I was at the women’s sports bar when I saw her on the StudBudz livestream lighting up every screen in the venue. This was mid-afternoon, a few hours before the WNBA All-Star Game, so the stream was required viewing. Courtney Williams was on the party bus in dark blue shades, hyping up someone offscreen as they danced. Then she came into the frame: not Natisha Heideman, or another WNBA player, but someone unfamiliar: a woman with short brown hair, oversized sunglasses, and an eccentric swagger exemplified by her word-for-word familiarity with every song by Kings of Leon. “Hey, that’s my friend,” said the person next to me. “She’s supposed to be their photographer this weekend. But she’s clearly not holding her camera now.”
I laughed, mesmerized. How had this photographer gone from covering the StudBudz phenomenon to actually participating in it? She was basically living out my own personal fantasy: transcending her role as a member of the “media” to participate directly in the joy and spontaneity at the heart of All-Star Weekend. She shook her hair into her face and air-drummed furiously with her wrists crossed, full of this aliveness. Watching her, I was reminded of why I fell in love with basketball in the first place, as a kid — for the chance to feel part of something, deep in my bones.
“Oh yeah, they’re calling her Edna,” someone said, noticing me watching. “She’s known as Edna in the chat.”
Later, I went looking for Edna. Sure enough, I found her trace on social media.
Turns out, Edna’s actual name is Nicol Biesek. She’s a queer photographer from Los Angeles. I immediately sent Nicol a message on Instagram, and soon, we were exchanging voice memos back and forth to set up a call. We spent over two hours talking on the phone. And I realized that Nicol is a perfect collaborator — not only for the StudBudz, but for anyone whose love of women’s basketball is as unexpected as it is inevitable. Here is our edited conversation.
Maya Goldberg-Safir: As soon as I saw you, I had to know more about you. Like, how the hell did you get here!? You kind of seem like you were made for this.
Nicol Biesek: Honestly, my experience at All-Star Weekend really culminated everything I’ve been working on. My ethos has always been about being a collaborator. Not just someone who says, you know, “stand there and pose like this,” but someone who is so absorbed in these players and capturing them according to their personalities. That, and the fact that I played college basketball myself — made this such a full circle moment for me.
Maya: Wow, I had no idea you played! Tell me more?
Nicol: Like I told Lisa Leslie when I photographed her: “I was one of those kids you gave a basketball to at half court at the Sparks game.” She was my favorite player all those years I played with my YMCA team.
And then in middle school, I realized that a scholarship was something I could go for. So I went from a small high school in South Pasadena where I was kind of the headline to a club team where I played maybe five minutes if the coach was in a good mood that day. It really humbled me. I was playing alongside Chelsea Gray, who I watched just obliterate the other teams. And this allowed me to accept that, yes I’ve tried really hard to excel at this sport, but there are people that are so much more talented, even more hardworking, than me.
And actually we weren’t just teammates, we were also good friends. One year her mom surprised her for her birthday and flew me up there and we had a sleepover — I still have these photos of us like taking selfies in the mirror. Looking back, it was such a foreshadowing moment.
Maya: And how did you become a photographer?
Nicol: For my 18th birthday, I asked for a digital camera. I got a Canon Rebel XTI or whatever the hottest thing was at that time. My friends would call me “paparazzi.” I went beyond just texting a friend, “hey, let’s go take pictures.” Like I was styling. I was choosing locations. I was totally orchestrating these photoshoots, fully not anticipating myself ever becoming a photographer, genuinely just having fun. And I had this understanding of how special it was to be able to stop time for a second, and how quickly life moves on. I was thinking: How can I create imagery that makes people want to return to that exact moment? I think my relationship with photography has so much to do with the art of noticing.
I ended up studying photography at The Academy of Art while being on a scholarship and playing basketball. I studied commercial filmmaking and photography because at the time, I knew I was gonna move back to LA, where I’m from. I thought the only way anyone takes you seriously, or how you really make a name for yourself in this town, was by shooting celebrities, being in entertainment, having a billboard. I had these, like, fake bucket list things. They weren’t fake at the time, but now that I’m ten years into the work and I’ve done all of those things, I think the bar just keeps moving, right?
Maya: So when did your photography become about women’s basketball?
Nicol: I was at Sundance in 2024. I was shooting for Variety: people like Pedro Pascal, Normani. And all of a sudden I found out Sue Bird was coming in [her documentary, Sue Bird: In the Clutch, was playing at the festival.] And I just found myself getting very nervous, just caring so deeply that everything was set right, just wanting to do that moment justice and get the best possible photo of her. It mattered to me so much. And I thanked her for all the work she’s done, for continuing to give back, elevating the game, working on the CBA, bringing awareness and attention to women’s basketball. And it made me realize how important this niche is to me. That’s when I really felt the weight of it. I wanted to position myself to be a photographer for the growth of women’s basketball.
Maya: How has your personal connection to the sport informed your approach to photography?
Nicol: I really care about building trust. Working not only with the StudBudz, but with Sydney Colson, and other players in their hotel rooms while they’re changing, getting ready — it’s an intimate thing. I do not take that trust lightly. That is currency you can’t buy.
