An Insider Look At The Rise Of Women’s Basketball With iHeart Podcast Host Khristina Williams

Khristina Williams. Image by Louis D’Amato

In case you missed it, New York Liberty took home their first WNBA championship this season, a year after losing in the finals to the Las Vegas Aces. And it wasn’t just the players who won this season, it was the league in general, with NBC Sports reporting that the final 5 games saw a record attendance for a WNBA Finals.

Iconic coach Dawn Staley, head of the South Carolina Gamecocks college team, told NPR in an interview earlier this year that she believes women’s basketball is only going to continue to grow, that there will be multiple Caitlin Clarks and Angel Reeses, and that if the trajectory continues, salaries will get to the million-dollar range (currently it is capped at $76,000). Dawn expressed how hopeful she was of the change, and equally how much she wants those who doubted the popularity and talent of women’s basketball to know how wrong they are.

“I want our game to shine. And I want the people in our game to shine, all of them – players, coaches, fans. I want the decision-makers of our game to shine. And I do want them to feel bad. I want the ones that decided that women’s basketball, you know, didn’t deserve to be on prime time, I want them to cringe. And I want them to regret not putting us center stage,” she said.

With the widespread impact of the “Caitlin Clark effect”, which has helped fuel a huge rise in popularity of women’s basketball both at the college level and in the WNBA, it’s clear that the sports audience landscape is shifting, and sponsors and media networks better be taking notice. You can read an endless amount of think pieces about the phenomenon, or you can go straight to the source and hear from people in the game itself to understand that the rest of us have been sleeping on some of the most exciting changes in professional sports lately.

We’re choosing to do the latter, by subscribing to the appropriately-named podcast series “In Case You Missed It” – the newest series to join iHeartPodcasts’ Women’s Sports Audio Network, hosted by Women’s Basketball Insider Khristina Williams.

Image courtesy of iHeartPodcasts

Khristina is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and a prominent media voice in women’s basketball media. She utilizes her platform to bridge the gap between sports fans and athletes through honest content and amplifying the voices of women through storytelling. In 2018, Williams founded social-digital media platform Girls Talk Sports TV. With ICYMI, she is working to close the women’s sports coverage gap by creating more visibility for women in sports, through social content creation and reporting. 

Girls Talk Sports TV has since served as the go-to destination for women’s basketball breaking news, daily updates, and exclusive interviews with WNBA and NCAA athletes. Khristina has served as a WNBA/NBA expert and insider for MSG Networks’ sports betting programming, hosted and analyzed on Yahoo Sports’ “Made It Monday” digital show, and co-hosted the Athlete’s Unlimited Preview show.  In addition, she’s written for publications such as the WNBA, Just Women’s Sports, and WSLAM. Khristina also partnered with Spotify in 2021 as a producer and host of “Women’s Sports Wednesday,” expanding her reach in live audio content and impact in highlighting women’s sports.

In a nutshell, Khristina has had skin in the game for a while, and once you listen to an episode of her new podcast, she will become your go-to source for all things women’s basketball.

Given the rise in popularity of the sport and the increased interest and coverage of the athletes, we wanted to chat with Khristina about where she thinks the league is headed, the players she is most excited about, and why sponsors, networks and brands need to also get in the game where the action is happening!

Can you first tell us where your love of basketball began, and who your idols were in the sport?

My love of basketball came from the age of 10. I was just exposed to it at an early age but also advocated for myself to be able to participate in sports at the youth level. I remember being 10 years old and wanting to play, but there wasn’t a team, so I advocated for myself at a young age. I wanted to create an opportunity. I also think that if you can see her, you can be her.

I grew up in Harlem, and around that time, just watching my older sister play, but also seeing where basketball could take you, in a sense. One person that’s kind of like a legend, in and around the neighborhood with Shannon Bobbitt. Just seeing her be successful, being able to play under Pat Summitt alongside Candace Parker, and getting drafted into the WNBA, I think inspired me. 

