Latest news with #NatishaHiedeman
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
StudBudz shoot back after facing fan backlash from Dave Portnoy & Angel Reese controversy
After the WNBA's All-Star weekend, two new stars emerged: Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman, AKA the StudBudz. But after a meteoric rise due to their 72-hour all-access livestream during the All-Star festivities, the Twitch streamers are mired in controversy over Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy. Less than a week after gaining countless new devoted fans because their livestream gave a behind-the-scenes look at the WNBA, the two Minnesota Lynx players are facing backlash from fans who are disappointed that Williams and Hiedeman admitted they would consider having Portnoy come on their Twitch show. The controversy kicked off on July 19, when Portnoy shouted out the StudBudz on X, and the pair said they'd be open to talking to him. Fans were immediately up in arms because of Portnoy's very vocal attacks on Chicago Sky star Angel Reese, but now the StudBudz have addressed the backlash. "Okay, so guess what? When Dave comes on, we're gonna ask him, 'Hey Dave, 'Why are you talking about Angel like that?'" Williams said on a July 23 livestream. "Because we love her, bad," Hiedeman added. "Y'all see how simple that is?" Williams continued. "Y'all all over like here like, 'No, no, no!' We don't run away from [this stuff]. ... I don't think he gonna deny it, he seem like the type of guy that's gonna stand on what he feels." The pair continued to defend themselves on another livestream, where they talked about not wanting 'conditional love' from fans. 'We literally just said we open to having a conversations with anybody and that just made everybody be in like shambles,' Williams said. 'It's like c'mon bro. That conditional love, you can keep that, twin. Keep that conditional love because it's going to be a lot of things me and T probably do that y'all probably ain't gonna like.' Yesterday, Williams also took to X to point out that Reese is not upset with the StudBudz over their comments. 'The Studbudz have talked to Angel and she knows we don't play about her AT ALL End of Story,' she wrote. Who is Dave Portnoy? Portnoy caught the StudBudz attention when he posted on X after having watched their All-Star weekend livestream, writing, "I've never downloaded Twitch or any streaming platform in my life. That was until today. Studbudz has done more marketing for the @WNBA with their 72 hour stream than the bozos running the league have done since its inception. They are hilarious and humanize everybody.' But who is Portnoy? Portnoy is a social media personality and businessman who founded Barstool Sports in 2003. What started as a free sports newspaper with edgy, controversial content has since grown into a media empire worth half a billion dollars. Barstool Sports is well known for popular podcasts like Pardon My Take, for helping to popularize Call Her Daddy before the podcast's controversial exit, and Brianna Chickenfry's BFFs podcast before she left the network. Portnoy also made headlines in the past when he was accused of sexual assault by two women who made allegations that were made public in a 2021 Insider exposé. But it is his ongoing criticism of WNBA star Reese that has fans up in arms with the StudBudz because they feel his comments are racially charged. Angel Reese controversy explained Portnoy is a vocal fan of the WNBA and has been a Caitlin Clark stan since she was first drafted, but has directed a lot of ongoing hate at Reese. He has pushed the narrative that Angel Reese is classless, fueling the racially coded way people talk about Reese. He's called her an 'instigator, agitator, and jacka—,' has said that Reese is jealous of Clark, that she "deserved to get booed,' and has gotten angry at people who say his hatred for Reese has anything to do with race. "I'm sick of ESPN making it a race issue," he said in a video posted to X. "You have a superior basketball player who constantly has someone below taking shots at them, won't shut up, and then plays the victim. … If [Angel] didn't have Caitlin, nobody would know who she is. If Caitlin didn't have Angel, it would be the same popularity for Caitlin." After allegations were made that fans were hurling racist comments at Reese during a game against Clark, Portnoy called the WNBA's investigation into the incident 'bulls–t.' 