On this Global Sport Matters Live show, host Dr. Nicole LaVoi, Director of the Tucker Center for Girls & Women at the University of Minnesota, explored the journey of basketball’s women from different perspectives. From the front office, as coaches, players, media and beyond, panelists discussed the challenges and successes for the sport along the way, and what they see for its future. 

Check out our recap post here or watch the full conversation below.

Guest Panel:

Amira Rose Davis, PhD | Assistant Professor of History and African American Studies at Penn State University

Amira Rose Davis is an Assistant Professor of History and African American Studies at Penn State University where she specializes in 20th Century American History with an emphasis on race, gender, sports and politics. She is the author of the forthcoming book, “Can’t Eat a Medal”: The Lives and Labors of Black Women Athletes in the Age of Jim Crow. Her work has appeared in scholarly journals such as Radical History Review and Journal of African American History as well as popular outlets such as The New Republic and ZORA. Additionally, Davis provides sports commentary for public venues such as NPR, ESPN, and BBC. She is also the co-host of the Feminist Sports Podcast, Burn it All Down.

Nikki Fargas | President, Las Vegas Aces 

Nikki Fargas attended and played at the University of Tennessee under Coach Patt Summit and went on to coach for Tenessee and UCLA. In 2011 she became the Head Coach for the LSU Lady Tigers Basketball Team. Eventually, in 2021, Nikki proudly became the President of the Las Vegas Aces.

Charnea Johnson-Chapman | Arizona State University Women's Basketball Alum

Charnea Johnson-Chapman is currently working as a service coordinator for the Arizona Early Intervention Program. She's originally from Southern California but moved to Arizona to attend ASU on a basketball scholarship. She graduated with a major in Family and Human Development with a minor in Criminology and criminal Justice. It is her goal in life to start a chain of group homes to get kids off the street, which has been her dream since high school. Outside of work she does attend practice with the team once a week and enjoys being active. 

Kyle Adams | Principal and Chief Strategist of itsBIGGERthantheball

Kyle Adams serves as the Principal and Chief Strategist of itsBIGGERthantheball, LLC, a leadership development company that helps equip coaches, educators, and organizations with the resources, dexterity, and awareness necessary in providing transformative learning experiences for the next generation of leaders. Through itsBIGGERthantheball, he has provided consulting and facilitated team building workshops for institutions such as the University of Washington’s Center for Leadership in Athletics, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, College of Charleston, University of Delaware, Kentucky State University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, and East Stroudsburg University.

Julie Rousseau, PhD | Associate Athletic Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at University of Southern California

Dr. Julie Rousseau (aka Dr. J) is the Associate Athletic Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, former Chair of USC Athletics Black Lives Matter Action Team, and an Adjunct Professor, teaching identity development for female student athletes, in the Gender and Sexuality Studies Department at the University of Southern California.

Hosted by:

Nicole LaVoi, PhD | Director of the Tucker Center for Girls & Women at the University of Minnesota

Nicole M. LaVoi, Ph.D. is a Senior Lecturer in the area of social and behavioral sciences in the School of Kinesiology at the University of Minnesota and the Director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport. Through her multidisciplinary research she answers critical questions that can make a difference in the lives of sport stakeholders—particularly girls and women. As a leading scholar on gender, leadership and women coaches, LaVoi has published 100+ book chapters, research reports and peer-reviewed articles across multiple disciplines.