As I got older, my involvement with the sport evolved from playing to like storytelling. I think that having that passion and love for the game was impactful. My idols in the sport, I would say, obviously Candace Parker and Maya Moore. The ones that came before, like Sheryl Swoopes, who ironically, is now a good friend of mine. I think it’s kind of crazy, honestly just being able to hear about the legends and see them, and now, like being on a first-name basis with a lot of them, is just a full circle moment, but those are some of the idols.

What made you want to pursue a career in sports media, and were there many role models to look up to as you were starting out?

When I went to college I double-majored in theater and journalism. And then I feel like there was a gap between when I played and when I kind of stopped playing and went to school totally focused on like the academics part. For me, just being around the game as a fan and wanting to get back to like being around sports, I guess was the thing that inspired me. But also seeing the lack of coverage around that time. There was pretty much nothing in the coverage space, especially in the digital sense when it came to the game, or just having easy access to highlight stories and things like daily updates.

When you look a the men’s side, there were daily updates and 365 days of coverage. So using my expertise and education to launch Girls Talk Sports TV was like that turning point of just wanting to be an active participant in equity and coverage around 2018. So that was the inspiration behind creating it, just being that there needed to be equity in the coverage of women’s basketball, but also just marrying my two passions of sports and storytelling together was like that turning point for me to want to be an active participant. And just changing the way the game was covered. 

Then, my idols and the sports, journalism space or people I looked up to –– I mean growing up in New York, how can you not look at all the amazing work of like Robin Roberts, Obviously the O.G.s in the space, like LaChina Robinson and people like that. Just seeing other black women in sports was like an inspiration for me. Just going back to that phrase, if you can see her, you can be her. When I started, Girls Talk Sports TV, which is my social digital platform, there was a lack of coverage. Honestly, you didn’t really see many women at the center of sports coverage.

They were either like token women in an all-male-dominated broadcasts. And so for me, that aspect of representation was important to me. Even if you look at the statistics today, you see that in less than 2% of sports newsrooms are black women employed. So that’s always going to be a huge point for me as a woman of color, just to have that representation. Because when we have representation in the newsroom or in coverage, you’ll see more diverse stories being told, and I think that that is super important as well.

It feels like women’s basketball has been finally getting the attention it deserves in the past few years, most notably through players like Angel Reese and Caitlin Clarke on the college level, as well as Sue Bird and others in the WNBA. Why has it taken so long for the media to pay attention to women on the court? 

I don’t think it’s a question of whether the product is good. The product has always been great, there have always been stars. I think the turning point was definitely the N.I.L. era for women’s basketball and just how much sponsors and endorsement deals these women’s college basketball players began to get. And then that kind of triples into the coverage. I think that because of the way the WNBA is set up, players have to do all 4 years, and so there is a fan base being built in college. And then we saw a trend of once these players got to the W, it kind of dropped off.

So I think that one N.I.L. era helped to usher in just bridging that gap of coverage and the league. And now, the NCAA, working together to just kind of make sure that momentum continues from college to the pros and a transitional standpoint. Also just executives as well, being intentional about the accessibility and visibility of the game –– whether that’s scheduling or different access and viewpoints to games, whether it’s the app or national broadcast TV, you just see that turning tide of more access being given to fans in a sense.

I think that that has to continue to happen to capitalize off of the numbers because we see that arenas are being sold out, we see that viewership is at record highs, and so just continuing to build off that momentum without letting it drop off is going to be super important.

I grew up in the social media age as a young millennial. I think that I sort of benefited from the age of the Internet, but also traditional news as well and valuing that. I know for me, I’ve been able to take advantage of it because women’s sports fans live in the digital space. As a young millennial, I think that it is very important to meet people where they are at and I think that the League and other organizations are starting to catch on to capitalizing off of that advantage of having women sports fans in a digital space.

For me, creating a blueprint in the space was kind of a no-brainer and creating Girls Talk Sports TV, it’s a total social digital platform where I can update people on things that are happening in and around the League. I still use my journalistic tools and expertise to tell stories in an ethical and intelligent way without compromising my integrity. 

For me, it’s all about meeting people where they’re at. But also as a fan of basketball, just want to have content that is digestible to me. My strategy is always, “Keep it simple, stupid.” I know it sounds crazy, but I think that is a strategy that has served beneficially to me. Also, find new entry points to engage fans new and casual fans as well. It’s been a heck of a ride over the last few years.

