That’s not the cool part of all this, though. If you’re a fan of hip-hop, you know where that Killa Cam name comes from.
That’s Cam’Ron, folks.
Yeah, he’s got his sports podcast with Mase now and it’s cool. But before all of that? He was one of the best MCs to come out of Harlem in the early 2000s. He spearheaded rap’s Dipset era. You youngsters probably don’t know much about that, but it was a good time.
Anyway, back to the shoes.
Mache included an awesome Cam’Ron reference on the insole of the sneaker. Here’s a look at it via Threads:
View on Threads
That’s Cam Brink photoshopped in a pink mink coat on a pink phone on the insole.
The OGs know that that picture actually comes from Cam’Ron when he made an appearance at New York Fashion Week in 2002 with the pink mink on. Talk about classic. That picture is timeless.
This is an A1 reference from Mache and Brink. But now I have so many questions.
Did Cam Brink know where this photo was from before it was put in the shoe? Has she ever listened to Purple Haze? Can she please have this song play after every bucket she scores for the rest of her career? Please? I’m begging.
Angel Reese’s troll game is approaching elite levels.
Reese is having one heck of a week. She’s currently down in Miami with Unrivaled, preparing for the league’s inaugural season that starts January 17. However, the grind doesn’t stop; she’s found time to do fashion even while preparing to play basketball. Along with Olympian Gabby Thomas, Vogue Magazine recently made Reese one of its cover stars.
In the new edition, Reese addresses the chatter surrounding her love of basketball and fashion, explaining why it will always be both for her. After the cover reveal, she also dropped a seven-word tweet with a clever play on words that trolled her haters or anyone with something to say about what she wears.
“But I was a fashion girlie from young, too…I was always in my mom’s closet, putting on her stuff,” she explained. “I liked to carry a purse. Hair done. I wanted to look put together. I still do. I used to watch America’s Next Top Model with Tyra and practice my walk in the living room.” There you have it. Angel Reese will be in fashion for the foreseeable future. Here’s fantastic photos from her Vogue shoot that confirm she can, in fact, do both.
NEW YORK — Sitting in a suite at the world’s most famous arena is a women’s basketball star of equal acclaim: Paige Bueckers.
In what somehow feels like just yesterday and also a lifetime ago, the UConn women’s basketball point guard had one of the most sensational freshman campaigns we have ever seen from an NCAA basketball player.
After later missing significant time due to a very rare knee injury, she continued playing some of her best basketball yet again once healthy.
Now in what is very likely her final year of college, she is focused on pursuing her first collegiate national championship before she eventually turns pro.
But on Monday night, Bueckers found some time on a well-earned off-day to relax. She wore a grey Eric Emanuel sweatsuit with Swarovski crystals and in New York City, she decided to watch some NBA basketball with all of her teammates.
Despite suffering a minor injury the previous night on Sunday against Villanova, the UConn star caught up with For The Win in the Verizon Club at Madison Square Garden while the Knicks played the Magic on Monday.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
How has Minnesota produced so many great basketball players recently like you, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Suggs?
Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Bueckers: The fact that it is so cold there, people who play basketball are inside the gym all of the time working on their craft and getting better. I think it’s an escape from the cold just to be able to play. I think the “Minnesota Nice” phrase comes to mind. People from Minnesota have a chip on their shoulder just because they’re not expected to be good basketball players. We all have this toughness about us.
It means everything to be able to represent Minnesota. It is known as a hockey state but the basketball production is great as well. I’m close with Jalen and Chet and so many other basketball players who have done so well these past few years. It’s really cool to see the growth and the exposure and Minnesota getting a little bit of credit for basketball.
What are the top storylines everyone should know in women’s basketball right now?
Bueckers: The growth. The amount of talent throughout college, the WNBA, and even high school. The more exposure we get, you see the views going up and the attention going up and the accessibility to watch going up. You see positive results every single time. I think we need to acknowledge that women’s basketball is great to watch. Whenever we get the platform, we perform. There are big names, but when you tune in to watch the big names, you leave as fans of so many others because it is such a beautiful sport we play and it is a team effort.
Bueckers: USC’s JuJu Watkins was a great matchup with me. She gets the attention she deserves. Olivia Miles is another player, and she plays with another great player in Hannah Hidalgo. Those two together are tough. My teammate Sarah Strong is extremely good. She is just a freshman but she has shown everybody how great she is already. We play Tennessee and South Carolina on the road in February and those are going to be great games. Those are great teams. Tennessee and UConn always have a rivalry.
What is something you have picked up from Geno Auriemma if you were to ever coach?
