Ms. Basketball is doing big things in the Atlanta basketball community. She is the commissioner of the AEBL Women’s League. This past weekend, she attended the Black Ownership in Sports Symposium in Atlanta. She stepped into the Star Studio to tell us why she chose to attend this year.
Tell me why you attended the black ownership and sports symposium today.
I came today because I was at a Mercedes-Benz Stadium event two years ago. It was for ESPN. But, there was a lady by the name of Valerie Daniels Carter. She is a minority owner of the Milwaukee Bucks. As she was speaking, I was like, this is so cool. I had never heard of her. And, I hadn’t met her before that day. So to hear her story about her owning an NBA team, a black woman. I was like, I want to be able to do that one day. So, I wanted to come today and get insight on the entry point. How do you even start? Like how you even meet the right people who can put you in the places or the spaces that you need to be in to start having those conversations of owning a team or being a part of an NBA team, MLS team, or whatever sports team that it is that you’re looking to do. So, I was like, a good friend of mine invited me, and I said, let me show up this morning, and I’m here.
What has been the most impactful thing you’ve heard or learned today?
The most impactful thing I’ve learned today was that you have to have people who will advocate for you inside these places. Many people feel like, okay, you have the capital. You have a lot of money. You need people on the inside that can say, you know what? This is the right person. I also learned that if you want to be a part of a team and want that team to thrive and succeed, being a part owner or limited owner, you must be in the community. You have to be in that city. People have to see you. I’m learning these little nuggets because I didn’t know that before. But, the biggest thing I learned today is having somebody advocate for you.
If you could own a team in any league, which league would it be and why?
When I was younger, I thought I was gonna be the first girl in the NBA. Yep, I did. It’s crazy, um, but if I could own any team, it would be the WNBA only because I’ve worked with so many talented young ladies. I have friends who are so talented, like basketball players, there are not enough WNBA teams. I know some expansion scenes are coming in 2026 if we expand, but I believe we will continue to expand. This will give the girls more opportunities to showcase how amazing they are. And we have a league now. I’m a commissioner of the AEBL Women’s League here during the summer. We have Pros, we have former WNBA players, current WNBA players, high school, college, semi-pro, the street hoopers that are playing in this league. And they are so good. And I want to be able to give them opportunities that maybe they wouldn’t have had before. So, if I had the chance, and I know I will, one day, I will own a WNBA team that will be the first team I will own.
Why did you get into sports in the first place?
My brother, I want to be like my brother. And honestly, I’ve always loved basketball, watching him play, and then watching beautiful ladies on the screen, like Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, Tina Thompson, like seeing them, I was like, Oh my God. Not only are they dominant on the court, but there are true examples of being a beautiful black woman on the screen, killing it in their sport. So, I always wanted to embody that kind of, so I got the name Ms. Basketball. I named myself Ms. Basketball to show women you can be more than just a basketball player. You don’t have to fit the stereotype of what they used to say basketball players look like. So, I always want to ensure I carry myself in a manner that shows I can be beautiful. You can be this outgoing, beautiful black female who loves being a woman who loves getting her hair and her nails done and wearing makeup and lashes but also being a beast on the court. So I fell in love with basketball, watching my brother and watching amazing athletes like Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, and Tina Thompson as I was younger.
