ESPN’s Holly Rowe drops by to talk about the booming world of women’s college hoops — from Dawn Staley packing Coppin State and Angel Reese repping Baltimore to Caitlin Clark going mainstream and NIL stars pouring their money back into the community. It’s proof that women’s basketball isn’t just great business; it’s changing lives on and off the court.
Holly Rowe of ESPN discussed the growth of women’s college basketball and the impact of the NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) phenomenon on community service. She highlighted Allstate’s Good Works Team, featuring 20 student-athletes, including Audi Crooks from Iowa State, who addresses food insecurity through her “Knock and Dash” program. Rowe emphasized the increased community involvement among younger athletes, noting that many are using their NIL earnings to support charitable causes. She also praised the efforts of coaches like Dawn Staley in growing the sport and making it more mainstream, citing the popularity of players like Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark.
Holly Rowe’s Return to Discuss Women’s College Hoops
- Nestor Aparicio welcomes Holly Rowe, a long-time ESPN reporter and respected voice in women’s sports, to discuss the growth of women’s college basketball.
- Holly Rowe highlights Allstate’s initiative to showcase 20 student-athletes who excel both on the court and in community service, with Audi Crooks from Iowa State as the team captain.
- Holly shares Audi Crooks’ efforts in addressing food insecurity in her community by starting a program called “Knock and Dash” to provide food and groceries to families in need.
- Nestor Aparicio and Holly discuss the increased community involvement and volunteerism among younger generations, contrasting it with the experiences of older individuals.
The Impact of NIL on Community Service
- Holly Rowe notes that many young athletes are using their NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) money to support community causes, rather than just personal expenses.
- Nestor Aparicio and Holly discuss how the NIL conversation has shifted from a negative perspective to recognizing the positive impact on communities.
- Holly shares her personal experience of being inspired to increase her own volunteerism after witnessing the efforts of student-athletes like Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese.
- The conversation touches on the broader implications of NIL on community engagement and the positive changes it brings.
The Growth of Women’s College Basketball
- Nestor Aparicio reminisces about the early days of covering high school girls’ basketball and the evolution of women’s college basketball, mentioning legendary figures like Dana Johnson.
- Holly Rowe highlights the success of programs like Connecticut and the impact of coaches like Dawn Staley in growing the sport.
- Nestor shares his experience of attending a sold-out game featuring Dawn Staley’s team at Coppin State, comparing it to the excitement of past games.
- Holly credits Dawn Staley’s dedication to giving back to her community and providing opportunities for student-athletes, likening her to a “dream merchant.”
Mainstreaming Women’s Sports
- Nestor Aparicio and Holly Rowe discuss the mainstream acceptance of women’s sports, with examples of conversations about women’s basketball and the WNBA at family gatherings.
- Holly shares a personal anecdote about her nephew’s obsession with Kelsey Mitchell, highlighting the growing interest in women’s sports among younger generations.
- The conversation emphasizes the organic growth of women’s basketball, with more people talking about and supporting the sport.
- Nestor appreciates Holly’s efforts in promoting women’s sports and acknowledges the positive impact on the community.
Final Thoughts and Appreciation
- Nestor Aparicio thanks Holly Rowe for her contributions to women’s sports and for her annual visits to discuss important topics.
- Holly expresses her gratitude for the opportunity to share her insights and experiences.
- The conversation concludes with a brief mention of Holly’s personal connection to Baltimore and her ongoing support for the community.
- Nestor reiterates his appreciation for Holly’s work and looks forward to future discussions on women’s sports.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
Women’s college hoops, Allstate GOOD WORKS, community service, food insecurity, NIL (Name, Image, Likeness), volunteerism, Dawn Staley, Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark, mainstream sports, Baltimore positive, ESPN reporter, college basketball, student athletes, community impact.