(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Bueckers: I would take his ability to challenge his players. I feel like he has a good spot on his players and how to challenge them and how to support them and when to use which. But that comes with connecting with his players, building relationships with his players, and that is the most important part of what makes him a great coach.
But he is our toughest opponent every single day at practice so we are prepared for the biggest games. When the opponent is shooting 100 percent on 3-pointers or when the crowd is crazy, he is the toughest opponent and he prepares us that way every single day.
Do you feel you have been more aggressive after returning to UConn for one more season?
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Bueckers: It is going well. It is all a toss up because you don’t want to get outside of yourself and outside of the team and start shot-hunting. But I’m looking to be aggressive first and look for my shot and that leads to distribution to others and getting my teammates open. I think I’ve done a pretty good job. I’m growing every single day.
I can only get better from here as well. It is all part of the new challenges that this year has presented. We are very young and we don’t have a ton of experience. So being a leader and having to use my voice and find that new challenge every single day, I’ve enjoyed growing and learning and embracing the ups and downs of it.
You have the first player edition shoe for an NCAA player. Do you think we will ever see a collegiate signature shoe and what would yours look like?
(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Bueckers: It is very cool to have a player edition shoe. I’m very blessed and grateful. It is an amazing opportunity. I’m extremely grateful to Nike that they saw that in me.
That’s a good question about the signature shoe, though. I think it might be coming down the line. Obviously, with players starting to sign in high school now, it can be in the works sooner. I like low-top shoes. I love Kobe’s. I like Sabrina’s now. I would want it to look different, though. There are so many shoes that are starting to look similar. So I’d have to make mine pretty different, I think.
How big of a role did NIL opportunities play in your decision to return to college?
Bueckers: I don’t think NIL necessarily played a big role in me coming back. But it has done tremendous things for me and players around the country so we can build our brand and our platform and these relationships with different brands and people. You can continue to help grow who you are and grow who your teammates are with this platform. NIL has seen more college players in the media and commercials, so it is great for the growth of the game as well. A lot of these players deserve what they are getting and they work hard for it, so it is such a beautiful thing to see.
How do you choose your NIL deals and what are some things you look for?
Bueckers: I think giving back is huge. I like to have opportunities to give back to my hometown and where I am playing now and where I want to play in the future. I want to give opportunities to people who are less fortunate. I definitely want to run camps in the future. When I leave college, I’ll have more time in the offseason where I invite kids and give back to communities who need it and deserve it. I’ve been very blessed growing up so I just want to give the platform that I have.
So for example, I’m at the Knicks game tonight with Verizon. They have a lot of the same values that I do. We’re working together for the future with that, which is really exciting. They’ve done a tremendous job with me here tonight inviting us to the lounge and suite and they gave me the opportunity to give gifts to my teammates. I think that is huge. I’m not getting these deals by myself. My opportunities play a huge part in that. No success in basketball is an individual thing. It is a team thing. So being able to share that with my teammates is amazing.
Caitlin also dropped who her favorite Chiefs player is. She said it was “obviously” Travis Kelce, which got huge cheers from the tight end and his brother. However, she also explained that she was a big fan of Patrick Mahomes, and you guessed it —Travis trolled Patrick by imitating his unique voice. He dropped a sly “I’m here” in Patrick’s Kermit the Frog-esque tone. Here’s that hilarious moment:
Caitlin Clark has thoughts about the NBA’s declining ratings.
There’s been a lot of chatter about why NBA viewership is down, and Caitlin Clark has a theory.
It makes sense that a basketball expert would weigh in on what they know best. So, when Caitlin Clark joined the latest episode of the New Heights podcast with Jason and Travis Kelce, she didn’t hesitate to share her thoughts when asked why she thinks NBA viewership might be down.
“Honestly, I feel like…the average basketball fan doesn’t understand how good NBA players are, and they think it looks like they’re now trying,” Caitlin explained.
“I promise you they’re trying. They’re just like so good…Obviously, the physicality of the league has changed a lot…maybe people want more beef and physicality, and people think it’s gone soft.”
There you have it—Caitlin Clark’s musings on the NBA.
Caitlin also thinks that the skill levels have changed in the NBA, and the league is evolving. She even made sure to mention that not everybody loves 3-point shots like she does because we wouldn’t expect any other answer from her.
The Rookie of the Year would love to see the league expand.
Jason and Travis Kelce covered a lot of topics with WNBA star Caitlin Clark on the latest New Heights podcast episode — everything from NBA viewership recommendations to Clark turning her mom into a Swiftie at the Eras Tour was discussed. The trio even dipped into potential WNBA expansion rumors.