'It's okay to have a spine @IndianaFever,' Portnoy posted on X,'The 'investigation' was bulls–t. Both you and @WNBA gave credibly [sic] to a very obvious troll. @espn ran with it. @CaitlinClark22 had to defend her fans for no reason. You made something outta nothing. @IndianaFever fans deserve better.' StudBudz fan backlash After the StudBudz's comments about Portnoy, fans quickly took to TikTok and X to criticize the pair for saying they would share their, now very large, platform with someone like Portnoy. "#studbudz threw it all away Portnoy!" "The tragic irony in this….The only reason the Stud Budz are on Portnoy's radar is because they were under Angel Reese all-star weekend & he's obsessed with her! Now they trying to make deals with the [devil emoji] because he bought a Stud Budz jumpsuit." "Before I buy anymore #wnba merch this year.. let's see what players stand by studbudz after this bs especially with them blocking people who are just trying to inform them! David Portnoy is a racist essaier whonis also homophobic!" It was fun while it lasted. I'm off them #studbudz #daveportnoy #wnba #wbb #fyp "studbudz trying to hold portnoy accountable bouta look like this" Dave is a sick man #wnba #wbb #studbudz #courtneywilliams #natishahiedeman #basketball #daveportnoy "i personally don't see what studbudz is trying to do with dave portnoy. you are not going to change his view or mind nor are you doing a service for angel . i would respect more if they said they just want to get him on the stream and call it a day ." This article originally appeared on Pride: StudBudz shoot back after facing fan backlash from Dave Portnoy & Angel Reese controversy RELATED This wild livestream seemingly confirmed nearly every WNBA relationship conspiracy The StudBudz WNBA livestream had everything from Megan Rapinoe talking strap-ons to dissing Diplo Who are the StudBudz? The basketball duo behind the 72-hour WNBA All-Star livestream
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Who are the Stud Budz? Understanding the sensation of WNBA All-Star Weekend
The tunnel beneath Gainbridge Fieldhouse was eerily quiet as the WNBA's biggest stars lined up to strut their pre-All-Star-Game looks Saturday night. Red carpets and tunnel walks are usually cacophonous, but at this game, the media were oddly hushed. Then Courtney Williams walked in. The WNBA's unofficial and unparalleled hype train had arrived. 'We need some music back here, some energy!' Williams exclaimed to the small crowd. Then, turning to the line of All-Stars as the night's soon-to-be MVP Napheesa Collier started her tunnel walk, 'Yes, Phee! Period! You look good!' The crowd laughed. The stars laughed. Everyone loosened up. Williams, a guard on the Minnesota Lynx, is one half of the now-viral streaming duo known as the 'Stud Budz.' The other half is Williams' teammate Natisha Hiedeman. Their Twitch stream was the thing everyone at All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis was talking about. 'I was streaming (Stud Budz) all last night,' Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark told Williams on Saturday. 'I had it on my TV downstairs. I was commenting.' All across the events in Indianapolis, the gregarious duo with matching pink close-cropped hair transformed every space they entered. Their recipe of behind-the-scenes access, buddy-comedy vibes and true-to-themselves authenticity became an instant viral hit. Here's what to know about the WNBA's newest media sensation. What is 'Stud Budz?' The 'Stud Budz' are two people: Williams (or 'Court') and Hiedeman (or 'T'). The basketball stars have a combined 17 years in the WNBA, with Williams drafted by the Phoenix Mercury in 2016 and Hiedeman by the Lynx in 2019. But they recently added another accolade to their resumes as viral streamers. In June 2025, just a few weeks before the All-Star break, Williams and Hiedeman launched a Twitch channel that they dubbed 'StudBudz,' and it amassed more than 10,000 followers in their first two weeks. It's now up to 70.8K and climbing. Here's the proposition: Ever want to just hang out with your favorite professional ball players? Now you can. Williams and Hiedeman film their everyday lives — travel, practice, hotel stays or hair-dyeing escapades. They react to WNBA games. They interview competitors and teammates. And they just hang out. What did the Stud Budz do at All-Star Weekend? With their livestream cameras in hand, Williams and Hiedeman provided fans with a unique behind-the-scenes look at All-Star festivities, broadcasting everything over the three-day event, from locker room moments to early-morning hotel room wake-ups to the 'orange carpet' runway. 'I was glued to my phone watching the stream all weekend, and I was in Indy,' WNBA fan and Cleveland native Sam Kavander told The Athletic. 'We got to see the players as people, not just athletes. I really do believe Stud Budz brought a majority of the hype to All-Star weekend, especially from a fan perspective. It just really brought the players and the fans together.' The Athletic's Ben Pickman broke down some of their most viral moments in his list of 'winners' from the weekend: 'Stud Budz' capturing WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert dancing to Crime Mob's 'Knuck If You Buck' at a party on Friday night. Seattle Storm star Nneka Ogwumike walking into Williams' hotel room Saturday morning to alert her to an upcoming WNBPA meeting. Indiana Fever star Aliyah Boston taking a drink away from Clark at a party while Clark was on screen, and Williams providing an almost-instant reaction to Thursday's CBA meeting. 