WNBA: The deep history behind GloRilla’s All-Star Game performance

It’s a she thing and it’s all in me (It ain’t nothin’ but a shethingI could be anything that I want to be babyDon’t consider me a minority Yeah you knowOpen up your eyes and maybe you’ll see It’s a she thingIt’s a she thing and it’s all in me Strong, innocent, andI could be anything that I want to be Intelligent ladyDon’t consider me a minority Proud of who I amLadies help me out if you agree It’s a she thing)It ain’t nothin’ but a she thing (We are proud)It ain’t nothin’ but a she thing (Say it loud)It ain’t nothin’ but a she thing (On the rise)It ain’t nothin’ but a she thing (Better recognize)— “Ain’t Nuthin’ but a She Thing” by Salt-N-Pepa

Since August 1973, hip hop has grown from a DJ Cool Her back-to-school party in the Bronx to a multi-billion dollar global industry. An industry that touches virtually every segment of society and culture, from politics to fashion to education to sports.

In the sporting landscape, hip hop is everything. It’s blaring out of the speakers before, during and after every game in every arena of play. Many of the best athletes give shoutouts to their favorite rappers and vice versa. And no other sport better encapsulates that dynamic than basketball. After all, the game originates from the playgrounds, much like hip hop. There also is the improvisational dimension rooted in both, as well as the freedom that comes with that.

That ethos is demonstrated in everything from the original phenomenon of Air Jordans to the baggy shorts and black shoes of the Michigan Fab Five to the bars of Shaq to the head-to-toe aesthetic of Allen Iverson. Oftentimes, it’s easy to pinpoint the connection between basketball and hip hop in the context of male identity.

However, there is just as much of a connection between women in basketball and hip hop. A connection based on a shared desire for legitimacy, dignity and empowerment. That synergy came back to life at the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game with GloRilla’s halftime performance.

Prior to the game, Angel Reese, spoke about her fandom of GloRilla, while also acknowledging the broader merging of women’s basketball with culture, something she knows all too well. Reese told Swish Appeal:

It’s the new norm. You have to mix basketball in the culture. That’s something that’s continuing to help me thrive in everything I do. It’s bigger than basketball. I’ve built my brand to be able to connect both. I think that’s really important, especially for me. I’m in the fashion world. Going to the Met Gala, I’m sitting with Cardi B. I’m sitting with Rihanna. I’m sitting with the biggest inspirations, the greatest women in this world. So to be able to have that connection, they’d never watch basketball before probably, but you bring new fans and they can see that and its really great.

When asked what her favorite GloRilla song is, Reese briefly paused before giving her answer, sharing, “Well, she has a new song called ‘Type’ so that’s my new one.”

Alyssa Thomas shared similar enthusiasm for Glo’s presence, stating:

I’m excited. It’s huge to have at All-Star. I know a lot of people around here are very excited about it. The fact that she’s out here at a W All-Star speaks volumes to how the game is growing. We’ve had performances in the past, but nothing like this so definitely to have her out here tonight.

The lineage of women in hip hop is endless. Those names include but are in no way limited to Roxanne Shante, Queen Latifah, Salt-N-Pepa, MC Lyte, Yo-Yo, Da Brat, Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliot, TLC, Lil Kim, Foxy Brown, Megan Thee Stallion, FM Supreme, Nicki Minaj, Eve, Cardi B and more.

On the flip side, the collection of women ballers goes on and on. They include Cheryl Miller, Lynette Woodard, Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, Cynthia Cooper, Teresa Weatherspoon, Maya Moore, Candace Parker, A’ja Wilson, Angel Reese, Brittney Griner, the Ogwumike sisters and too many more to name.

Altogether, these women represent different styles, games and regions. Some have balled and rapped. Some have done just one. Others have found a way to merge the two.

But they have been on a collective journey towards ensuring the full humanity of Black women and girls in society where many still try to diminish their talents by any means (“Nobody watches the WNBA,” “Women can’t sell records,” etc.).

At every turn when society falls short of justice and accountability, there is Maya Moore taking a full season off to advocate for the release of an innocent man Jonathan Irons, whom she later married. It comes out when Natasha Cloud does the same during the COVID-stricken summer of 2020, declaring that Black Lives Matter. It also came out when 144 WNBA players strong said the name of Breonna Taylor and other Black women and girls killed by police in the Wubble in Orlando. At the same time, there you have Megan Thee Stallion on the stage of Saturday Night Live against the backdrop of “Protect Black Women” after the charges against the officers who killed Taylor were dropped.

As Black women have been subjected to victim shaming and/or interpersonal violence, there is 1996 Olympic gold medalist Ruthie Bolton sharing her story of survival and Queen Latifah calling for “UNITY” and Eve showing, at times, “Love is Blind.”

When Brittney Griner was held up in a Russian prison, she received a litany of mockery, whereas, if an NBA player was in a similar situation, there would have been a fierce urgency of now. The same holds true for Megan Thee Stallion, who was on the receiving end of blame and shame in the context of the volatility levied by Tory Lorenz. Couple that with former Def Jam record producer Drew Dixon speaking her truth about those victimized by Russell Simmons and Cassie heroically coming forward to tell the dark side of hip hop’s former Great Gatsby, otherwise known as Diddy.

There are also parallels in how prominent voices from both spheres have navigated intense negotiations between labor and capital over pay equity. Before the All-Star game, players walked onto the floor wearing “Pay Us What You Owe Us” shirts, essentially posing a question first asked by the late Gangsta Boo, “Where Dem Dollas At?”

On a variety of pertinent matters that society tends to overlook, it too often falls on the shoulders of Black women in basketball and hip hop to get the word out and compel others to take action. And all the while, they shouldn’t have to solely bear that burden.

But that connection doesn’t always involve doom and gloom issues.

The work of former baller and fashion designer Esther Wallace and her increasingly popular brand Playa Society follows in the path of pioneering hip hop designers Misa Hylton, Kimora Lee Simmons and April Walker.

The various business ventures of Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, Tamika Catchings, Alana Beard and other retired players mirror that of Sylvia Robinson, founder of Sugar Hill Records.

The signature shoe endorsement deals garnered by A’ja Wilson and Angel Reese feed off the same groundbreaking moves Latifah and Missy Elliott made during their heydays.

And despite at times being degraded, downgraded and dismissed, these women, from Reese to GloRilla, have proven that they are here to stay.

In the words of Latifah and Moni Love, “Some think that we can’t flow. Stereotypes they got to go. I’ma mess around and flip the scene into reverse. With what? With a little touch of ladies first.”