“This Is Crazy”: A Fan-Created Event Delivers for WNBA Fans
By Leroy Adams
Crystal Bradford performs at the Fan LinkUp event.
Photo credit: Corlon Evans/@foundryhousemedia
The energy was electric—shoulder-to-shoulder fans pressed close to the stage, phones in the air, capturing every beat of an unforgettable moment. Crystal Bradford, crouched low with the mic gripped tight, commanded the crowd with the kind of raw energy that turns a room into a family. Her vintage Wyclef Jean tee, paired with effortless swagger and blonde locs, made her the centerpiece of a night dedicated to celebrating women’s sports and Black culture. From the second she stepped up, the room shifted. Behind her, the words “Welcome to the Fan LinkUp” glowed against the wall—a simple backdrop for a moment that felt monumental. The crowd, a mix of WNBA fans, influencers, and culture shapers, responded in unison, swaying, shouting, and filming as if they knew this was the highlight of their weekend.
CREATED BY FANS, FOR FANS
Co-founders Mayokia Fowler (left) and Shawn Denny (right) with Ty Young (centered).
Photo credit: Corlon Evans/@foundryhousemedia
The purpose of the Fan Link-Up was simple but powerful: to create a space where WNBA fans, players, and brands could come together and connect on a personal level. Founded by Mayokia Fowler and Shawn Denny, both of whom have been season ticket holders and devoted fans for over 20 years, this event is rooted in love for the game. Fowler and Denny have supported the WNBA long before its recent explosion in popularity, long before Angel Reese or Caitlin Clark became household names. They represent a community of fans who have been there since day one—fans who know the players’ stories, who’ve supported the league when it wasn’t the cultural powerhouse it’s becoming today.
Photo credit: Corlon Evans/@foundryhousemedia
As the league’s profile rises and big brands rush to capitalize on its growth, many grassroots fans have found themselves overlooked in the flurry of corporate-driven activations. The Fan LinkUp was created to change that—to offer an authentic space where the true heartbeat of the game, the fans, could meet the players they’ve championed for decades.
“THIS MEANS A LOT TO US”
Photo credit: Corlon Evans/@foundryhousemedia
There was one moment that perfectly captured why this event is both a hit and necessary—because it speaks to two things we all crave: community and belonging.
The WNBGayIndy crew took over the photo backdrop in what might have been the most authentic display of those values all night. This grassroots queer and trans basketball community in Indianapolis centers Black queer voices and joy. In one snapshot, you could see the heartbeat of the WNBA’s fan base: a vibrant, diverse mix of people, culture creators, and fans laughing and posing alongside Natasha Howard—an 11-year pro, 3x champion, and Defensive Player of the Year—and Makyala Timpson, a rookie whose presence had fans lining up for photos.
Photo credit: Corlon Evans/@foundryhousemedia
As I stood there snapping a picture, it wasn’t lost on me that this was also a community that often faces threats just for existing—moving through America’s bigotry with their heads on a swivel. Yet tonight, in this room, those fears and worries had no place. Here, there was nothing but safety, joy, and love for the game. One of the lead organizers of WNBGayIndy, with curly red hair and matching frames donning a Kendrick Lamar Grand National Tour x SZA shirt paired with light smoke grey Air Force Ones, pulled me aside before leaving and said: “We really appreciate what they’ve created here. This means a lot to us and this community. The players were great! This was amazing to see all of us together.”
Photo credit: Corlon Evans/@foundryhousemedia
That sentiment defines the Fan Link-Up. This event created a space where culture and identity could breathe and where every fan—especially those often forgotten—felt seen, celebrated, and included.
“THIS IS CRAZY"
Photo credit: Corlon Evans/@foundryhousemedia
The energy hit you before you even stepped inside. By the time the doors opened, a rush of fans had already lined up, tickets and IDs in hand, buzzing with anticipation. The line snaked around the corner, filled with fans trading stories about their favorite players, everyone eager to be part of this fan-created event that their favorite sports influencer has been talking about. The location could not have been more perfect. Inside The Hangar Bar—a 7,500-square-foot experience bar just a 10-minute walk from Gainbridge Fieldhouse—there wasn’t a quiet corner to be found. The crowd was pushing the 400-person capacity, a fact that one fan, who discovered the event through the WNBAThreads community, shouted with pure excitement: “Bro! I know they are at capacity. This is crazy!”
Photo credit: Corlon Evans/@foundryhousemedia
Photo credit: Corlon Evans/@foundryhousemedia
A mix of laughter, conversations, and music pulsed through the space, driven by DJ Yung Red, whose sets are known for creating memories that last well beyond the night. From the first beat until the lights came on, the crowd never stopped moving. Any rare pocket of open space was quickly taken over by groups of fans snapping selfies, swapping social handles, and connecting face-to-face with people they’d only ever known from WNBA comment sections or online fan groups.
STUDBUDZ ARRIVES
Photo credit: Corlon Evans/@foundryhousemedia
Right before Crystal Bradford’s surprise performance, the energy in the room ticked up a notch. You know that feeling when everyone is glued to their phones, refreshing feeds, trying to confirm the rumors? That was it. And when nearly 400 people confirmed at once that it was actually happening, the room erupted.
Crystal walked in, ushering in StudBudz—the duo with the iconic bright-pink hair—and the screams nearly blew the roof off The Hangar Bar. It felt like that Sammie guitar scene from Sinners, when the music sets the room on fire—powerful, raw, unforgettable. Fans completely lost it. The crowd swarmed around StudBudz, phones held high, capturing every second, disbelief and joy written all over their faces. StudBudz had dominated WNBA All-Star media coverage all weekend with their authentic, unfiltered streams—moments like getting hilariously rejected by Angel Reese or dancing to Knuck If You Buck with the WNBA commissioner. Now, they were right there in the room, dancing with Courtney, who was holding a freshly opened 1.5-liter Smartwater—a true necessity if you’d been following their wild, hilarious streams.