And I always go above and beyond with these assignments. Like I noticed that in the world of editorial photography and the kinds of opportunities presented to women’s basketball players, there’s just not enough money for styling or hair and makeup, these things that are really fundamental to the shoot. Like this Rolling Stone feature I worked on ahead of the 2024 Olympics. The editor suggested putting all the players in their USA jerseys. And I found myself — shockingly — going against that. And saying, “you know what, I really think this would be more powerful if there was some individuality with their style.” They told me there wasn’t money, but I made a couple calls and pulled some favors from people who also wanted to be champions for these women. And what ends up happening is that I’m picking up the clothes myself, and I’m flying across the country with them, I’m steaming them before the shoot. And I’m happy to do that because of the meaning it has to me. Chelsea Gray was one of the players included in that shoot. The purpose is personal. I give my all not because I want any of that notoriety, but because I know that’s my form of advocacy for these players, [how I can contribute to] their momentum. There’s no slowing down.
Also, I really try to champion the stories of masc-presenting queer women. These are the stories that can get left behind in mainstream media because they don’t necessarily know how to market them. Yet there is this thirst and hunger from the queer community that makes up so much of the fan base of the WNBA, that really wants those stories.
Maya: So how did you get to know the StudBudz?
Nicol: So the first time I interacted with Courtney and Natisha was for the SLAM cover last year. I flew to Minneapolis for it. They had just beat New York the night before, so their energy was super positive and super excited. I gave Courtney the aux. And we danced and had so much joy while shooting.
After we finished, I said, “Hey Court, you know, can I get your people’s information? I just want to stay connected.” And she just gave me her personal number on the spot. It told me two things: one, that I was trusted. And two, she is so hands-on — like, yes the StudBudz have a ground team, just two people – Tenzin and Ogo, who make so much happen – but ultimately everything that they do passes through them. They are still really in control and that is really refreshing.
Maya: And how did you wind up at All-Star Weekend with them?
Nicol: So, I’ve been internet friends with Abby and Amanda from Women’s Health for a while. They’re doing amazing work on the WNBA, in the magazine and with podcasts and interviews. And we’ve just been encouraging each other’s work. So I told them, “I love what you’re doing,” and asked if they wanted to work on something for All-Star Weekend, since I was going. And they were like, “how about we do a project?” And I was like, “even better!” And that’s what turned into this feature: “Behind the Stream: Inside the StudBudz’ WNBA All-Star Weekend.“
To me, the biggest story of the weekend is now the StudBudz. In theory, the stream is the most access anyone has ever had to any players. And yet, you only see where the screen is pointed, so I wanted to tell the story within the story of what you don’t always see — you know, them eating fast food and ordering DoorDash in between events, or Tenzin [the StudBudz agent] coming in at 11 o’clock when they were supposed to be out the door at 10 and telling me, “if they’re not up in five minutes, call me back.” So I found myself there, switching between taking photos and then putting down my camera and picking up scissors to take tags of off Courtney’s new pants, getting ice for her head. Just trying to be helpful. And I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Because without that, the story doesn’t happen the way that it does. The StudBudz [wouldn’t] invite me into that space, or to get on to the bus, or to go to the club, if I wasn’t a woman, a queer woman, if I wasn’t trusted in that space. So I think my pre-existing relationship with them really enhanced the access and enhanced the story in a way that I didn’t even grasp until I was on the other side.
Maya: And how did you start to get pulled into the action of the stream itself?
Nicol: In the best way, in the most uninstructed way. At first, there are a few hours when you’re just very aware that the camera is on. And because I often wanted to capture a photo in the scene, I ended up being on camera. Because usually I don’t think of myself as a taker of photos — I’m a maker of photos. So to be put in this scenario where maybe it’s not a basketball game setting, but it might as well be — because I have no idea where we’re going, what’s happening, what the lighting is going to look like — it really caused me to flex my muscle of adapting and reacting. Trusting my experience and my skillset. So after a while, there was truly a veil that kind of just lifted at some point of me going, “OK, I’m just here now. I am in the background.” I was no longer trying to avoid being on the stream and actually just actively being wherever they are.
Friday was really when I caught my stride. And at one point, the StudBudz were taking a beat between, I don’t know, the 100th thing they had to do that day, and us going out for the night. Courtney and Natisha were resting, just kind of decompressing on their phones, recharging between going out. And yet… the stream lives on, right?
So look: one thing I’m always going to do is throw a fit. I am going to wear my best outfit for the girlies. So my outfit started getting some commentary on the chat. And Tenzin was like, “oh my god, they love your jumpsuit.” Tenzin was encouraging the chat to keep roasting me, and I was living for the hilarious commentary Then Tenzin’s friend Fametta and I were putting on music, just sort of dancing. And we were like, “Okay, we’re the halftime show. What do you guys want to know? What do you guys want to listen to?”
