This week’s story was supposed to be an exclusive Q&A with Seattle Storm guard Flau’jae Johnson.

Ahead of Friday night’s matchup against the Atlanta Dream, I asked her about her growth in the WNBA, her closest teammate, new music and more. Unfortunately, most of the interview audio was lost, leaving only a handful of usable answers.

The responses that did pick up are published on The Athlete’s Section’s socials.

So, I wondered, out of the content, what can I present to you? Listening to the (legible) audio back, one answer stood out. An answer that was a story worth telling.

I asked Johnson what the best part of her WNBA experience has been thus far, and this is what she said.

“Spending my WNBA All-Star with my little brother. He was just having the time of his life. It was the funnest day ever. I love being able to experience work with family.”

The other part that was cut out was Johnson explaining that her little brother, Aydin, also plays football. Whenever she returns to Atlanta, she tries to come to his games when she can. She’s planning on helping him start up his own YouTube channel, ‘All about Aydin,’ soon, for fans to witness more of his personality.

You’ve probably already witnessed it.

The All-Star through Aydin’s eyes

If you’ve been on social media, you’ve probably seen the energetic youngster in various viral clips, going up to a variety of players on the court and doing different challenges or having normal conversations with them.

No one can help but light up when he’s around, especially Johnson, who posted her All-Star weekend dump on Instagram. The very first image was of her and Aydin wearing matching Seattle Storm adjacent outfits.

The caption says: Allstar 26’ owes me nothing! My lil brother Aydin made this weekend even more special. A time was hadddd. Same time next year?

This was Johnson’s first All-Star trip as a professional. Though she wasn’t on the roster for the official game, she participated in the Shooting Stars contest, which Aydin helped her warm up for beforehand. She was also seen exploring the various brand activations and activities Chicago had to offer for the annual celebration.

Johnson did all of this while embracing her role as a big sister. Instead of only making the most of her experience, she wanted Aydin to experience it as well, alongside her.

He even had a chance to clock in to work alongside Johnson at the Unrivaled Coffee Club pop-up hours before the All-Star Friday night competitions. You could find him behind the counter, helping serve coffee and wearing matching ‘Unrivaled Coffee Club’ aprons with his sister.

He would allow her to hoist him up near the counter to stamp customers’ passports as they stopped by to chat with their favorite players, with an addition of caffeine to kick-start the day.

Putting the WNBA 30th anniversary chain around Aydin’s neck was the icing on top to cap off both siblings’ weekend in style.

A semi-welcome to the W moment

All-Star weekend wasn’t the only time Aydin was introduced to the WNBA world. In fact, his first introduction was also Johnson’s as she brought him on stage with her during her draft night earlier this year.

The camera panned over to Aydin in the crowd as he waved and saluted Johnson’s way. He was then beckoned over by both ESPN reporter Holly Rowe and Johnson to join them on the stage.

He didn’t have to be told twice.

Johnson said later in a Good Morning America interview that the moment meant everything to her for her family to be there. The cast presented her with a video message from Aydin telling her how proud he was of her and how she made him better.

After watching the video, a beaming Johnson explained how he also left her a note in her hotel saying he loved her.

Johnson has described Aydin on multiple occasions as her baby, but also as the next superstar.

“I see so much of myself in him (Aydin),” Johnson said on the Heir Time podcast earlier this year. “…He has a personality out of this world, like he done been here before. So, I’m just trying to keep him real confident but not cocky.”

Johnson later said that her why is being an inspiration for her brothers, and pushes her to operate at a greater level in how she carries herself.

Whether they’re play-fighting, filming TikToks, or sharing milestone moments, the smile that brightens Johnson’s face when her No. 1 fan is around never fails to appear. The 16 years that separate them aren’t enough to distance the special bond they share.

Now, one could wonder what Aydin will be up to next. I guess we’ll have to wait until Johnson sets up his YouTube channel to keep up with their future endeavors.

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This past weekend, Red Bull Showrun put on a unique experience for the Atlanta community to get up-front access to F1 cars, motorcycles, and Red Bull sports athletes.

Prior to his demo activation, I had the opportunity to speak with Red Bull action sports athlete and street freestyle rider Aaron Colton . He discussed his early career beginnings, mentors in the industry, and where his work has taken him beyond competitions. Here’s a look at our conversation:

You learned to ride at the age of two, how instrumental, particularly with your father, was family to your career?

I mean, it's huge because when you think about it, the barrier to entry, more than the motorcycle, is the system in getting it to where you would ride it. There's inevitably a period in your life when you're going to have to have some support with that. But motorcycling within my family was something that my mom didn't do so much. My dad was more of a hobby. He really enjoyed it. He had at various points in life gone in and out of it. And when I was younger, it was given to me for Christmas when I was two years old, and still to this day, I own that motorcycle. It was a marquee moment. I've been to many, many places, by family, throughout that process to learn how to ride, and then eventually you get to driver's license age and venture out, and you're kind of on your own more.

That’s amazing. You're also a SAG stunt performer. What movies or shows have you been in? What would you say is your favorite stunt?

Man, you know it's funny. I've been in all kinds of movies. I just spent a couple weeks on the new Michael movie. I've spent some time on Six Triple Eight and Mayor of Kingstown. Wolves with Brad Pitt and George Clooney. I've done quite a few. Sometimes it's a big motorcycle role, sometimes it's a car role, sometimes it's with neither. But it's been an industry that I've been doing more and more, and Atlanta being such a huge scene for that, it's very cool. I'm actually having quite a few both friends and coordinators come out to see this event. It'll be fun to host them at something in my field of play when I've worked with them so much on that side.