'Stud Budz has been the highlight of everybody's weekend,' Collier said. Why do fans love it? Connection and authenticity For many, the Stud Budz create a vibrant-pink visual representation of the WNBA's distinctive connection between fans and stars, and the league's earned role in championing every type of female athlete, no matter their identity, expression, orientation or body type. For a few years now, WNBA stars have been setting the standard across sports in terms of access and authenticity around their interaction with fans. Both Williams and Hiedeman are out, LGBTQ+ players who embrace their identities, something that was more difficult for LGBTQ+ players to do even a few years ago. 'I think my favorite thing about Stud Budz is just their authenticity,' Kavander said. 'They're so unapologetically them. Not only are they entertaining, they do it all with kindness. Getting to see different players on different teams hang out, who you normally wouldn't expect (to see together), was awesome.' As The Athletic's Sabreena Merchant wrote: 'Whatever format the duo pursues, they have already proven that every type of player in the WNBA is marketable, no matter their sexuality or if they present more feminine or masculine.' What's next for the Stud Budz? Fans are speculating already, hoping the Stud Budz get involved in other major events like the ESPYs or the Met Gala. 'I want Stud Budz to stream from everywhere. The Grammys. The ESPYs. Essence Fest. A Cowboy Carter concert. The Senate Floor. An Ecumenical service. The Gracie's Corner Tour. My kid's storytime. EVERYWHERE,' writer and activist Brittany Packnett Cunningham posted to Threads. Because of their rising profile since this weekend, branding opportunities and broadcast offers are likely next for the duo. For now, Williams said at the Lynx's first practice after the weekend, she and Hiedeman 'drank some electrolytes, some water, got a little rest, (and) we're back.' This article originally appeared in The Athletic. WNBA, Sports Business, Culture 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Who are the Stud Budz? Understanding the sensation of WNBA All-Star Weekend
The tunnel beneath Gainbridge Fieldhouse was eerily quiet as the WNBA's biggest stars lined up to strut their pre-All-Star-Game looks Saturday night. Red carpets and tunnel walks are usually cacophonous, but at this game, the media were oddly hushed. Then Courtney Williams walked in. The WNBA's unofficial and unparalleled hype train had arrived. Advertisement 'We need some music back here, some energy!' Williams exclaimed to the small crowd. Then, turning to the line of All-Stars as the night's soon-to-be MVP Napheesa Collier started her tunnel walk, 'Yes, Phee! Period! You look good!' The crowd laughed. The stars laughed. Everyone loosened up. Williams, a guard on the Minnesota Lynx, is one half of the now-viral streaming duo known as the 'Stud Budz.' The other half is Williams' teammate Natisha Hiedeman. Their Twitch stream was the thing everyone at All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis was talking about. 'I was streaming (Stud Budz) all last night,' Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark told Williams on Saturday. 'I had it on my TV downstairs. I was commenting.' All across the events in Indianapolis, the gregarious duo with matching pink close-cropped hair transformed every space they entered. Their recipe of behind-the-scenes access, buddy-comedy vibes and true-to-themselves authenticity became an instant viral hit. Here's what to know about the WNBA's newest media sensation. The 'Stud Budz' are two people: Williams (or 'Court') and Hiedeman (or 'T'). The basketball stars have a combined 17 years in the WNBA, with Williams drafted by the Phoenix Mercury in 2016 and Hiedeman by the Lynx in 2019. But they recently added another accolade to their resumes as viral streamers. In June 2025, just a few weeks before the All-Star break, Williams and Hiedeman launched a Twitch channel that they dubbed 'StudBudz,' and it amassed more than 10,000 followers in their first two weeks. It's now up to 70.8K and climbing. Here's the proposition: Ever want to just hang out with your favorite professional ball players? Now you can. Williams and Hiedeman film their everyday lives — travel, practice, hotel stays or hair-dyeing escapades. They react to WNBA games. They interview competitors and teammates. And they just hang out. Advertisement With their livestream cameras in hand, Williams and Hiedeman provided fans with a unique behind-the-scenes look at All-Star festivities, broadcasting everything over the three-day event, from locker room moments to early-morning hotel room wake-ups to the 'orange carpet' runway. 