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SPEAKERS
Nestor Aparicio, Holly Rowe
Nestor Aparicio 00:01
Welcome home. We are W, N, S T am 1570 Towson, Baltimore. We are Baltimore positive. And as a little bonus extension of our cup of Super Bowl week that we did with the Maryland crab cake tour on behalf of our partners at GBMC and the Maryland lottery, it is a pleasure to welcome in the kind of guest that I had for 27 years on radio row. Holly row joins us here. Rhymes with radio row, just the the Silent E long time ESPN reporter, and, of course, one of the most respected voices in women’s sports at college basketball. She’s here on behalf of all state and their nectar winter GOOD WORKS team, talking about good works and good people, which is what a cup of Super Bowl’s all about. We try to keep it your community, but the community is larger than that. Certainly, the women’s college basketball circuit is Holly.
Holly Rowe 00:49
Yeah, it’s been really cool. Allstate is doing something awesome, where they’re showcasing 20 student athletes from around the country who are doing an incredible job on the court or on their playing surface of choice, but they’re working in the community very hard. And this year, our team captain is a young woman who I’m sure you’ve heard of, Audi crooks from Iowa State. She’s led the country in scoring for most of the season, so she’s crushing it on the court. And then, you know, in her downtime from her full time job as a student athlete, she’s finding a way to help food insecurity in her Iowa hometown, in her Iowa community, she saw a need when the government ended the SNAP benefits for many people, and she started a program called knock and dash, where they would bring bags of food and groceries and meals to families who were in need. And so I just love it like She’s so busy and she’s busy being a boss on the court, and yet she found and saw this need of like, How can I help people who are struggling right here where I live? So she’s a special person, and I’m really grateful that Allstate is letting us showcase these young people. There’s 20 people on this team, and you’ll be blown away by all the different charities and causes that they’re involved with, very different variety of type of volunteerism from everybody, but it’s really inspiring.
Nestor Aparicio 02:02
8You get that with younger people, because I certainly do as being the old guy here now, 35 years into doing this thing that I did two weeks of that, and how many pantries we have, and student groups and young people and and the amount of pride they take in being a part of the community. And I, think with the n, i L and the amount of money, and, you know, my professional status here in Baltimore, watching the Orioles and the Ravens and people come in, making lots of money, there is a whole thing that, I think, generationally, that younger people haven’t gone through covid and seen people in need, that maybe they’re a little kinder than some of us Old folks are, I
Holly Rowe 02:41
know I really feel like that, because I feel like when I was young, I was a little more altruistic, too, and then you get older and you’re grinding and you’re trying to build your career, and you’re worried about yourself and your family. And what I’ve been noticing from this program, and actually, they’ve inspired me. I have really increased my volunteerism and my community work since I started doing this because I was like, Man Paige Beckers, can find time to be on the Allstate GOOD WORKS team and flage Johnson at LSU, that’s a national rapper, and also basketball player leading the LSU women tigers and scoring, then maybe I can get out in my community and do some good. And so I think it’s really inspiring. I think it’s helping a lot of us. And I think what’s happening is this whole nil conversation. I think we looked at it as a lens of it’s a negative thing, and I think what we’re learning is these young people are taking a lot of their nil money and doing good with it. You know, they’re just not buying a car or a house or whatever. They may be doing some of those things, but what they’re doing is putting that money back in the community, and I think it’s been really positive. I don’t think we’re talking
Nestor Aparicio 03:45