You are such a versatile athlete. How do you navigate different disciplines? Do you go in with the same mindset, or is it different for you?

At one point in time, and it's crazy to think this because I don't right now, but at one point in time, I held three different discipline professional racing licenses. So it was a lot. It was a lot. But the one thing is, the attributes from one sport do transfer over to the other, and they were all motorsports based. I spent a lot of time training for each category specifically, and I recreationally ride way more than just stunt riding. You know, there's so many more disciplines that I do, but that's just out of the passion I have for motorcycle riding.

Obviously you had your father, but throughout your career, were there any other mentors or people that you looked up to?

Absolutely. I had many different mentors throughout my life. In sport, you have some that are aspirational you see on TV, and then you have some that come closer to home. Specifically in my sport, there was an athlete by the name of Christian Pfeiffer who was a Red Bull athlete for many, many years, even prior to him transferring over to stunt riding. And then on a big, broad stroke spectrum, I was always a huge Travis Pastrana fan. That was something for me aspirationally throughout you know grade school and whatnot. I would see all those videos, and it was just a crazy thing for me to eventually be to the point where I've done you know, now I've done video projects with him. And at a very young age, it was something that I thought was so far out of reach, but absolutely, they were both very instrumental within my success.

You talked earlier about your childhood. Walk me through the very first competition, the very first moment that you got into it, versus where you are now.

Even though I started riding when I was two years old, I didn't really carry on with it past like learning how to ride until maybe four years old or so. When I really got into riding, like I would consider my start was at twelve, and that was personal motivation of wanting to get into riding very, very much. Throughout that whole process, we started seeing this stunt riding scene to the side, and it was very interesting to me. This early internet, pre-YouTube, but still web forums, DVDs, and seeing these different performance motorcycle riders, and it was just an addictive thing for me. To see it and just to see how incredible those were, and just like anything when you're young, you fixate quite heavily on something you're into. And by the end of 2005, when I was 13, I'd entered my first competition. Only two years later, I'd won the national championship. So it's just a crazy uptick that we had within it. At that point in life, it was full dedication to the craft, fully and completely. But that's been a long time ago because I honestly haven't competed since 2013. I spent from 2005 to 2013 competing all the time. I spent a long time doing that, but now we're doing so many more things with international activations, live demo activations like this, video projects. It's just a different world of using my same skill set within different avenues and it's been something that's continuously kept the career growing.

Right, because you're also into custom design builds?

Yes, exactly. Everything that I ride, I build and design. So all of it, and all everything that I build, design, and ride, you can see all of that content from start to finish online. So, you can see that on either Instagram or TikTok social format, or on long format YouTube, depending on the project. But I document all of the builds that I do.

Awesome. Well, thank you so much Aaron.

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Player Exclusives (PEs) have become a major way for athletes to showcase their personality, history, culture and more through a single sneaker.

They give fans more than what they see on the court, and tell a story that words can’t explain.

Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard dropped her Jordan Tatum 4 PE design on June 11 of this year, and has a personal story tied to it. The shoes are mismatched: one is purple, and the other is teal.

Howard, who’s an artist by nature, chose to honor her loved ones by having them represented behind her design.

“I'm super intentional about everything that I create, whether it's my P.E., my art, stuff like that, but I want people to know that there are things that are close to my heart and I don't have a problem sharing that,” Howard said. “But just realizing I'm also human as well and there is a soft spot there, off the court, but being able to have that and have a PE that expresses it, I feel like not everybody gets a chance to do that.”

The Design Breakdown

The purple sneaker represents a tribute to one of Howard’s best friends’ battle with Lupus. She said in an interview with Made for the W that she always wore purple sneakers or sneakers with purple accents in May, ahead of the team's season, to support the cause.

The teal sneaker on the right foot is dedicated to raising awareness of scleroderma, which is what her grandmother passed from when Howard was younger. The blue accents on that same shoe represent her late close friend Terrence Clarke, who was a fellow basketball player at Howard’s alma mater, the University of Kentucky.

He was like a little brother to her, and the two were inseparable during their college years. He passed a little over a year before Howard was drafted in 2022. On the day of the design, she said how happy she was to spread all three figures in her work.

“Thankfully, purple and blue go together pretty well… but being able to have it all in one shoe to keep me grounded, making sure that I'm where my feet are and having that and representing them,” Howard said.

One playful detail appears on the back of the sneakers. If you’ve been following Howard and her teammate Allisha Gray on social media, they’ve openly expressed their love for Legos. They build mega sets and showcase them for fans to experience their art off the court.

The Lego bricks in the back are not just a representation of the building-block company, but also an escape for Howard from things that stress her out. She says it reminds her to find something calm to do.

That ties into the “Find a Way” mantra that’s printed near the same area of the shoe.

“Find a way to protect yourself, find a way to protect your peace, find a way to get back to your happiness and what you enjoy doing. And being able to not let anyone steal your joy,” Howard said in a promo video the day of the shoes’ reveal.

Howard also expressed her gratitude to the Jordan brand for making her vision and goals come to life. She signed with the company in 2022, right after being drafted to the Dream. With that deal, she has a rotation of PE’s that heavily involve her in the design process. Her Find a Way Tatum 4 PE was one of her more emotionally attached designs, with a strong tie to her personal life.