Clark, who was the 2024 Rookie of the Year with the Indiana Fever, was fully on board with the idea of Travis Kelce’s Chiefs teammate, Patrick Mahomes, bringing a WNBA team to Kansas City. Mahomes and his wife Brittany are already active in supporting women’s sports as part of the ownership group of the NWSL team in Kansas City, the KC Current.
That ownership group is now looking at what it would take to expand the WNBA into their home town.
Caitlin Clark named unanimous 2024 Female Athlete of the Year by The Sporting News.
As 2024 closes, former Iowa women’s basketball legend and current Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark added one final honor to her remarkable year on Monday by receiving this year’s Female Athlete of the Year award from The Sporting News.
During a year like no other for Clark, she finished her collegiate basketball career as NCAA Division I’s top all-time scorer for both men’s and women’s basketball with 3,951 career points, led the Hawkeyes to their second consecutive National Championship Game appearance, was selected No. 1 overall by the Fever in the WNBA draft, and won WNBA Rookie of the Year.
In her first year with the Fever, Clark helped draw sky-high attendance and viewership numbers for the WNBA, generating a significant uptick in competition throughout the league.
The honor for Clark is her second consecutive Female Athlete of the Year award from The Sporting News after she split the distinction in 2023 with then-LSU star Angel Reese.
She transcended the sport.
Caitlin Clark is our 2024 Female Athlete of the Year.
While Clark has been enjoying the WNBA’s offseason, her impact off the court remains equally as strong as her on-court presence, whether through corporate advertisements, appearances at other sporting events, or the influx of young basketball interest on both the male and female sides.
Although her 2024 story will soon end, Clark is already receiving dividends from her impact on the sport in 2025 by having her No. 22 jersey retired to the rafters of Iowa’s Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Feb. 2 vs. USC.
Beyond that moment, many fans are eager to see how the phenomenal athlete can top this past year and how much influence she can generate on the future generations of women’s basketball players.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions.
UNC women’s basketball was totally stunned when A’ja Wilson casually walked into their locker room on Sunday.
As you might suspect, this wasn’t an ordinary visit, and when Wilson slyly dropped a “Good win, guys” as she entered the room, the whole team collectively lost it. Their faces went from complete shock to screaming and overwhelmed SO FAST.
Here’s the video of that special moment. Look at poor Alyssa Ustby (No.1). She can barely keep it together, holding back tears, as A’ja tells the room to relax like it was no big deal. Another player says, “WHAT?!” to a nearby teammate, trying to wrap their mind around what’s happening. Then, a perfectly timed “act civilized” can be heard in the background, and the whole clip becomes GOLD. Currently playing this ON A LOOP.
Caitlin Clark adds to her mantle of honors with AP Female Athlete of the Year Award.
As a memorable 2024 comes to a close in the coming days, Caitlin Clark continues to add to her mantle of honors with the Associated Press (AP) recognizing the former Iowa women’s basketball legend and current Indiana Fever star as its 2024 Female Athlete of the Year on Tuesday.
The AP specifically pointed to her tremendous advocacy for women’s sports and impact on and off the court as one of its reasonings for the honor.
During the 2024 calendar year, Clark finished the NCAA Division I career scoring record for both men’s and women’s basketball with 3,951 career points, led the Hawkeyes to their second consecutive National Championship Game appearance, selected No. 1 overall by the Fever in the WNBA draft, and won WNBA Rookie of the Year.
During her first year with the Fever, Clark helped draw sky-high attendance and viewership numbers, which generated an uptick in competition throughout the league as a result.
Off the court, Clark remained in the spotlight through numerous endorsements, such as her recent State Farm advertisement, and even helped shed light on other women’s sports throughout the summer and into the fall.
Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images
Of the 74 sports journalists from The Associated Press and its members that voted to decide the award, Clark received 35 votes, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles came in second with 25, and boxer Imane Khelif landed third with four votes.
Clark now enters an exclusive club as the fourth women’s basketball player to be honored as the female athlete of the year since it was first presented in 1931, joining Sheryl Swoopes (1993), Rebecca Lobo (1995), and Candace Parker (2008, 2021).
“I grew up a fan of Candace Parker and the people who came before me and to be honored in this way, is super special and I’m thankful,” Clark said in a phone interview.
“It was a great year for women’s basketball and women’s sports.”
Clark will start the new year with a celebration early on as the Iowa Hawkeyes’ women’s basketball team is set to retire her No. 22 to the rafters of Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Feb. 2 vs. USC.
