Writing 2

August 25, 2020 on ESPN.com TORRANCE SHIPMAN WALKS 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 routines. At regionals, Shipman and her Rancho Carne Toros performed a routine from a choreographer … 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 knew, said I was a “stupid n—–.” I looked over my shoulder, still dribbling, at … 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 garage-style door hangs a sign that reads, “Parking space reserved for Mr. Wilder.” It’s an … 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 UConn Basketball Champions Center. The brick edifice stands in stark contrast to the concrete behemoth … 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 season at Stanford was coming to an abrupt end due to a global pandemic. I thought … Continue reading Anna Wilson: I’m more than a basketball player and more than Russell Wilson’s sister