“They (Jordan) always do a super good job. They pay attention a lot to the details as well, but being able to have a team that takes a step back when it comes to being creative with what you want in your shoe is super helpful, and I'm thankful for them always,” Howard said.

The Significance of PEs in the WNBA

So, where can you purchase these custom pairs?

You can’t.

In fact, the majority of PEs are sneakers that are made specifically for athletes. Exceptions are released later for a limited time. However, most are made specifically for athletes, allowing them to customize them to their liking, including durability and performance beyond the actual design.

The personal design aspect is what makes the exclusivity feel like a reward and sets a moment and value that only that athlete will understand. Like an exclusive piece of artwork in a museum, most of these designs are meant to be seen but not bought.

This can be seen on the one hand as a special drop that keeps the mystique alive, but on the other hand, fans might feel a slight disconnect when representing their favorite player with what makes them who they are.

In the WNBA specifically, PEs have grown rapidly. The league wasn’t always part of this initiative like its counterparts in the NBA. But once the sport's popularity continued to grow and visibility became a driving factor, the women were ready when their turn came to pour their all into their masterpieces.

Women’s Basketball Sneaker Pioneers

It’s important to look back at the greats who paved the way to reach these heights. Three-time WNBA MVP Sheryl Swoopes was the first woman to get her signature shoe, the Nike Air Swoopes, in 1995. Hall of Famer Maya Moore was the first female basketball player to sign with Jordan brand in 2011.

This helped open the door for athletes like two-time WNBA champion Dana Evans to bring their designs to the spotlight. She infused her personality into each sneaker, treating it like a blank canvas to paint a narrative. Evans is known for her first Jordan PEs, which tell stories about aspects of her life in fun colors and intricate details, standing out for their meaning.

Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum himself even chose to wear one of her designs, “Cheat Code” Tatum 2 PE, in a 2024 NBA playoff game. This became a highlight of a WNBA player’s shoe being on display in such a significant moment.

Evans told the Chicago Tribune that having the opportunity to design a shoe that represents them is important not only to bring more viewers but also to give fans an understanding and a way to relate to them through the different things the shoes represent.

Opportunities like this trickle down to the collegiate level, highlighting young stars like Paige Bueckers, now of the Dallas Wings, who became the first Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) college athlete to design and release a PE to the public. Her Nike G.T. Hustle 3s, also worn by NBA players such as Clint Capela, showcased her creativity on a national stage. Bueckers incorporated phrases, colorways and area codes tied to her family, hometown and favorite colors, weaving her personal story into every detail.

This became a symbol that you don’t have to wait until you reach a certain level in your career to share your story and wear it on the court.

All athletes have a story. And many more names were behind the scenes, making opportunities like these possible and unlocking a unique form of storytelling for the league to take part in. As the game continues to grow, so will the stories told through the sneakers athletes wear.

Every new design becomes another chapter, reminding fans that sometimes the loudest stories are told without a single word.

The Chicago Sky is set to host the 2026 WNBA All-Star Weekend in the Windy City And whether you’re attending or watching from home, here’s what you need to know ahead of the festivities.

WNBA Live

This is where the fan experience happens.

On Thursday, July 23-25, at McCormick Place, fans will attend meet-and-greets with their favorite players and take part in interactive activities celebrating women’s basketball culture.

This star-studded experience has expanded to all three days rather than two this year to give participants more time to take part in activities and explore all the event has to offer. With music, skill clinics, competitions, giveaways, and more to connect fans from all over with the sport, WNBA Live gives you everything needed to get the most out of your experience.

Tickets start at just under $50 for the 5 to 9 p.m. CT time slot on July 23. But from July 24-25, more time is allotted to explore, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. CST, with tickets starting at $37.20.

The event also includes the fashion-heavy orange carpet, featuring player photo ops and personality showcases.

All-Star Friday: Coffee, Media Day and Skills Competitions

If you’ve reserved your spot at the Unrivaled Coffee Club, you’ll be greeted with a fresh cup of customized caffeinated beverages in the Unrivaled pop-up on July 24.

This free fan activation event takes place at Drip Collective in Chicago, running from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. CT. Who says you have to wait until winter to tap back into the 3x3 league? This event also includes player appearances, event-exclusive merchandise and an opportunity to get your season-three tickets on sale.

The newly opened Obama Presidential Center will be the All-Star media and practice venue for fans to get a close look at their favorite players in action. This will also be the first time a professional sports league hosts events there.

Activities at the center will also include 2026 WNBA Changemaker Day and Jr. WNBA Day.

From there, WNBA All-Star Friday Night kicks off.

The 3-point contest and Kia WNBA skills challenge will take place at Wintrust Arena, where your favorite players will showcase their shooting and ball-handling skills while having fun on the main stage.

This will take place at 7:30 p.m. CT / 8:30 p.m. ET, and tickets start as low as $106.13 as of July 16.

All-Star game and roster breakdown

Saturday is the moment everyone’s been anticipating.

The AT&T WNBA All-Star Game will tip off at the United Center and will be broadcast on ABC. The best in the game will compete alongside their regular-season rivals to put on a show and prove the better team at 7:30 p.m. CT / 8:30 p.m. ET.

The team starter and reserve rosters have been released.

Most fans were confused about which coach is heading which team, so we’ll break it down.