about it enough. Holly Rowe is my guess we are talking about it right now. I want to talk some, some women’s college basketball with you, because I’m cop and state supported. We do a lot with education and talking about AI and just all sorts of things, nursing teaching, the things that they teach there. But I go back to Fang Mitchell on the basketball men’s side and and the Women’s Program. Don Staley brought South Carolina in, like five weeks ago, and it was sold out, and it was jumping over by mandalaman in West Baltimore. And I went over for the afternoon, and it was a little bit like the Harlem Globetrotters in the generals, because, like at tip off, there was a foot and a half disadvantage on tip off, and I’m thinking they were long. But the top of women’s college basketball as it stands now. Now, I covered high school girls basketball in the late 80s, so I come from that Dana Johnson era at Tennessee, but to see what Connecticut still does all these years later. And to see where you’re on active radio right now, talking women’s brackets all over the country, it’s really come a long way. And and to see a sold out cop, and that reminded me of when dawn Staley brought Virginia into cold Fieldhouse a generation ago. What a night that was at cole to have it, you know? Pat. Fact that it really sort of, you know, we were all in on the pioneering side of this, and now with the Caitlin effect, it’s, it is blossomed. It really has, yeah,
Holly Rowe 05:11
it’s booming. I mean, one, it’s good business. Women’s Basketball is making money. It’s good business. People are investing. But two, it’s highly entertaining. You know, like, these women are so good right now. And I give Don Staley a lot of credit for doing that. The reason she’s doing that is that she wants to give back to schools and communities like she grew up in, you know, she grew up in Philadelphia. She’s told me the story before. I think she told me they had five kids, so seven people living in a small home, you know, in Philadelphia, and the hunger that created in her to get out and be good. And so she’s bringing her team back to benefit Coppin State, you know, like, that’s really next level special, that she wants them to get a payday, she wants them to get the attendance. She wants those student athletes to see, you know what the program is like and what you can build if you if you try. So, you know, Dawn calls herself a dream merchant, and I think that’s really accurate. She has facilitated and created a lot of dreams, and I love that she’s doing that and bringing her powerhouse team. It’s like, you know, Beyonce touring with with these superstars, and people are showing up to support them. Well, it’s
8Nestor Aparicio 06:22
not the first time. I mean, LSU came in a couple years ago with Angel and playing a home game, and it was bonkers over there that day. So, I mean, I’ve had more relationship in that way with a memory, with these women’s games, mismatches on the court, for sure, but certainly the kind of thing that grows the game, and I’ve seen it right here, and, you know, and Angel Reese being a part of that. And then there’s the Caitlin effect, where the guy that cuts my hair, and I have a lot of hair, he was the guitar player my rock and roll band in the country rock and roll band. I was in a rock and roll band with him, but he’s cut my hair talking to me about Caitlin, like, not talking about the NBA, not talking about the all star game, talking about how much he loves Caitlin. There really is a thing about that, that it’s way outside the realm of me being the old sports radio guy here talking about Cal Ripken 30 years ago.
Holly Rowe 07:13
Yeah, I love it, because I feel like it’s mainstream. I had a similar experience. So, you know, I have family members, like I have sisters that are into sports and love college basketball, love women’s sports. I have a lot of extended family who I would have thought could care less. So I show up at our July 4 barbecue this year, and the entire conversation is about women’s sports in the WNBA and now players like Kelsey Mitchell, that plays with Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston, and like my little nephew, he’s seven year old little boy. He’s wearing a Kelsey Mitchell jersey. He’s obsessed with her. So I feel like it has gotten really mainstream, the spotlight that may be shown on Angel, and I do think angel has been a major contributor in the growth of women’s basketball. I don’t ever want to sell her short, because I believe in that young woman a Baltimore product, and she has proudly rep Baltimore and come back and done a lot in your community there. I really believe in her and those conversations that we’re having now we would never had, like just mainstream barbecue, barbershop conversations. And I love it. It means we are really growing the game at an organic level.
Nestor Aparicio 08:17
They know you can talk college football too. They just choose not to. So Holly row is here from ESPN on behalf of our friends at Allstate. Thanks for the great work you do. Thanks for stopping in and visiting with us once a year for a couple of minutes and talking some some I don’t I could go a million directions, but the cancer right from the heart. Keep it going. Keep it going. My wife’s a two time survivor too. Appreciate you. Holly Rowe from ESPN time today. Thank you always, always enjoy Nashville. She’s Holly Rowe. I’m Nestor with Baltimore positive back from all right after this.
