Latest news with #Sells
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
I started asking NBA WAGs questions. Now, millions are watching.
Maddy Sells on "WAG Talk" — and getting the scoop on Paige Bueckers's girlfriend. 'How well do you know your NBA husband?' It's a question you may have heard as you scroll through social media, and it's one Maddy Sells is directing at the wives (and girlfriends, aka WAGs) of NBA players as they hang out courtside or loiter near the locker room. Sells — the woman behind the video series WAG Talk — will quiz each WAG about their partner's playing history before revealing who they're coupled up with. In the case of WNBA No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers, who got the WAG Talk treatment during WNBA All-Star Weekend last week, the answer is her former UConn teammate Azzi Fudd. Bueckers's interview with Sells hard launched the two players' relationship for the first time, nearly breaking the internet in the process. For Sells, who grew up playing basketball and idolizing teams like the Miami Heat, putting WAGs — a group of women so often subjected to stereotypes — in the spotlight is a response to something she noticed early on through her own fandom: It was men who dominated the conversation, while their partners sat on the sidelines. With WAG Talk, the sports marketing major is handing WAGs the mic and racking up millions of clicks in the process. And with her recent expansion to include not just the NBA but the WNBA and their other halves (like Bueckers and Fudd) too, she's also giving queer relationships their due. In this interview with Yahoo's Kerry Justich, Sells shares in her own words how she's created a brand out of platforming wives and girlfriends — and what it means for the future of sports coverage. I started WAG Talk in February at the Miami Heat Gala. I would see these couples walking the red carpet, and the media would interview all the players while the wives and girlfriends would stand to the side and listen. There were a lot of really cool women who were not getting interviewed at all, which I felt was such a missed opportunity. Jaime Jaquez Jr.'s girlfriend is Dominique Ruotolo, a Division I track runner, and Kevin Love's wife [Kate Love] is a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model. There are just so many cool stories to be told about these women, and they didn't really have the platform. So I thought that would be the perfect place to launch the start of WAG Talk. I got about five interviews there, the biggest one being Tyler Herro's girlfriend [Katya Elise Henry]. That video got 31 million views on TikTok. So I was like, OK, people really do have an appetite for this content. A different point of entry for sports fans When I started working with [the media company] Enjoy Basketball, I came in knowing that it was a super, super positive brand. Everything that they do is just to uplift athletes and to be very positive about growing the game. So I wanted to make this series really, really positive and something that I know the women will have fun playing along with. I feel like my audience has been changing with every single video that I post. It's finally become a 50-50 split of men and women following WAG Talk, which is really nice. I think people watch it for different reasons. There's an audience of women who are really interested in fashion and just everything with the WAG-related lifestyle. There are also plenty of women who love sports and want to follow along to see if they can get the questions right about the athlete. The same goes for the male audience. A lot of guys tell me that WAG Talk is their guilty pleasure because they like to see if they can figure out who the player is before the reveal. That's how I wanted to get viewers engaged in this series. There's been a ton of negativity on the content in the past from people who think really negatively about wives and girlfriends of players. But there was kind of a big switch [during WNBA All-Star Weekend], with so much positivity from WNBA fans. I gained a whole new audience. Paige Bueckers's hard launch She was definitely at the very top of my list. I went into the weekend preparing a bunch of different WAG Talk questions for tons of different people, and I was able to get Paige and Natasha [Cloud, of the New York Liberty] on the orange carpet. I honestly wasn't expecting them to say yes to the interview. I never want to make anyone uncomfortable talking about a relationship that they're not ready to talk about. But when I noticed that Paige was really comfortable with it, I was like, 'OK, let's do this.' She was so happy when I said, 'How well do you know your D1 girlfriend?' Her smile just made my day. Other content creators in sports, like Aliyah Funschelle, were around me too. She had interviewed Paige right before I did, so after my interview happened, she looked at me and said, 'Maddy, I think that was the hard launch. You need to go.' I was like, 'Oh, I gotta sprint to my hotel to edit this because this is going to go absolutely crazy.' The response to it has been amazing. The Paige video has 11 million views, and the one with Natasha Cloud [speaking about her girlfriend and Liberty teammate Isabelle Harrison] has 7 million. So there clearly is a big appetite for knowing about these relationships and women's sports in general. These videos have a lot more views than a lot of NBA videos. The importance of WNBA coverage Pride Month is when I first did a WNBA WAG Talk, and it was with [New York