INDIANAPOLIS — Walking the halls in the bowels of the Gainbridge Fieldhouse before the WNBA All-Star Game Saturday, Minnesota Lynx guard Natisha Hiedeman was omnipresent.
One half of the ‘Stud Budz,’ Hiedeman and her Lynx teammate Courtney Williams — who both have pink hair —started a live stream on Twitch a couple of months ago and spent All-Star weekend giving the fans a behind-the-scenes look at the W. Their Twitch bio describes the stream as ‘just two Stud Budz who hoop and live our best life.’
‘It really started off as two friends, we knew about Twitch, and said, ‘Let’s just start streaming,” Hiedeman said, not pausing the stream to do an interview with USA TODAY Studio IX. ‘It’s a platform that’s unique, that really no one in the W has touched, so we was like, ‘Let’s be the first ones.”
Williams, playing on Team Collier, said the 72-hour All-Star stream has been eye-opening.
‘We are so surprised, honestly, we did not know how much love we’d be getting,’ Williams said. ‘I think people just love getting that behind the scenes, being so authentic, seeing players mess with us.’
There were close to 15,000 people streaming the duo as they made their way through Indianapolis this weekend. All-Star captains Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier talked to Hiedeman about the Twitch stream before their pregame media availability on Saturday.
‘How does your phone not overheat?’ Clark asked.
Then she copped to being a fangirl. ‘I was watching the live stream all last night, downstairs on my TV.’
Team Collier’s Angel Reese said the authenticity of the Stud Budz is what sets the content apart.
‘It’s like a reality TV show with them,’ Reese, a member of the Chicago Sky, said. ‘They have made it the best. No matter where we are, what party we at, the players made the weekend what it is and you really enjoy the moment because it’s so much fun.
‘Getting to know everyone off the court. You’re battling all year, it’s competition, but just being able to build relationships has been great. I am happy for what they are doing, I hope they continue to do it and make some money.’
The best moment of All-Star weekend?
‘Not a favorite moment, but Stud Budz has been the highlight of, I think, everybody’s weekend,’ Collier said.
Hiedeman said the sky is the limit now that their brand has been unleashed.’We going to be at the Grammys, ESPYs, what other live events?’ Hiedeman said. ‘Paris fashion week, the Met Gala — anything big and, like a good time, if it’s fun and live, call us and we will be there.’