Las Vegas Aces’ head coach Becky Hammon will coach Team Coop, featuring: Dallas Wings’ Paige Bueckers, New York Liberty’s Breanna Stewart, Indiana Fever’s Kelsey Mitchell, Minnesota Lynx’s Natasha Howard, Golden State Valkyries’ Gabby Williams, Atlanta Dream’s Angel Reese, Toronto Tempo’s Marina Mabrey, Seattle Storm’s Dominique Malonga, Los Angeles Sparks’ Kelsey Plum, Aces’ Jackie Young and Washington Mystics’ Sonia Citron.

Assigned to Team Spoon will be Lynx’s head coach, Cheryl Reeve, whose roster includes: Fever’s Caitlin Clark, Aces’ A’ja Wilson, Lynx’s Olivia Miles, Fever’s Aliyah Boston, Wings’ Jessica Shepard, Dream’s Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray, Liberty’s Jonquel Jones, Lynx’s Courtney Williams, Mystics’ Kiki Iriafen and Sparks’ Nneka Ogwumike.

Tickets start at $123.42 as of July 16.

Tune in to your favorite events, and stay with The Athlete's Section for more news, coverage and storylines throughout All-Star Weekend.

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Fearless.

Confident.

Magic.

Those are just a few of the words that Olivia Miles fans have used to describe her.

Other phrases like generational talent, activist, future MVP candidate and more have surfaced when painting a picture of the 2026 rookie. Her supporters have not only enjoyed watching but also grown to appreciate Miles on a deeper level of what she represents for the WNBA, and most specifically, the Minnesota Lynx.

“As a Lynx fan, when the league recently started popping off, I was hoping to get a fun Gen-Z, tapped-in rookie in the draft,” Lynx fan Tia Goff explained when asked what Miles brought to her 25-plus years of fandom. “Not to say that we didn’t love our recent years’ rookies, but we’ve just had a bit of different picks in that regard compared to the Angel Reese/Paige Bueckers/any one of the UCLA stars - type of vibes. I really wanted a youngin' who could bring that fun, new, flashy energy, and we got it.”

“I remember maybe our second home game with Olivia, where she went to celebrate and got right up with some fans courtside, dapping them up and waving for the crowd to up the energy. That is just so fun and fresh and not something that we’ve gotten to have here in a bit.”

It’s no surprise that Miles is becoming a staple name across the WNBA.

She’s already been named rookie of the month twice this season. First in May, after becoming the first rookie in WNBA history to score at least 25 points while making eight 3-pointers in a regular-season game. She earned the honor again in June after becoming the first rookie in the Lynx franchise to record over four assists in a 30-point game. And finished with a career-high 31 points against the Los Angeles Sparks.

Goff also said that it’s been exciting to watch Miles’ relationship grow with the veteran players surrounding her. This, alongside head coach Cheryl Reeve, as she grows into her role on the court, unafraid to talk smack and get interactive with the crowd and fans, no matter where they are.

Mile’s WNBA transition was delayed by a split decision

The best part about this second-round pick’s story is that she wasn’t always expected to be one.

Miles had the decision to either stay at Notre Dame for her extra year of eligibility or declare for the draft. Still, she felt as though she wasn’t ready just yet for the pro leagues. And after recovering from her ankle injury, she wanted to feel 100 percent ready before transitioning to the next level.

When she made that decision, though, the reaction wasn’t what she expected.

Miles was leaving everything she had known over the previous four years and gearing up to enter a new system, but this wasn’t a last-minute decision. It was one she had limited time to weigh out.

“I took probably 47 out of the 48 hours to decide, truthfully. I was going back and forth with myself,” Miles told the Beyond the Jersey podcast. “…Until a few hours before, I never sat there and said ‘what does Olivia want?’”

Miles also explained that she knew how her outlook would appear and what people would say online. She knew, however, that this was something she had to do, to bet on herself and see it out. Because of the closeness in time frames, she had limited time to reach out to everyone in her close circle before the news officially dropped, and her heart sank once the alert went out.

“I just feel bad for the way that it looked. And I know I can’t control it, but that was what I beat myself up for, for a long time,” Miles said, choking up as she relived those emotions in the same interview. “So, I lost a lot of people who I thought were in my corner.”

Miles may have lost people she thought would always support her, but in making that decision, she gained an entirely new fan base. People who were introduced to this new spark of energy on the Horned Frogs’ roster, and young players who’ve started to develop their game after her.

Fan support runs deep in different stages of Miles’ continued growth

Emory-Jade Faniel is one of them. A young ball player who was first introduced to Miles once she began her time at TCU. Now she continues to follow her story through Minnesota. Faniel started studying the way Miles would play, the confidence she displays, and the way she carries herself. And she sees more than a talented rookie on the court.

Faniel’s mother posted a video on TikTok of her opening a new Miles jersey. Her mother explained that, though she was on a budget, she knew she had to find a way to get her daughter that jersey because of what it would mean to her.

“When I got the jersey, I felt proud because it represents someone who looks like me and has an ability that I aim to surpass one day,” Faniel explained, while pointing out that she also sports Rec Specs and wears her afro out proudly. “…Seeing her makes me believe in myself!”

Less than a year after making what many questioned as a risky decision, Miles helped lead Texas Christian University (TCU) to the Elite Eight. That made it her first time going that far. She had the best shooting year of her college career, and she was named Big 12 Player of the Year.