I went from creating social digital content to being on TV on MSG Networks being local market on SNY TV, producing segments with NBC and now here on iHeartRadio, doing a podcast a weekly podcast in live audio format. I think that for me, it’s always been about finding new ways to engage fans at every level and at every touch point. It’s always continuing to meet people where they’re at.

Can you tell us about your podcast ‘In Case You Missed It’ – what is the significance of the title, who have been some of your favorite guests, and how can long-form storytelling like a podcast enable more basketball fans to learn more about women’s basketball? 

In and around the League, I’m known as the person who breaks the latest news. A lot of people from athletes to executives, fans, they tell me they always go to Girls Talk Sports TV’s Instagram page or my X page, to find the latest of what’s happening around the league. So that’s really where the name “In Case You Missed It” came from, in case you missed anything this week. 

This podcast is where you can find the latest news in and around women’s basketball. It should be the first place that fans come to every week to catch up on what’s happening around the league. I think that the difference between social content or even just doing TV versus podcasting is that in podcasting, you get to continue to have the conversation outside of just what’s happening in the game. It also gives you the space to have longer more nuanced conversations and discussions with other stakeholders, other media people and peers, and just kind of flesh out more of your viewpoints or talk about important issues. 

Some of my favorite guests so far –– during All-Star week we had Diana Taurasi and Angel Reese, so I loved that. I was able to incorporate some of Team U.S.A. and WNBA All-Stars on like the breakout episode. I love having [Dearica Hamby] on, and then in an episode, we’re gonna have Minnesota Links’ head coach and Team U.S.A. Women’s basketball head coach, Cheryl Reeve, which was a really great interview.

We talked about everything from Maya Moore’s jersey retirement to the Links this season, and then looking ahead at this 2024 election, and how the WNBA has used their platform for social activism and change. I like that there are a range of different conversations being had on this podcast. I think that that’s the beauty of sports, just the intersectionality of different conversations and topics that we can talk about. So that’s really what I want people to get out of this podcast if they get anything out of it, is that it a place that you can go to listen to great conversation.

In your first episode, you spoke with Brittney Griner and Angel Reese. Can you tell us what those interviews were like, and something they shared that was very insightful/profound or eye-opening about their stories? 

I was able to talk to Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi and I think that what was great about those conversations was that it was prior to the Olympics. So just being able to talk to Brittney about her experience, from being detained in Russia last year, to now being back with the Phoenix Mercury, and now going to her first Olympics. I thought that that was just a great conversation to have with B.G., but also to get her insight into what it was like to play with Diana Taurasi and to hear about that experience of sharing the stage with her, in terms of the Olympics and D.T.’s last Olympics.

And then, Diana, I mean, what can you not love about having a conversation with one of the GOAT’s of the WNBA. So we talked about longevity, legacy, and what it would be like to play in her final Olympics and just looking back in hindsight at her career and what she wants to leave for the next generation. We also talked about 2028, and she like joked and said, ‘You can see me in the stands in LA, cheering everyone on.’ So she kind of hinted that it would be her last Olympics, and she wasn’t going to return in 2028. 

For Angel Reese, we talked about leadership on the Chicago Sky. What it was like to play with Caitlin Clark in the WNBA All-Star game, but also I was able to give her her flowers in real-time. How she’s able to just ignore the noise of the conversation surrounding her, and just be able to rise above it as a woman of color, as a public figure and how she’s balancing like work and life. So just being able to have real conversations with these athletes, that kind of humanizes them in a way, to make them more relatable.

Both Brittney and Angel have faced barriers and negativity on and off the court. What was it like for them to talk about these experiences in their life, and how they came back from them? 

With Angel, she really dove into just having a huge support system, but also just having love from around the league, from veterans who have been able to mentor her as well. She has conversations with them every day, but also she talked about the leadership of Teresa Weatherspoon, and what it was like to be coached by her.

Also just having great coaches throughout her college career throughout her professional career, and just what it means to be coached by like strong women in and around the League, and how that has helped her navigate her career and being a public figure. Just going back to [the phrase] if you can see her, you can be her, but also the importance and power of mentorship. I think that is a great help. 