'I was glued to my phone watching the stream all weekend, and I was in Indy,' WNBA fan and Cleveland native Sam Kavander told The Athletic. 'We got to see the players as people, not just athletes. I really do believe Stud Budz brought a majority of the hype to All-Star weekend, especially from a fan perspective. It just really brought the players and the fans together.' The Athletic's Ben Pickman broke down some of their most viral moments in his list of 'winners' from the weekend: 'Stud Budz has been the highlight of everybody's weekend,' Collier said. For many, the Stud Budz create a vibrant-pink visual representation of the WNBA's distinctive connection between fans and stars, and the league's earned role in championing every type of female athlete, no matter their identity, expression, orientation or body type. For a few years now, WNBA stars have been setting the standard across sports in terms of access and authenticity around their interaction with fans. Both Williams and Hiedeman are out, LGBTQ+ players who embrace their identities, something that was more difficult for LGBTQ+ players to do even a few years ago. 'I think my favorite thing about Stud Budz is just their authenticity,' Kavander said. 'They're so unapologetically them. Not only are they entertaining, they do it all with kindness. Getting to see different players on different teams hang out, who you normally wouldn't expect (to see together), was awesome.' Courtney Williams on the StudBudz stream showing the positive side of the WNBA 'I think it was dope just for everyone to see we really are a community… We show each other love all the time so I think it was kind of nice for everybody to look in on how we give it out' — Andrew Dukowitz (@adukeMN) July 21, 2025 As The Athletic's Sabreena Merchant wrote: 'Whatever format the duo pursues, they have already proven that every type of player in the WNBA is marketable, no matter their sexuality or if they present more feminine or masculine.' Fans are speculating already, hoping the Stud Budz get involved in other major events like the ESPYs or the Met Gala. Advertisement 'I want Stud Budz to stream from everywhere. The Grammys. The ESPYs. Essence Fest. A Cowboy Carter concert. The Senate Floor. An Ecumenical service. The Gracie's Corner Tour. My kid's storytime. EVERYWHERE,' writer and activist Brittany Packnett Cunningham posted to Threads. Because of their rising profile since this weekend, branding opportunities and broadcast offers are likely next for the duo. For now, Williams said at the Lynx's first practice after the weekend, she and Hiedeman 'drank some electrolytes, some water, got a little rest, (and) we're back.'
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Who are the StudBudz? The basketball duo behind the 72-hour WNBA All-Star livestream
WNBA fans got an unprecedented glimpse into the league's All-Star Weekend thanks to a 72-hour livestream from basketball duo the StudBudz. And if you don't know them by now, you're definitely going to want to change that. Who are the StudBudz? Courtney Williams and Natisha "T" Hiedeman both play for the Minnesota Lynx. Earlier this year, they put their friendship to work in a new way by starting up a Twitch channel called StudBudz, where they've streamed game reactions, casual interviews with other players, or just hanging out. What sets StudBudz apart from any other attempts to cover the WNBA is, of course, that the call is coming from inside the house. Who better to bring fans on a journey into the league than actual WNBA players? It isn't just that Williams and Hiedeman know the game, but they know the players. They've got a perspective that's unrivaled—and the fact that they're damn entertaining has certainly played a role in how quickly their channel was growing even before All-Star Weekend. "I think that me and Courtney just embrace who we are as people, who we are as athletes," Hiedeman previously told Forbes. "And I think that's kind of where the name came from. For sure, we're just two stud buds hanging out." Court Williams Williams' college career saw her playing for the South Florida Bulls all four years. She was drafted by the Phoenix Mercury in the first round of the 2016 WNBA draft, chosen eighth overall. She was quickly traded to the Connecticut Sun the same year, where she played through the 2019 season. After that, she spent time with the Atlanta Dream, went back to the Connecticut Sun, played a year with the Chicago Sky, and finally landed with the Minnesota Lynx in 2024. Natisha "T" Hiedeman Hiedeman joined the WNBA in 2019 after spending her college years playing for the Marquette Golden Eagles in Milwaukee. She was actually initially drafted by the Lynx before getting traded (and waived by) the Sun. After a little more moving around, she ultimately played her first WNBA game with the Sun after all and, like