Women take the court
Nobody quits
Basketball’s best
Always exciting
I wrote that poem for a 7th-grade project, back when I frequently sported a shiny Cynthia Cooper jersey and anxiously awaited to consume everything about the WNBA in the latest issue of Sports Illustrated for Kids.
Since then, a focus on women’s sports has remained a constant in my life, culminating with earning my PhD in women’s sport history as few years ago.
As editor-in-chief of Swish Appeal, I intend for our coverage to combine the sense of obsessive wonder I had as young fan of the WNBA with a critical awareness how intersecting dynamics of race, gender and sexuality influence the infrastructure of women’s basketball and the experiences of players.
Fortunately, a super staff of writers will help Swish Appeal achieve this ambition. While some new voices will be joining in the coming weeks, I wanted to re-introduce our current writers and some of the great work they do. I also welcome any feedback from readers about how we can further establish Swish Appeal as a positive, productive force in the women’s hoops space.
Eric Nemchock: Eric is our draft guru, pumping out prospect profiles in anticipation of the unenviable task of putting together a mock draft. He also keeps up with EuroLeague action. During this W season, he has focused his analytical expertise on the Wings.
Edwin Garcia: Edwin is our West Coast correspondent. He’s on the ground at Crypto.com Arena for most every game in LA, allowing him to offer incisive insight into the Sparks’ injury-plagued season for us and Silver Screen and Roll.
Zachary Draves: Zachary is your source for all things Skytown. He recently conducted interviews with both Kahleah Copper and Courtney Williams. He also delivers our most detailed game recaps.
Josh Felton: Josh holds things down in DC, analyzing the ups and downs of the Mystics this season. His coverage features smart breakdowns of the team’s successes and struggles on both ends of the floor.
Chelsea Leite: As she is the site manager for Raptors HQ, we’re fortunate to get some of Chelsea’s sharp women’s hoops analysis, including an awesome exclusive interview with Candace Parker! If only there was a W team in Canada that she could cover. (C’mon, Cathy!)
Stephanie Kaloi: Previously a volunteer writer, it’s exciting to have Stephanie formally join the staff. Check out her interview with University of Texas star Shaylee Gonzales to see how she puts her personal touch on profiles of players.
Finally, a big thank you to Zack Ward, who was a women’s basketball writing and editing wizard during his tenure as Swish Appeal’s editor in chief! Good luck in grad school, Zack!