Miles said she felt the joy of the game again, and with TCU’s pro-style level of play, she felt more prepared when it was time to declare.

Her instinct was right. And the production is now reaping the benefits of that decision. Now, being the playmaker as the point guard on a dominant Lynx team allows Miles to be herself and grow within their system.

“I’m just happy where I’m at,” Miles told Sue Bird on the Bird’s Eye View podcast. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Lynx fans feel the same way. And Faniel isn’t the only person inspired to rock the Miles’ look.

Ixchel McKinnie is not a young girl growing into her own on and off the court, but a 58-year-old woman who started attending Lynx games regularly during the 2025 season. Instantly falling in love with the culture and everything surrounding Minnesota’s fanbase, she became a season ticket-holder for the 2026 season. Once Miles entered the scene, she knew she was witnessing someone special.

“Since she’s my first rookie and she had a distinctive look, I started thinking about it,” McKinnie explained. “As a black woman with a short nature, I felt comfortable and actually empowered to wear the afro and all it represents.”

McKinnie ordered a pair of goggles and an afro wig to pair with her jersey and turtleneck. She then took to social media to showcase her finished look and inquired if she should go all out for the first game.

The answer was yes. That same day, she was able to get a picture with Miles, wearing her inspired outfit.

“I fan-girled out, and she [Miles] was so gracious,” McKinney said.

And that’s only the beginning of what Minnesota fans are saying about the young star who’s putting the league on notice.

Whether they’ve followed her since college or only recently discovered her, fans say Miles represents something much bigger than her production on the court.

She’s the piece many didn’t know was missing.

She’s a reminder that being unapologetically yourself can inspire people of every age. And she’s doing it on a team that embraces exactly who she is while encouraging her to keep growing.

Her message to those supporters?

“Don’t let your greatness make other people feel small,” Miles said in a podcast interview with Beyond the Jersey. “And don’t let their smallness impact your greatness on the other side.”

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“Mikey [Michaela] was my first competition. I thought about beating her one-on-one every single time, and she just made me better.”

The camera pans over to Michaela Mabrey, covering her mouth with both hands, but it doesn’t hide the proud smile she wears as Marina glances over at her.

“She makes me a better player, she makes me a better person. She’s the first person to hold me accountable…”

This was what Toronto Tempo’s Marina Mabrey had to say at a postgame press conference following her career-high 53-point performance against the Los Angeles Sparks.

With the accomplishment, she tied the WNBA single-game scoring record with three-time WNBA champion A’ja Wilson and Elizabeth Cambage.

After the game, her older sister, Michaela Mabrey, ran onto the court to embrace her as both wore huge smiles and held each other tightly.

“She doesn’t get to see me play that much, so I’m happy that she was here to see it,” Mabrey said after the game. “Somebody from my family on a historic night.”

This moment, however, wasn’t the first time the Mabrey sisters shared the court. In fact, all three sisters have had multiple opportunities to play together.

Shall we backtrack a bit?

There are three sisters among the five Mabrey siblings. Growing up in Belmar, New Jersey, Roy Mabrey, the eldest, was the first to step into the world of college basketball at Saint Anselm College.

Michaela was the first of the girls to reach the NCAA level, playing for the University of Notre Dame. She reached the NCAA Women’s Final Four in three consecutive seasons from 2013-15, appeared in the national championship game in 2014 and 2015, and completed her collegiate career with 228 made 3-pointers.

Before arriving at Notre Dame, Michaela finished her senior year at Manasquan High School playing alongside her freshman sister Marina, where they led the Warriors to the New Jersey Tournament of Champions title in 2012.

Once Michaela entered college, Marina continued her tenure at Manasquan after transferring out during her sophomore year. She returned during her junior year and led the team to another Tournament of Champions title during her senior year in 2015, this time with another Mabrey sister, Dara, playing alongside her as a freshman.

Not only did history repeat itself with two Mabrey sisters winning Tournament of Champions titles together, but Marina joined Michaela in the 2,000-career-point club, making them the first sisters in New Jersey to achieve the feat.

As one Mabrey sister left, another carried the torch. It was Dara’s turn to lead Manasquan while Marina joined senior Michaela once more at Notre Dame for her freshman season, again replicating their high school experience together.

“Michaela had an impact on my decision to play for Notre Dame, but I had to think about the other three years that I’ll be there and she won’t be there,” Marina told the South Bend Tribune ahead of her freshman year.

She also said Michaela never pressured her to attend Notre Dame, but instead encouraged her to choose what would be best for her growth and overall college experience.

That university became Notre Dame.

As for Dara, the youngest, she continued the legacy at Manasquan, helping lead the team to another Tournament of Champions title during her senior year while playing through a thumb and ankle injury. She also joined her sisters in reaching the 2,000-career-point milestone.

All three sisters were named New Jersey’s Gatorade Player of the Year, with Dara earning the honor twice, in 2017 and 2018.

Back at Notre Dame, Michaela became a prominent piece of the Fighting Irish, developing into one of the top 3-point shooters in the ACC during her final three seasons.

Once Marina arrived, they became the first sister duo to play together for the program since the late 1970s, combining for 149 made 3-pointers during their lone season together.

After Michaela graduated and transitioned into coaching, it was Marina’s turn to make a name for herself on the collegiate level.

And that she did.

Marina became a standout guard for the Fighting Irish, helping lead the team to the 2018 NCAA championship and graduating in 2019 as the program’s all-time leader in made 3-pointers with 274.