Williams, signed with the Lynx in 2024. StudBudz livestreaming WNBA All-Star Weekend Williams was chosen for the All-Star roster, and Hiedeman opted to tag along to help run a 72-hour livestream of the event. That meant they weren't just covering gameplay, but everything going on over the weekend, from parties to hallway chats to hotel room pranks. For fans interested in the sapphic side of the WNBA, that meant a whole lot of relationship theories got confirmed (or as close to confirmed as we can get), and new theories may even have formed. But a lot of the best moments, and what captivated viewers to the point that StudBudz were all anyone was talking about for most of the weekend, were just players and other WNBA figures being themselves, cutting loose, and having a great time with their pals. The WNBA didn't need humanizing—fans have long been invested in the people behind these games—but it did offer a deeper dive and a more intimate look behind the curtain than we ever could have hoped for. This article originally appeared on Pride: Who are the StudBudz? The basketball duo behind the 72-hour WNBA All-Star livestream RELATED Watch this comic HILARIOUSLY break down exactly why WNBA is undeniably better than the NBA 11 rookie fits that slayed at the 2025 WNBA Draft From elephants to purple aliens, ranking the WNBA mascots by how Sapphic they are
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Who are the StudBudz? The basketball duo behind the 72-hour WNBA All-Star livestream
WNBA fans got an unprecedented glimpse into the league's All-Star Weekend thanks to a 72-hour livestream from basketball duo the StudBudz. And if you don't know them by now, you're definitely going to want to change that. Who are the StudBudz? Courtney Williams and Natisha "T" Hiedeman both play for the Minnesota Lynx. Earlier this year, they put their friendship to work in a new way by starting up a Twitch channel called StudBudz, where they've streamed game reactions, casual interviews with other players, or just hanging out. What sets StudBudz apart from any other attempts to cover the WNBA is, of course, that the call is coming from inside the house. Who better to bring fans on a journey into the league than actual WNBA players? It isn't just that Williams and Hiedeman know the game, but they know the players. They've got a perspective that's unrivaled—and the fact that they're damn entertaining has certainly played a role in how quickly their channel was growing even before All-Star Weekend. "I think that me and Courtney just embrace who we are as people, who we are as athletes," Hiedeman previously told Forbes. "And I think that's kind of where the name came from. For sure, we're just two stud buds hanging out." Court Williams Williams' college career saw her playing for the South Florida Bulls all four years. She was drafted by the Phoenix Mercury in the first round of the 2016 WNBA draft, chosen eighth overall. She was quickly traded to the Connecticut Sun the same year, where she played through the 2019 season. After that, she spent time with the Atlanta Dream, went back to the Connecticut Sun, played a year with the Chicago Sky, and finally landed with the Minnesota Lynx in 2024. Natisha "T" Hiedeman Hiedeman joined the WNBA in 2019 after spending her college years playing for the Marquette Golden Eagles in Milwaukee. She was actually initially drafted by the Lynx before getting traded (and waived by) the Sun. After a little more moving around, she ultimately played her first WNBA game with the Sun after all and, like Williams, signed with the Lynx in 2024. StudBudz livestreaming WNBA All-Star Weekend Williams was chosen for the All-Star roster, and Hiedeman opted to tag along to help run a 72-hour livestream of the event. That meant they weren't just covering gameplay, but everything going on over the weekend, from parties to hallway chats to hotel room pranks. For fans interested in the sapphic side of the WNBA, that meant a whole lot of relationship theories got confirmed (or as close to confirmed as we can get), and new theories may even have formed. But a lot of the best moments, and what captivated viewers to the point that StudBudz were all anyone was talking about for most of the weekend, were just players and other WNBA figures being themselves, cutting loose, and having a great time with their pals. The WNBA didn't need humanizing—fans have long been invested in the people behind these games—but it did offer a deeper dive and a more intimate look behind the curtain than we ever could have hoped for. This article originally appeared on Pride: Who are the StudBudz? The basketball duo behind the 72-hour WNBA All-Star livestream RELATED Watch this comic HILARIOUSLY break down exactly why WNBA is undeniably better than the NBA 11 rookie fits that slayed at the 2025 WNBA Draft From elephants to purple aliens, ranking the WNBA mascots by how Sapphic they are
