Ms. Basketball is without doubt one of the most influential ladies within the sports activities house in Atlanta. She was a former hooper herself, even taking part in semi-pro ball, however now Ms. Basketball is commissioner of the AEBL Girls’s league. She dropped by rolling out to speak all issues basketball.
Why do you go by Ms. Basketball?
Years in the past, it was once this entire stereotype about what feminine basketball gamers [were] alleged to appear like, and I’d be the lady that will go within the gymnasium and have my cute little ponytail and my little lip gloss and my nails, and the opposite ladies can be like, Who [is] the cheerleader? What am I alleged to appear like? What does a basketball participant [look] like? And on the time, it was this entire you gotta have braids, pants, saggy, outsized garments, like no there are females, [i.e.] me, who take pleasure in being female, who take pleasure in being a woman, proper? And having the ability to go on the market and do what I do. So I took it upon myself to begin actually leaning into that.
How did Juju Watkins’ harm have an effect on your March Insanity bracket?
I had her and her staff profitable. Um, however don’t get me fallacious, she bought some canines on her staff. It’s not simply Juju, however Juju carries the staff. She brings that vitality. One recreation, two video games in the past earlier than she bought damage, child lady damage her ankle and was down on the court docket, she bought again in, got here out of bounds, got here again in bounds, they handed the ball to her. She’s nonetheless damage, child lady shot it and made it. That’s how she is. As a result of she is a canine. It’s so disappointing and heartbreaking as a result of she was having such a dynamic, such an important season.
What has Angel Reese accomplished to rework ladies’s basketball?
Properly, what I like about Angel first is the truth that she’s her true, genuine self at each single flip and when adversity strikes, when individuals attempt to say she’s one thing that she’s not, she doesn’t thoughts getting behind this mic and talking on it. [Cause] some individuals will actually say some stuff and actually attempt to discredit what she does or who she is, after which the opposite individuals will say, You shouldn’t defend your self. Now you’re defending your self, you look means worse. No, I’m [not]. I like the truth that she doesn’t thoughts defending herself and actually being really like, Hey, that’s not what it’s. That is what it’s. And [I’mma] present you. And as we noticed this previous season, she dominated. I don’t care if y’all mentioned her shot was unorthodox. The best way she bought her rebounds, you’ll be able to’t deny the numbers. Numbers don’t lie.