Dara Mabrey later surpassed both of her older sisters in that category, finishing her collegiate career with 301 made 3-pointers.

Her journey was forged a little differently.

Though she eventually found her way onto Notre Dame’s roster, that’s not where it began. As the youngest of the girls, she grew accustomed to conversations surrounding the Mabrey name, especially how she would compare to her sisters.

With the constant pressure of following in their footsteps while searching for the college that truly felt like home, she chose Virginia Tech and began carving her own path.

“I’ve wanted to pave my own path, which is exactly what I’ve done,” Dara told the Asbury Park Press. “To be compared to your sisters all the time, they’re great players to be compared to, but after a while, it was like, I’m my own player, and I’m my own person off the court too. I live a different life than my sisters.”

Dara spent the first two years of her career with the Hokies before transferring to Notre Dame during her junior year, continuing the Mabrey legacy — this time on her own terms.

She added to the Mabrey trio’s remarkable numbers, combining with her sisters for 768 made 3-pointers and 3,386 points during their Fighting Irish careers.

Though Dara’s season was cut short because of an ACL injury and tibial plateau fracture, she still helped carry the weight of the Mabrey name while adding her own chapter to both programs she represented.

When Marina was drafted by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2019, Michaela reflected on how deserving the accomplishment was.

“For Marina, this has been her dream since I can’t remember how old... she is one of the hardest working people I’ve ever been around,” Michaela emotionally told NBC Sports. “If she has a dream, she’s going to go get it. This has been something she’s talked about forever, being a WNBA player.”

But that wasn’t the end of another Mabrey duo sharing the court.

After Marina was selected by the Toronto Tempo in the 2026 WNBA Expansion Draft, Dara signed a training camp contract with the franchise in April following her international season.

“My agent called and was like ‘hey, they’re going to sign her,’ and I was like ‘are you serious?!’” Marina explained during a media availability shortly after the news was announced.

Though Toronto later waived Dara before the regular season, she signed with the 3XBA in May to continue her professional career on the 3-on-3 tour.

Earlier in 2026, Michaela stepped away from Notre Dame’s coaching staff, closing another chapter of the Mabrey legacy there.

On July 1, she launched her basketball consulting and mentorship business, Basketball Bestie, providing player development and mentorship for athletes and coaches from middle school through the collegiate level.

As for Marina, following her 53-point performance, she was named the WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week at the end of June, earning the honor for the second time this season after first receiving it in May.

So, when we fast forward to that embrace between Marina and Michaela, while Dara returned from her own tournament to break down the historic performance on the sisters’ shared platform, Respectfully, it represents far more than sisters supporting one another.

All of the shared moments, championship runs and years of hard work were wrapped into that embrace.

That 53-point performance wasn’t just Marina’s. It belonged to all three sisters.

They were each other’s first competition in the driveway long before stepping onto college and professional courts, and they continue pushing one another to this day.

“Just seeing her [Michaela] on the side, I just want to be great for my family, especially for Mikey, who was sitting on the sideline,” Marina said after her 53-point performance, smiling toward Michaela in the press conference audience.

The WNBA has experienced significant growth over the past few years. Though it’d be great to attribute it to pure talent, that only tells part of the story.

Outsiders want drama, intense storylines and rivalries — with a touch of good basketball.

Even lifelong fans can’t resist a touch of “spiciness” to add to their fandom. However, for broadcasts, social media, blogs and journalistic outlets, when does it start straying from the factual realm and become a “hot topic” section?

In Saturday night’s first matchup of the season between the Seattle Storm (5-15) and the Atlanta Dream (12-7), the Storm earned their second consecutive win after defeating the Dream 105-90. Two games earlier, they were on an 11-game losing skid before snapping it against the New York Liberty on June 22 and carrying that momentum into Saturday against Atlanta.

That’s a storyline in itself.

Seattle’s young frontcourt is finding ways to win against dominant teams and is on track for an epic comeback story if it continues.

If that wasn’t headline-worthy enough, rookie Awa Fam scored a career-high 21 points against Atlanta’s defense-heavy lineup while shooting 5-for-6 from 3-point range. Dominique Malonga became the youngest player in WNBA history to record eight career double-doubles after finishing with 16 points and 11 rebounds against Atlanta.

Flau’jae Johnson also recorded a double-double, scoring 24 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and adding four assists.

All five starters scored in double figures that night, bringing everything back to Johnson’s quote following Seattle’s June 10 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks.

“They say no rain, no flowers. And I feel like as long as we’re growing, it’s (progress) going to happen…the thing about this organization is that every day it’s like next play mentality and, and good people to be around, amazing vets and everybody’s trying to get better every day,” Johnson said.

Four games later, something clicked.

This, however, wasn’t the story tied to Seattle’s win over the Dream.

This matchup marked the first professional meeting between two-time WNBA All-Star Angel Reese and her former LSU teammate, Johnson. Though the two have had a murky history since shortly after winning a national championship together, there haven’t been any public developments regarding where they currently stand.

With 1:02 remaining and Seattle leading by 14 points (103-89), Johnson was seen hugging and high-fiving her teammates as if the game were already over. She then walked over to Reese for a high-five, which Reese dismissively waved off as she continued toward her own teammates.

That was it.

That’s the story.

And somehow, it became the headline of the night.

