November 2, 2017 on ESPN.com Joanna Jedrzejczyk climbs off her bike and wheels it through the doors of American Top Team (ATT), a mixed martial arts gym in Coconut Creek, Florida. She rides the four miles between her house and … Continue reading Undefeated and dominant, Joanna Jedrzejczyk seeks Ronda Rousey’s record and UFC’s loftiest ranks
July 11, 2017 on ESPN.com Ricki Ortiz has a decision to make. As she sits down in front of the monitor with her fight stick at DreamHack Austin in April, she has to choose whether to keep playing Chun-Li, the … Continue reading What’s in a main? Why Ricki Ortiz might have to give up on Chun-Li
December 23, 2016 on ESPN.com Her nickname is The Lioness. Fitting, given Amanda Nunes’ tenacity in the octagon, but its origin predates women’s inclusion in the UFC. It was given to her when she was the only woman at her … Continue reading Meet Amanda Nunes, the fighter who has been largely forgotten in lead-up to UFC 207
September 20, 2016 on ESPN.com Kylie Bunbury took a deep breath before stepping on set. The upcoming scene required her character to engage in a rather tense conversation with her fictional mother, Janet Baker (Chastity Dotson), and her agent, Amelia … Continue reading Becoming Ginny Baker: ‘Pitch’ actress Kylie Bunbury transforms for the role of a lifetime
May 10, 2016 on ESPN.com | Stephanie Dolson as told to Katie Barnes When the WNBAÂ tipped off in 1997, life was quite different than it is today for LGBT Americans. Conversations about sexual identity were much more clouded by the … Continue reading Stefanie Dolson: ‘I just am who I am’
August 25, 2020 on ESPN.com TORRANCE SHIPMAN WALKSÂ across the nearly empty gym at East Compton High School. She’s there to right a wrong. Not long ago, she discovered that her entire award-winning cheerleading career was built on lies and stolen … Continue reading ‘Bring It On’: From spirit fingers to appropriation, the cult sports film is much more than a teen rom-com
August 27, 2020 on ESPN.com THE FIRST TIME someone called me the N-word on a basketball court was in seventh grade. I remember dribbling the ball on the wing in front of the visitors bench. This girl, whose name I never … Continue reading Barnes: LeBron James and Nneka Ogwumike didn’t teach me that racism is a problem in this country
February 19, 2020 on ESPN.com Nestled among the trees in suburban Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in a building that looks like a long storage container, is a gym that serves as the home of the heavyweight champion of the world. Above a … Continue reading The nine strangest (but true!) stories about heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder
February 10, 2020 on ESPN.com IT’S A CRISP, sunny October afternoon, and Paige Bueckers is at the door of the holiest of basketball temples. She sees her reflection in the glass as she pulls open the door to the Werth Family … Continue reading Can this one super-prospect revive the greatest dynasty in sports?
April 7 2020 on ESPN.com | Anna Wilson as told to Katie Barnes I DIDN’T EXPECT my basketball career to unfold the way that it has. And I certainly didn’t expect to receive a Twitter notification telling me that my senior … Continue reading Anna Wilson: I’m more than a basketball player and more than Russell Wilson’s sister
