Viral success of WNBA’s StudBudz proves the power of authentic, player-driven storytelling

The GIST: The WNBA’s All-Star Weekend (ASW) drove a variety of online conversation, from ongoing CBA negotiations to the proliferation of StudBudz, the player-powered shared social media profile that offered an entertaining inside look into ASW.

• As the W surges in popularity, its primary tentpole event is managing to break into the news cycle and social media conversation, demonstrating the cultural power WNBA players wield. Real playas only.

The account: Earlier this season, Minnesota Lynx friends and teammates Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman launched a Twitch account under the StudBudz moniker and began livestreaming their off-day adventures as besties and ballers, often featuring fellow W players. On June 2nd, the pair first posted on a joint Instagram account with additional behind-the-scenes snapshots.

• When ASW rolled around, StudBudz was there to seize the moment with unique social content directly from W personalities, and the pair sparked pop culture conversations throughout the weekend. Their Instagram has 72K followers with only 16 posts, while their Twitch account — which hosted a 72-hour ASW livestream — has 68.9K subscribers.

The impact: StudBudz was the talk of the town (Caitlin Clark watched three hours of their stream), but it was bigger than Williams and Hiedeman themselves. The duo requested a song change from world-famous DJ Diplo, who was spinning at Sports Illustrated’s All-Star After Party, and prompted a dance-off with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert.

• The pair shared other funny moments in the spotlight with stars like Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese, not to mention a crossover with another pair of comedic W personalities, Sydney Colson and Theresa Plaisance.

The shift: As Colson and Plaisance and Williams and Hiedeman have shown, there’s an untapped market for funny, organic social media content from league personalities. StudBudz was part of the reason GQ dubbed the ASG some of the most fun pro sports has had in a while, especially due to its unstructured nature and charismatic athletes.

• Both advertisers and the league itself have been critiqued for not centralizing queer women of color in campaigns, and StudBudz proves why that’s a miss. Brands like Playa Society and SLAM collaborated with the duo in real time, proving their personal brands are a selling point. Hilarious, authentic W players finally have the spotlight, and they’re winning off the court. Love to see it.