Liberty star] Breanna Stewart's wife. And that was very intentional. The WNBA content has really hit the queer community, which is super cool. They just like seeing the LGBTQ community being promoted in sports, finally. I still do want to include the HABs [husbands and boyfriends of women athletes]. As such a big Heat fan, [Miami player] Bam Adebayo and [Las Vegas Aces center] A'ja Wilson are my favorite couple ever, and I've been wanting to do a video with them. But seeing how excited and happy the women are while talking about their [female] partners has shown the world so much positivity when it comes to the queer community. Over the weekend, we went from 48,000 [followers] on TikTok to 73,000. Seeing how powerful the female audience is and just how much they love this switch of WAG Talk going into the WNBA has been really, really cool to see. It just proved how big an appetite there is for women's sports. When you make the content, the audience will come. There are plenty of WNBA fans out there. There needs to be more content being created around it, because these women deserve huge platforms. They deserve to be able to tell their stories. This has been edited for length and clarity. Solve the daily Crossword
Daily Record
19-07-2025
- Daily Record
Mum arrested after stabbing baby to death in horror attack
Jacinta Beth Sells, 31, is accused of brutally stabbing her baby to death during a drug-fuelled rampage in front of horrified family members. A mum has been charged with murder after her seven-month old baby boy was found stabbed to death in a horrific incident in Australia. Jacinta Beth Sells, 31, was said to be under the influence of drugs when police were called to the family home in Perth, Western Australia, in the early hours of July 14. Emergency crews raced to the scene just after 3am following reports of a "family violence incident", reports the Mirror. As they entered the home they discovered the infant had suffered fatal knife wounds and Sells having been "drug affected". Sells was taken to hospital before being arrested and charged. According to ABC News, the mother appeared in court this week, where she wept as the murder charge was read out. She spent most of the hearing staring at the floor and was remanded in custody. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said emergency responders arrived at a scene that will "haunt" them for the rest of their professional lives. He added: "There would be very few cases where you would have a crime scene of such a horrific nature for our officers and for first responders involved. It's something that will most likely haunt them for the rest of their careers." It's understood other family members, including a man, a woman and a young person, were also in the house when the tragedy unfolded. The state's premier, Roger Cook, said the case was "dreadful". He added: "Our hearts go out to everyone involved in that. Obviously, there's family and friends who are impacted by the information that's coming through." He also praised the emergency workers who were faced with the harrowing scene, saying they "would have gone into that scene confronted by some very, very difficult circumstances". Sells is due to appear at Stirling Garden Magistrates Court on August 20. The heartbreaking case comes just months after another shocking child murder made headlines across Europe. Earlier this year, a teen mum was accused of stabbing her newborn baby to death before sending a horrifying video to the infant's father in France. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. The baby boy's mother, aged 17, was identifiedas the main suspect after the tragic incident at a flat in Tarare, eastern France. Local reports alleged she sent footage to a man, reportedly the child's father, shortly after the killing, who then phoned the police. The Lyon public prosecutor's office has now opened an investigation into the murder of a minor under 15 years old, according to news broadcaster BFM TV. The body of the baby was reportedly found under a bed, wrapped in a sheet. Investigators believe the baby may have been stabbed with a pair of scissors, and initial examinations suggested the child had likely just been born at the time of the killing.
7NEWS
16-07-2025
- 7NEWS
Mother faces murder charge after baby son found dead at family home
A mother has faced court over the alleged murder of her seven-month-old son. Jacinta Beth Sells briefly appeared in the Western Australian Magistrates Court on Wednesday. The 31-year-old allegedly murdered her son in the early hours of Monday at the family's home in the suburb of Balcatta, in Perth 's northern suburbs. Police and paramedics were called to the residence about 3am following reports of a serious assault. The lifeless infant was found with critical injuries and declared dead at the scene. It is believed the boy suffered stab wounds and Sells was drug-affected. He is understood to have died in front of family members, including a 13-year-old girl. A slight woman with long dark hair and a gaunt face, Sells sat motionless in the dock with her head down, flanked by two security guards, before the brief hearing. She stood when the charge against her was read, acknowledging she understood the accusation before being led from the court. WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch previously described the incident as 'horrific' and a 'very sad story'. Sells was remanded in custody to reappear in Stirling Garden Magistrates Court on August 20. In an emergency, call 000.
