analysis

Half Big Brother, half late-night talk show: The WNBA stars revolutionising sports media

33 minutes agoWed 10 Dec 2025 at 10:25pm

Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman get a selfie with Caitlin Clark at the 2025 All-Star game. (Getty Images: Steph Chambers)

It’s Big Brother meets a late-night talk show, hosted by two of the WNBA’s newest stars.

It might be slightly unconventional, but Natisha Hiedeman and Courtney Williams have built a platform that celebrates their unique personalities while giving behind the scenes insights into the WNBA.

And the unexpected pair have highlighted what could be the future of marketing for female athletes in a digital age.

‘Representing the community’

Hiedeman and Williams are known as the "StudBudz" on Twitch, where they stream all aspects of their lives from the banal, including sleeping, to the ambitious 72-hour continuous marathon over WNBA All-Star weekend.

And with their pink hair and infectious personalities, they’ve not only brought new fans to the league, but taken the term "stud" mainstream.

Based in African American culture, it refers to lesbians, influenced by urban and hip-hop culture that mostly appear masculine or wear masculine clothes.

"We are representing the community, we got the gay community on our back, we are showing the world the gays are here," Williams said, speaking to SLAM Magazine.

Just as Arsenio Hall revolutionised late-night television in the late 1980s and early 90s, the StudBudz are attempting to do the same in a very 2025 way.

The conversations are random, inappropriate at times, ranging from fashion to basketball to dating, and nothing seems to be out of bounds for the two.

They have found the perfect platform to reach their audience — Twitch.

It has existed for over 10 years, coinciding with the emerging esports landscape.

It is a live-streaming site mainly used by gamers and content creators who can broadcast and interact with the audience in real time, and it has developed into a space where everyone can find their niche.

According to Mark Johnson, a senior lecturer in digital cultures at the University of Sydney, there is no limit to the content available on the platform.

"You can watch people making music, [playing] pool, climbing mountains or playing piano or tabletop games … pretty much anything as long as it’s legal," Dr Johnson said.

Finding an audience

Athletes streaming is nothing new.

NBA players have been doing it for years, through the likes of Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown and Karl-Anthony Towns.

But while most stream themselves playing a video game or sitting and chatting, Williams and Hiedeman bring something different.

Hiedeman and Williams have spent the past two seasons at the Minnesota Lynx. (Getty Images: Ellen Schmidt)

They have proven there is an audience for content driven by female athletes, particularly in sports which have been traditionally dominated by male athletes.

Dr Johnson said this could be the future for athletes.

He said a pre-established brand and audience could help cut through digital noise to create an online community by having a unique product.

"If you are a well-known sports person that could be you basically just being you," he said.

"People will be looking for you as the sports person to be much more your authentic everyday self than maybe the more curated self one might see in interviews."

The StudBudz stream started with a small audience and they have managed to grow it organically.

They had their breakout moment during the 2025 All-Star weekend, where they streamed non-stop for three days.

Williams was playing in the game, while Hiedeman was a spectator.

"All-Star was a movie, 72 hours, they had us booked and busy, to have everyone peek their head in and see how people are in their regular day, not just that competitive basketball lane," Williams told SLAM Magazine.

Williams said the WNBA was supportive of the duo, giving them behind-the-scenes access and highlighting their presence.

They took viewers into the dressing rooms, and all the parties where they danced and flirted with fellow WNBA players like Angel Reese, told world-renowned DJ Diplo what songs he should be playing and joked about how Caitlin Clark could get anything done with just a simple phone call.

They dominated the weekend and became the place to be.

Even host broadcaster ESPN got in on the action, having the duo on one of their panels.

Hiedeman and Williams joined host broadcaster ESPN twice during their 72-hour live stream. (Getty Images: Steph Chambers)

The exposure saw them change from an "if you know, you know" account to "you have to know".

With 10,000 followers after two weeks, the pair jumped to over 70,000 followers after the All-Star weekend.

Brand success followed with major endorsements rolling in, with everyone wanting to join the party.

Their success has not just been limited to brand sponsorships, with the duo creating their own line of clothing for the audience, generating another revenue stream.

Dr Johnson said newer social media and streaming platforms were a good way for female athletes to engage with an audience that was not already saturated with professional athletes.

"A good example here is the women’s football World Cup and the Euros," he said.

"The fan base there is very young compared to the fan base for men’s football, so those are going to be people that are much more tech-native and much more comfy with Twitch and streams … so I think it could be successful."

Building beyond the court

It is something new Adelaide Lightning signing Sania Feagin is thinking about.

She hails from one of the biggest women’s college basketball programs at South Carolina, also the school of four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson.

Sania Feagin joined the Adelaide Lightning during the WNBA off-season. (Getty Images: Daniel Pockett)

Drafted by one of the biggest WNBA teams in the LA Sparks, the 22-year-old is not only focused on her game, but the brand she wants to create.

She spent the past season with the Sparks at the same time the StudBudz found their groove.

"I know a lot more people are trying to get into content as in Twitch … but to see the inside world of WNBA players is actually very interesting," Feagin said.

"Maybe in a few years I’ll probably get into streaming and stuff of that nature.

"It is fun to sit here and tell my story … if I have more opportunities to have digital ways of sharing my story, I would most definitely love to do it."

As for the StudBudz, they have no plans of slowing down, and have already shared dreams of going from the court to the Met Gala, the Grammys and beyond.