I’ve been a cheerleader to my core. And that’s what I herald my journalism, too.
What are you most enthusiastic about this season: I’m actually excited to see gamers take possession of their tales. I’m actually excited to see them step right into a panorama that is able to absolutely digest the truth that they belong there. And for them to be celebrated the best way they’ve at all times deserved. And due to the empowerment across the recreation proper now. It permits gamers to indicate up as absolutely themselves. So whether or not that’s translating by how they play basketball stylistically, or how they gown within the tunnel, or how they impart their tales with media. I’m simply excited concerning the individuality being showcased this season…
I would like most people to not be reliant on the larger names and actually know that if you go searching in that locker room. For the W, there are 11 or 12 gamers in there. Each single individual’s story issues. And so going into this season, each single individual’s story needs to be informed as a result of we’ve so many extra eyes on it. What I worry is that the legacy gamers, the gamers who’ve been across the tremendous vets, they’re gonna be overshadowed in that. I would like media to know like, it’s our accountability to inform that historical past and it’s our accountability to actually exit and showcase the excellence. We’ve got greats stepping away, [like] that Candace Parker retirement, which crushed me. And I by no means thought we gave her sufficient credit score for a way transformative she was. I’m a giant Candace Parker and actually I’m very underwhelmed about that. However like I don’t suppose we ever gave her sufficient credit score about how transformative she was. And I would like these vets [that] determine to step down and step away from the sport, an lively participant position, for them to really feel like they’ve been appreciated their complete profession. And so, whether or not that’s us reconciling and having this heavy reconciliation in pushing their tales ahead in a method we haven’t earlier than, that’s what we have to do. We’d like to take the time to actually push them in to figuring out that their flowers are there and they need to obtain them.
Display screen time: 9 hours and 37 minutes.
How did you get into content material creation: I’ve at all times been obsessive about creating content material. Even in highschool, I had an nameless Twitter web page masking my highschool sports activities. After which once I received to school, I used to be masking Wichita State Athletics [and] males’s Basketball was like, the largest factor within the metropolis. This was in 2016, 2017, I used to be so adamant about utilizing my very own social media or like completely different social media channels to advertise our protection, just like the newspaper and all the things. Lengthy story brief, I used to be informed that utilizing my social media is unprofessional and it wouldn’t get me wherever. However I actually didn’t hearken to that. And that’s once I began Sports activities with Aliyah my junior yr of faculty, and that’s the place I’m like, Okay, I’m gonna write articles, do interviews, create content material on my phrases, and I do know I can create an viewers that likes me for me and my protection.
From there, Sports activities with Aliyah has simply grown a lot. It was a chat present in Wichita— I’d like to get again to that—however a chat present or simply going to any sports-related factor I might presumably go to and simply present it from my perspective. I like specializing in issues that make the athletes extra human as a substitute of similar to their stats, like, I need to know their private tales, I need to present their personalities. I additionally love the best way basketball intersects with vogue, music tradition, that’s simply my favourite factor.
And on the subject of girls’s sports activities, lots of people noticed me masking girls’s sports activities as like a charity, like, Oh, that’s so good that you just’re masking the ladies’s recreation, too. And I’m like, ‘It’s not good. It’s what I need to do.’ That is what I’m obsessed with. That’s sort of how I approached it in my content material. I’ve quite a lot of males’s sports activities followers following me, however I might simply proceed to speak about girls’s basketball, girls’s sports activities very casually [and adding] it in with my regular content material, as a substitute of simply being like, Guys, look, I’m doing such an ideal factor by masking girls’s sports activities. I’m similar to, Yeah, that is what I’m speaking about and get with it. And I believe that’s sort of how I’ve sort of transformed some males’s sports activities followers into liking girls’s sports activities, and it’s been simply built-in into my life at this level.
What’s been your method to constructing your private model: My method has at all times been group first and never getting wrapped in with the numbers. I imply, it’s social media, issues can go viral left and proper. However what are you doing to maintain it? I’ve at all times valued a group, that’s why I began a bunch chat with my followers to assist them break into sports activities or discuss sports activities. Group is all the things after which additionally simply capitalizing off of what makes me distinctive within the house. The human tales or the tradition, I prefer to make a giant deal out of the little issues. I like to indicate what a traditional broadcast wouldn’t present, these small moments between a participant and a fan. Or, two gamers having a pleasant second. I need to present issues that you could’t see by simply studying an article or watching ESPN or the published. I believe that’s been my key.
Display screen time: 8-9 hours.
How did you get into content material creation: I really feel like TikTok actually grew to become massive my senior yr of highschool. [In] school, I had a really small platform, not likely quite a lot of followers, but it surely simply gave me a spot to be inventive and submit about my life, submit about being a student-athlete. I grew up watching quite a lot of YouTube and I really feel like YouTube is certainly tedious, so having a platform the place you may sort of share extra brief type movies and it’s a better elevate was actually interesting to me. I sort of simply received began there.