Not Johnson’s postgame comments about how emotional she became after seeing her team’s unity come together.

“We had some real conversations. Some real accountability conversations in real time and we held each other accountable,” Johnson said. “At the end, we said ‘we’re in this together,’ and we shook back and we took that lead at the end of the fourth quarter… I just felt like that was so powerful. It kind of brought tears to my eyes. I told y’all, no rain, no flowers.”

That was the night.

A full-circle moment that showed the heart and dedication behind a young team learning how to work together and pull off these wins. It was about the younger players stepping up and what this could look like in upcoming matchups against teams also playing with chips on their shoulders after tough losses of their own.

On the flip side, Atlanta dropped its third consecutive game for the first time since 2024. How will the Dream get things back together? What was behind these losses? And what could this look like against a young Mystics team that’s also finding ways to win?

There were so many directions this story could have gone, rather than media outlets like ESPN leading with a narrative that encouraged fans to dig deeper into a split-second interaction.

I’d be naïve if I pretended drama isn’t entertaining. It’s a great source of conversation and can quickly turn into a storyline that gets blown out of proportion. However, at the same time, it doesn’t benefit either player or reflect the actual story of the game.

So when we call ourselves a trusted media source but continue to find ways to stir up drama, what does that say about the future of sports reporting—and about putting the athletes first?

Are we chasing clicks, or are we finding the real story?

Thursday morning wasn’t an ordinary summer morning for sprinter phenom Melanie Doggett. This morning, she was preparing for an interview.

Lying out her outfit the night before, she used the morning to get ready like any other day of preparation for a normal school day. When her parents, Brandon and Melissa Doggett, informed her of the interview, Melanie grew excited to take part in it, especially since it had been previously cancelled, but when she arrived at Landmark Christian School, she sensed something was different.

This wasn’t a normal interview.

In fact, it wasn’t an interview at all.

Melanie walked expectantly with her parents and two siblings on either side of her down the track, towards a young woman she didn’t recognize standing a few feet in front of her with a cameraman at her side, catching her every move forward.

“Good morning,” the woman called out as they grew closer.

They responded, casually and collected, while trying to match each other’s strides.

What was on the other side of the bleachers was yet to be discovered as her Coach Sierra Dukes finally appeared out of nowhere, a wide smile plastered on her face as she greeted the family, holding a massive trophy that could only mean one thing.

Melanie Doggett was the 2025-26 Gatorade National Player of the Year, becoming the first freshman to win the award in track and field.

Dukes announced this to her while handing her the illustrious vessel. As Melanie processed this, she turned slightly to her side and placed her hand over her mouth in shock.

A crowd of family, friends, teammates and coaches all cheered with congratulations, running up and embracing her with joy from behind the bleachers.

“It was a nice experience,” Melanie said in a press conference interview afterwards. “Great seeing my family and friends who came from North Carolina and Kentucky, and just to see people, and then also seeing my friends who go here, and just having my community around me was really nice.”

Prior to Melanie’s arrival, everyone got a chance to take a look at the award. Names of athletes who’ve received the same prestigious honor in the past were etched in the gold plate surrounding the trophy.

“It [Gatorade Player of the Year award] is given to the most deserving athlete, and I know that Melanie is one of the most deserving athletes,” Briana Campbell, another one of Melanie’s school track coaches, explained. “So as I read over the names, I see Sydney [McLaughlin-Levrone], I see Allison [Felix], I see Marion [Jones], I see Candace Hill. All of these are great.”

“All of these have done great things in that world of track and field for females. They have paved the way, and I just feel like Melanie is another one that is paving the way for these young girls who are looking up to her…knowing that they can start young and they can do great things as they get older, with hard work, perseverance, and loving the Lord.”

Through the hugs and congratulatory wishes of the village surrounding her, Melanie had another surprise as she received a tap on her shoulder and turned.

Instantly, she ran into the arms of a young woman behind her and teared up. The woman, who shared a resemblance, smiled widely at the crying girl in her arms.

It was her older sister, Brianna Doggett, who traveled to Georgia just for this moment.

“I just don’t see her often, because she lives in Kentucky,” Melanie said when asked about the interaction. “She’s in college… it was just good to see her.”

Melanie is no stranger to breaking records and setting standards in her events. Just last week, she won both her 100-meter (11.18 seconds) and 200-meter (22.48 seconds) events in the Nike Outdoor Nationals.

And before entering high school, she became one of the youngest athletes to sign an NIL sponsorship with Nike.

Receiving the Gatorade Player of the Year honor, however, was another level she was astonished to reach.

“Gatorade is everywhere, that’s the first electrolyte drink every person gets when they’re like five at a youth track meet,” Melanie said. “… and so it’s exciting to be honored, and for them to recognize me.”

Melanie also shared that a prior Gatorade Player of the Year athlete she looks up to is four-time Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin [Levrone], who was the first to get the award twice in Track & Field upon her high school graduation.

To put things into perspective, the Gatorade Player of the Year program evaluates elite high school athletes across the nation to select one state winner in 12 different sports.

Though 607 athletes are honored each year, only one national winner is chosen in each of the 12 sports.

Melanie is also set to make her appearance as a finalist in this year’s ESPYs, where the top overall male and female high school athlete of the year will be presented with their trophies during the broadcast.

Not only is the committee looking for high-level talent on the field, but also commendable character off it. And there were plenty of responses to vouch for Melanie’s.