And then B.G. is a veteran in this league, so she talked about how she’s able to give back in terms of just mentoring those Rookies and what it’s like having more years behind her than ahead of her, and just being grateful to be in this moment. 

What are some of the main barriers you have personally faced in your career so far, being a woman in sports media, and being a Black woman in an industry that is still very dominated by white men? 

Being a person who identifies with marginalized groups in this industry, just people not taking the work seriously and like questioning the credibility, even though the resume and expertise and awards and things are there to prove that you know I belong in this space. I would have to say that’s been like one of the most frustrating things. People actively and intentionally try to downplay or ignore the work that I’m doing, but I don’t let that get the best of me.

Honestly, I just keep my head held high, and I continue to do the work so that they can’t deny the work that I’m doing. I think that that’s the most rewarding thing, I don’t do this for accolades or recognition, but if one or two people walk up to me and tell me that I’ve made an impact on them in their life, then that makes me happy. 

Also in this space, I think that black women, especially people of color, are over-indexed as freelancers. That is something that I’m passionate about having a a voice to kind of change, in this space. I encourage newsrooms to create more diversity in their hiring practices because that’s what we get to get some of the best stories that’ll be told in the future. So that’s one of the things that I’m passionate about and focus on, just changing the narrative around who we see telling these stories or what opportunities people of color or black people are getting in this space. 

What excites you most about the attention the WNBA, NCAA and even Team USA is getting right now? Who should we be paying attention to? 

I think that storytelling is the key to growth, so that is the most exciting thing. That people are able to build fandom around the stories, the athletes that are being told. I love the rivalries that are happening like even in college. Right now you have South Carolina, who went undefeated last season and won the championship and in a way, you know, it’s the era of Dawn Staley in South Carolina, but you still have great coaches like Geno Auriemma. And then you look at the WNBA, and I mean the [Las Vegas] Aces are trying to repeat doing something that is extremely hard to do.

So I think that seeing the dominance of A’ja Wilson is something that’s exciting. Seeing Caitlin Clark rise as a Rookie. Angel Reese as well, has been super exciting, but also the New York Liberty, who is currently the number one team. They have the current MVP in Breanna Stewart, and just seeing their journey to wanting to get the franchise’s first championship in the history of the franchise – I think that that is an exciting storyline. So just the power of storytelling the debates, the conversations that kind of normalizes the sport, I think, is the most exciting part about it.

I think that you know it’s going to last more than just a moment. It’s a movement now and I love that the language around women’s force is changing. Even people or stakeholders, no longer see it as a charity, they see it as something that’s worth long-term investment. That starts with things like iHeartMedia’s Women’s Sports Audio Network investing into coverage 365 days of the year, collaborating and partnering with people like me, Sarah Spain, and Sheryl Swoopes. I think that is huge in terms of growing women’s sports overall, and I think the future is brighter in women’s sports.

What should the future of sports media look like, and how do you hope to play a role in this changing landscape?

Going back to that conversation, I just think the future of women’s sports looks more diverse. I think the future of women’s sports coverage looks like 365-day coverage. Just really leaning into that investment and executives being more intentional when it comes to the scheduling ane the visibility –– making it easier to be a fan of women’s sports rather than making it harder. I think that is the future. 

I intend to continue to do the work, continue to use my platform and my voice to reach new fan bases, continue to deliver the news with integrity, and just lean on my expertise and talent, but also to advocate for the next reporters and creators as well. I think that is super important. And I intend to just continue to use my platform to be a disruptor in a good way. I remember when I first created my platform in Girls Talk Sports, it wasn’t received well by a lot of people because they had never seen something like it before in the digital space.

It kind of challenged the norms of what traditional media is doing and looks like, and now women’s basketball is being covered. So just to continue to be a good disruptor in the space and to challenge people to look at coverage from different perspectives and to value different types of coverage. That is just where I stand.


Listen to all the current episodes of In Case You Missed It on iHeartPodcasts’ Women’s Sports Audio Network. You can follow Khristina on X (Twitter), and Instagram.

Khristina Williams. Image by Louis D’Amato