I additionally am a journalist, so I do some extra conventional work, however I really feel like TikTok is a spot for me to sort of have my very own little group and be slightly bit extra inventive and do some untraditional issues, whether or not or not it’s sharing my opinions or doing enjoyable interviews. That’s actually how I received into it and I’ve continued to submit round massive sporting occasions and simply sort of giving my takes or getting alternatives to interview gamers and my platform has grown from there.
What’s your method to constructing your model: I believe reporting and being a journalist is a big a part of my model and I at all times need that to be the very first thing that’s conveyed once I’m posting and sharing on-line, but additionally sharing that enjoyable aspect of me and figuring out that quite a lot of these student-athletes who I’m interviewing, particularly in school, are comparable in age to me and possibly people who I could possibly be associates with if I wasn’t working as a result of I used to be additionally a student-athlete. So, I completely get the ins and outs of what they’re going by means of. Attempting to mix that perspective within the interviews, in my content material, I believe reaches them slightly bit extra as a result of they’re human, too. They’ve their favourite artists off the courtroom. They’ve hobbies that they love to do. I believe it’s only a actually great way for me to attach with these athletes.
Display screen time: 5 hours.
How did you get into content material creation: I had already been within the queer content material creation house…Soccer’s at all times been my factor and that’s the factor I knew essentially the most about—the intersection of queer and World Cup content material. I used to be in a position to make like a bunch of like breakdown movies with the World Cup and now I simply discuss sports activities and sort of attempt to make girls’s sports activities as accessible as potential to as many individuals and inform the sort of human curiosity tales behind all the things that occurs. [It]s] simply sort of the stuff I already am fascinated with and now I get to speak about it on TikTok.
What’s your method to content material creation: I believe that quite a lot of it’s that I believe that I’ve created a group of people who watch my movies, they care about girls’s sports activities, they care about girls’s basketball, they care about what’s occurring, and I like being round these individuals. And so it’s simply sort of like, I, in my life, have had associates who I speak to about issues taking place within the W or issues taking place within the sports activities world. And now it’s like, I’ve a large group of these individuals and like so many extra associates to speak about…The factor that I at all times come again to is rather like, I wanna develop the dialog and that sort of is the driving power [in] what number of extra associates can I get to speak about girls’s basketball and all that, all the things with?
Favourite WNBA staff: I’m a DC woman. I’m excited for Aaliyah [Edwards]…that’s gonna be thrilling for us for the Mystics.
Display screen time: 9 hours and quarter-hour.
How did you get into content material creation: I’ve at all times been very vocal and extroverted and anyone that’s been taking footage since I used to be a younger age. I at all times felt that sharing movies [and] footage in addition to my ideas as a method of bringing individuals into my life and I suppose I by no means considered myself as a content material creator, I at all times simply considered myself that was sort of sharing what was occurring in my life…
I’ve at all times simply cared about curating. I might say not solely a picture, however not a picture or a model, however authenticating and showcasing my life, what I’m doing, what I aspire for, how I may help different individuals, how we will carry extra individuals in. So I might say on Instagram, I actually need us to only showcase the ups and downs, but additionally the probabilities for everyone of their life…On Twitter, which is the app that I’ve essentially the most following on, I simply speak. I’ve at all times been very vocal and I’ve at all times wished to share how my background in African American research and historical past has allowed me to take a look at quite a lot of issues a bit extra critically and supply some perception in addition to my very own private emotions and ideas.
What are you most enthusiastic about this season: The competitors, the outfits, the model offers that shoppers get. I believe that the Liberty have one of the best courtroom aspect expertise with the Crown Membership, with celebrities that come to video games. It’s immaculate. I’m excited for the movie footage that I’m going to take this yr—I believe I’ve actually discovered my lane with regard to capturing issues between my cellphone and my cameras, and actually with the ability to assist W and be a face of the League and folks know.
We get down in New York. I’ve been known as the mayor. I wouldn’t think about myself as such, but it surely’s enjoyable to know that when persons are coming to recreation in New York, they know they’re gonna see me and that I’m gonna carry that power to each recreation.
Display screen time: 4-6 hours a day.
What’s do you suppose makes your content material distinctive on social: I actually like and understanding private growth: why is a participant rising? How did they adapt over an offseason? What did they begin seeing otherwise? It’s superb watching the consistency that they develop into, and understanding them as gamers and folks is what I’m all about.
What are you most enthusiastic about this season: I’m excited a few plethora of issues, however I’m most excited to observe the Seattle Storm discover their method as a staff this yr. There’s a lot expertise coming collectively, and I can’t wait to observe Noelle Quinn match all the things collectively
Display screen time: It’s round 8 within the low season after which about 11.5 or 12 on common in-season.