“Off the track, Melanie is definitely a really hard worker, and a just a humble kind spirit in my opinion,” Melanie’s older brother, Bryson Doggett, explained.

“Whenever she’s not running track, she’s working really hard on her schoolwork. She always asks me for help if she needs it, and she’s the kindest person at school. You see her walking through the hallway, she’s smiling at people, laughing, having a good time…she’s such a special person that uplifts all of God’s people.”

Melanie’s grandmother, Judie Crowder, flew in from Monroe, North Carolina, to witness the event. Her face beamed at any mention of her talented grandchildren, and she reminisced about Melanie’s younger years and how her exemplary characteristics were shown even then.

“When she [Melanie] was younger and racing, and they [teammates] finished the race, parents and coaches would fuss at the children, and she said, ‘That’s not right,’” Crowder explained. “She said it takes effort to run, and so when she runs her race, and at the end of the race, she greets everybody, ‘good race,’ and so that’s her humbleness, and you know, she has a good heart for people.” Crowder briefly closed her eyes and smiled. “Yeah, that’s a good story. I love that story.”

Melissa Doggett knew track would be in Melanie’s future since she was four. She would play tag with the older kids waiting at the bus stop, but would always stay out of their grasp. It was impossible for the towering 10-year-olds to catch her.

So, the next year, Melissa and Brandon found a track club to foster this sparked talent.

“I don’t think I had limits on it [her talent], but anything is possible,” Melissa said. “That mentality in eighth grade when she ran that 7.17 [ Indoor 60-meter dash], I was like, anything… I’m not even gonna put what it’s [next steps] gonna be, because I have no clue. It’s not in my hands, it’s in God’s hands.”

Coach Sam Gary, founder and director of Melanie’s summer track club, Major Impact, had the same response when asked about the highlight of coaching Melanie. She added that she was still trying to process that race and that it’ll always stick with her.

When word got to her that Melanie was receiving the Gatorade Player of the Year award, she was speechless.

“I’m obviously so proud of her, and everything that she’s accomplishing on and off the track. And again, I know a lot of you guys see Melanie and all the great things that she does on the track as an athlete, but she’s an even better person, and so I’m more proud of the person that she’s becoming,” Gary said.

The smiles and achievements didn’t come without their challenges, however. Early in Melanie’s middle school career, she tore her hip and had to learn to navigate that at such a young age.

“It really hurt my feelings, like a lot, because it’s like, okay, I can’t run and do what I love anymore, and it gave me a new appreciation for track…this is what you’ve been doing your whole life, basically, and now you have to stop because you didn’t take care of yourself,” Melanie smiled as she continued, blinking back tears. “So I vowed to never let that happen again. I’m always going to take care of myself and make sure I’m okay to run.”

Staying grounded in her faith, Melanie explained that remembering that Christ’s strength is made powerful through her weakness has helped her push forward in her already stellar career. And her advice for the athletes looking up to her is to stay focused on their own stories without worrying about how their competition performs.

“You’re your own person, and you have the steps in your life that you’re going to walk that God has set out for you…so just take your time, walk your own path, and just be you,” Melanie said.

Still in the semi-early days of summer, one might wonder how this young prodigy is planning to celebrate her newest achievement while checking a trip off her bucket list before her sophomore year begins.

Universal Studios came up as an idea.

A final message from Melanie, but this time to her parents…

“When are we going to be at the airport?” Melanie asked with a laugh. “Let’s start booking trips, start planning. Let’s buy tickets, let’s get to getting.”

The Golden State Valkyries set the tone in their first matchup against the Atlanta Dream, holding Atlanta to a season-low 66 points in a 77-66 victory.

Gabby Williams led the way with 23 points, five rebounds and five assists while going 3-for-5 from 3-point range.

The court isn’t the only place she’s showing leadership, however.

Guard Veronica Burton spoke about how the team’s selflessness and communication helped stop Atlanta, but also how she looks to Williams to push her to be a better leader.

Here is how Williams responded in the postgame press conference:

“She’s got a lot on her shoulders, and I just want to make sure she knows that she’s never alone,” Williams said. “She’s someone who thinks about her teammates before herself, and sometimes that’s a gift and a curse, because it can feel heavy, and so I just want to make sure that you know it doesn’t have to feel that way.”

“Just keep encouraging her. I think she’s doing an excellent job as our floor general, and just making sure that she never doubts that.”

Adding to this bond, head coach Natalie Nakase and members of the team repeat one word that shows up on the court: trust.

That trust, backed by the preparation and discipline Nakase consistently praises, was apparent as the Valkyries learned from their back-to-back losses and entered the matchup with renewed confidence to clinch the win.

This expansion team is becoming a force to be reckoned with. With 11 wins under its belt, Golden State is looking to make a statement with the pieces it continues to put together on the floor.

An 18-5 run helped the Valkyries build a 17-point halftime lead (44-27), giving them the boost they needed to finish what they started, even through the fourth-quarter spark the Dream have become known for.

Alongside Williams, Kayla Thornton added 17 points and five rebounds to help keep the momentum going.

“I think I just went out there and just played free, not thinking, not overthinking anything, and trusting my teammates, depending on my teammates, and so when you do that, great things happen,” Thornton said.

The Valkyries expect to see a different version of Atlanta’s offense when the teams meet again on Friday, but they’ll look to rely on the same flow-state level of play and leadership that carried them to victory in this matchup.

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