Perth Now
16-07-2025
- Perth Now
Mother faces murder charge after baby son found dead
A mother has faced court accused of the murder of her seven-month-old son in what police allege is a domestic violence homicide. Jacinta Beth Sells briefly appeared in the Western Australian Magistrates Court on Wednesday. The 31-year-old allegedly murdered her son in the early hours of Monday at the family's home in the suburb of Balcatta, in Perth's northern suburbs. Police and paramedics were called to the residence about 3am following reports of a serious assault. The lifeless infant was found with critical injuries and declared dead at the scene. It is believed the boy suffered stab wounds and Sells was drug-affected. He is understood to have died in front of family members, including a 13-year-old girl. A slight woman with long dark hair and a gaunt face, Sells sat motionless in the dock with her head down, flanked by two security guards, before the brief hearing. She stood when the charge against her was read, acknowledging she understood the accusation before being led from the court. WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch previously described the incident as "horrific" and a "very sad story". Sells was remanded in custody to reappear in Stirling Garden Magistrates Court on August 20. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bill requiring app stores to verify age for minors in Alabama stalls in House committee
Rep. Chris Sells, R-Greenville, speaks to a colleague on the floor of the Alabama House of Representatives on Feb. 12, 2025 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) A bill that would require app stores to verify the age of individuals creating accounts in Alabama will likely not become law this year. The House State Government Committee was set Tuesday to consider SB 187, sponsored by Sen. Clyde Chambliss, R-Prattville. But the committee did not have a quorum for its scheduled meeting, preventing a vote on the bill. With just two days left in the 2025 legislative session, the committee would have to meet Wednesday to give the bill a chance of passage on May 14, the last scheduled day of the session, but Rep. Chris Sells, R-Greenville, the chair of the committee, indicated that legislation will be worked on over the summer to be introduced in the next legislative session. The bill would require app stores to obtain parental consent for users identified as minors before they can download or purchase apps or make in-app purchases. The bill would have also prohibited developers from enforcing disclosures or terms of service on minors without parental consent. 'Apps would have to be approved by the parent and be age-appropriate for the child, so that would take care of the problem of the phones that are already out there, and that's what this is about, protecting children,' said Sells, who sponsored a similar bill in the House. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX A companion bill, SB 186, also sponsored by Chambliss, was passed by both chambers and sent to Gov. Kay Ivey Thursday. It will require smartphones and tablets manufactured on or after June 1 and activated in Alabama include a pre-installed filter capable of blocking obscene material. Sells said that 'will address the issue going forward.' Justin Hill, a spokesperson for NetChoice advocating for limited internet government control, free speech and enterprise across the country aid 'we all agree on the why' for the bill, but disagreed on the basis of free speech. He suggested that the bill could face legal challenges. 'There are 17 states where this bill was filed, they run afoul of the First Amendment in our belief. And we do a lot of work in this space. We have a litigation team that litigates a lot of similar bills. This one has not made it to the point of litigation yet,' Hill said. NetChoice has sued or is in litigation with at least 12 states. Georgia was sued in March after passing a law that would require children to acquire parental consent to use social media. Melea Stephens, a Birmingham marriage and family therapist and a board member of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, claimed to have seen cases in her private practice of children 'being exploited on commonly used apps.' She said that minors are entering contracts with 'multibillion dollar companies when they sign up for an app without parental permission.' 'We do not allow minors to go into a bank and sign a contract because they cannot comprehend the risk involved,' Stephens said, adding that the legislation is 'based on contract law, not content moderation or free speech issues.' Rachel Holland, a spokesperson for Meta, a vocal proponent of the legislation, said in an email after the bill's passage that they look forward to working with lawmakers on this legislation. 'Parents want a one-stop shop to verify their teen's age and grant permission for them to download apps in a privacy-preserving way. The app store is the best place for it, and one-third of US states and the US Congress have introduced bills recognizing the central role app stores play,' she said in a statement. Holland also cited a poll from the Alabama Policy Institute, a conservative think tank, suggesting 83% of voters support parental approval in app stores. Rep. Russell Bedsole, R-Alabaster, said that 'whether or not this legislation is the right piece,' he feels that parents need help monitoring children's behavior online. He said that he uses a service that requires his children to ask for permission before downloading an app on their phone. Despite approving apps that seemed harmless to his children, Bedsole said there was still some unwanted content in the form of advertising or surveys. Bedsole said that despite these concerns, lawmakers should work with groups like NetChoice to address them because of their complexity. 'We've got to have someone who represents the development of these apps to be at the table, because the technology behind it is so complex that, as a parent alone, I need some help,' Bedsole said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