So we start dancing, they’re loving it. The chat’s eating it up. And all of a sudden someone is like “why does she look like artsy Edna [character from The Incredibles]?” I got a few nicknames — someone said, “she looks like Vector,” and I also got Kris Jenner, and I’m like, “oh my god, give me more,” just feeding into it, fueling the fire. I like Edna the most for sure — because of her like her whole personality, her whole, “no capes” and “yes darling,” like the whole bit. I love that, it’s so silly. And once I started dancing and like letting loose and took a shot of Crown Royal Apple for the first time, I was like, “oh, this is just fun.”
Maya: I feel like some people might be freaked out at that moment. Or worry that the chat is gonna roast them, or something. But it sounds like you felt… kind of seen?
Nicol: Oh yeah, I felt seen. Tenzin pulled up a picture and I started doing the poses like Edna that she was pulling up. I leaned in because —where was the lie? You know, I am extroverted, and actually my friends were sending me clips and compilations people were making, and they were like, “oh my god, you look so happy.” I think that was the biggest compliment I could get because they know me so well.
And there was just so much love in that chat. Like saying, “Edna, come back, we want to see you dance,” and spelling my name correctly, without an “e,” and being like, “here’s her Instagram” — just shouting my work out. That spoke volumes because these are not just bandwagon fans; These are real W fans. They’re looking at my page, like, “Oh she did the SLAM cover, and the Seattle Storm one too, and the Valkyries.” They weren’t just there to roast me, it was honestly so loving. And they were like, “we can’t wait to see your photos, we know you’re gonna do [the StudBudz] justice.” Which really is my mission. So I was glad to hear that.
Maya: And then when I tuned in — when you’re on the bus with Courtney and I’m watching you streamed onto every single television at Babe’s — what was that like? What were you thinking at that moment?
Nicol: At that moment I was again just trying to match Courtney’s energy because she just needed to maintain the buzz, so I’m like, “I gotta meet her where she’s at.” We were halfway through our day at that point and so exhausted, so it was like when you need to work out because it energizes you. And I was trying to be very respectful of not taking up too much space. Like: this is their stream. But I think once the invitation was out there, I received it with open arms.
So she put on Kings of Leon, and that’s my shit. And so we started just lip syncing for our lives and having a great time. And Courtney was starting to put songs on that she thought I would like. She was like, “all right, well if you rock with that, you’re definitely going to rock with this.” And we were all pleasantly surprised with her emo selection — Paramore and Kings of Leon, like not just Quiet on the Creek, but this whole rolodex — okay, this is really dating me.
Maya: I’m curious what you learned throughout the weekend. Did you learn anything new about the StudBudz?
Nicol: Yeah, what I learned about them through the weekend is that this is just another extreme that they put their body through. It requires constant care, recovery, pushing to an edge — StudBudz is totally just another version of that. But it’s also giving them a break and the freedom to let loose, which allows them to relock back in for the second half of the season. For T to come back in her first game after the All-Star break and have a career high, that should tell you everything you need to know about what an important reset this is.
I also learned that the StudBudz are actually the most wholesome family-oriented group. Like Courtney’s dad ironing her shirt, and Natisha’s brother tying her tie, and all of their hometown friends coming to party with them like it’s homecoming. It’s a celebration. Of how far they’ve come, even in the last year since they started doing this. And it really felt like a family.
And I learned that brands are really wanting to work with these players. These brands are clawing down the door. And they really allow the players to be themselves. I think that is unprecedented, especially for masc lesbians. Companies now, like AT&T, are thrilled to have the StudBudz represent their brand. Seeing that support was so refreshing, and it really made me believe in authenticity as a superpower. When you are so confident in who you are, the right people will find you.
Maya: And what did you learn about yourself?
Nicol: I think the biggest takeaway for me is continuing to believe in and know my that personality, and who I am — including my experience as an athlete — all of that culminates to make me the right person for this assignment. You know, when I’m back at my desk doing these outreach emails and thinking, “what do I say?” and “how do I market myself to people?” I think that now, there’s so much more confidence in my words because of how this story turned out. This helps to quiet the doubts a bit. It tells me: you know what? You were the right person for this. I can trust that when I go into my next assignment.
My goal in this career is to get to a point where the players are not only requesting me because they want to work with me, but also they’re requesting me because they know they have the authority to do that. Men do that all the time. They’re like, “this is my person, I want to work with them.” And so I hope where this is headed is that we’re growing to a point where the women and their agents and all the people who help them make those decisions know that they have some authority to say what they want to capture them, and why.
Maya: That really resonates with me, as a former basketball player-turned-writer. Like even if we don’t play the sport anymore, we get to be part of the growth of women’s basketball, and help these players wield the kind of authority that they weren’t afforded when we were kids.
Nicol: Yes, that’s so real. That resonates right back, girl. Women are such deep communicators. That’s the way we have survived, as a matriarchy. And it feels ever-present in the growth of the WNBA right now. We’ve got to keep sharing inspiration, bouncing off of each other for sure. That’s part of the story of women’s sports.
Maya: I feel like we’re building an army.
Nicol: Queers, assemble!