Photo credit: Corlon Evans/@foundryhousemedia
Photo credit: Corlon Evans/@foundryhousemedia
Williams and Hiedeman (aka StudBudz) are masters of behind-the-scenes storytelling. They film everything: travel days, practice sessions, hair-dye experiments, even early-morning hotel wake-ups. Their live content over All-Star weekend gave fans an intimate, real-time look at the orange carpet, locker-room moments, and the pure fun of the game’s culture.
Photo credit: Corlon Evans/@foundryhousemedia
And now, fans who’d been locked in on those streams were dancing shoulder-to-shoulder with them. When fans weren’t recording Crystal’s performance—sending real-time updates to that one friend who never makes it out of the group chat—they were lining up for selfies - or shots - with Natisha, dancing with Courtney, or (if they were lucky) both.
Imagine this: You’re a WNBA fan, surrounded by your favorite players and influencers, StudBudz’s cameras rolling, Crystal Bradford on the mic, and the entire room singing along, you’ll never forget this moment.
THE SPORTS FAN AND TRAVELER
Photo credit: Corlon Evans/@foundryhousemedia
Fans—particularly Black women—had traveled in from all over the country for WNBA All-Star Weekend, with this event circled in bold on their itineraries. Richmond, Atlanta, Houston, L.A., New York, Detroit—everywhere you looked, there were travelers who had made this weekend a priority. This group dominates the travel market economically: collectively, Black travelers spend around $145 billion annually on travel and tourism, with Black women driving that number. This event tapped into the dual identity of its audience—traveler and sports fan. It’s a connection that wasn’t lost on one of the event’s key sponsors, Visit Richmond. “We are always looking for new ways to engage travelers and spotlight our city as a destination,” a Visit Richmond representative shared. “Sports drive tourism, and why not take the opportunity to tap into that identity of potential travelers?”
During a quick conversation with one attendee from Atlanta, she shared proudly, “I’ve been a season ticket holder for 20 years for the Atlanta Dream and New York Liberty. I travel for all the games and events.” Another fan from Richmond, phone in hand capturing the StudBudz moment, chimed in, “I’ve been following the league and StudBudz for years. I always travel for the games—with or without friends.” Her crew standing next to her nodded and confirmed with a collective, “True!”
Photo credit: Corlon Evans/@foundryhousemedia
Pulling off an event of this scale often feels like a madman’s game. Doing it with little funding, fewer resources, and without a household name to draw immediate buzz? That’s almost impossible in today’s climate where women-led ventures and events still don’t get the investment they deserve.
Photo credit: Corlon Evans/@foundryhousemedia
When I asked co-founders Mayokia Fowler and Shawn Denny how they felt in the moment, their emotions were a mix of jubilee and relief. “We did it. It was crazy putting it all together, but we had an amazing team, and we’ve been working on this for a long time,” Fowler said. Denny added, “We knew there could be more inclusive spaces for the fans who have supported this game for years. We just wanted to bring fans together with the sport and players they’ve loved for decades—some of us for 20 years or more.”
Looking out over the crowd, they both smiled and said, “We feel like we did that—and we can’t wait for next year.”
COMMUNITY DRIVES CULTURE
Photo credit: Corlon Evans/@foundryhousemedia
The Fan Link-Up was born out of the passion and dedication of longtime fans like Mayokia Fowler and Shawn Denny, who’ve been supporting the WNBA for over 20 years—long before it became the cultural sensation it is today. In an era where major brands dominate event spaces, this event gives power back to the grassroots fans who’ve always held the league up. the Fan Link-Up brings the spotlight back to the people who live and breathe women’s sports. It celebrates their loyalty, stories, and love for the game in a way corporate activations often overlook. This matters because the WNBA is more than a league. it’s become a cultural movement creating new culture, like Tunnel Fits or must-see streamers, like Studbudz.
Fans—particularly Black women—are driving the culture forward. Black travelers collectively spend $145 billion annually on travel and tourism, with Black women leading that spending. Many of them traveled in from cities like Atlanta, Richmond, L.A., and New York for All-Star Weekend, with this event circled in bold on their itineraries. It tapped into their dual identity as travelers and sports fans, giving them an experience where both worlds collide. The presence of WNBGayIndy, a grassroots queer and trans basketball community that centers Black queer voices, further underscored the importance of creating inclusive spaces. For one night, a community that often faces discrimination was celebrated, seen, and safe—a rare, necessary moment of joy.
Photo credit: Corlon Evans/@foundryhousemedia
Then there were the cultural moments—Crystal Bradford’s surprise performance, StudBudz streaming live from the floor, fans dancing and capturing memories together. These were not manufactured “brand moments,” but authentic, raw connections that turned the night into something unforgettable. Women-led, fan-powered, and unapologetically rooted in culture, the Fan Link-Up proves that community will always set the standard for what authentic sports culture looks like.
FOR THE FANS
The WNBA Fan Link-Up felt like a love letter to the culture of women’s sports and the people who keep its heart beating. It was about the diehard fans who’ve been there for decades, the new fans discovering the magic, and the players and creators who bridge the gap between the two. For one unforgettable night, the room pulsed with connection, joy, and belonging—a reminder that when community leads, the culture flourishes.
