Since the establishment of Title IX, women’s basketball continues to break barriers through more than just playing on the court. For Adrianna Brown, basketball has allowed her to continue to be a part of the sport through a different path. Brown started playing ball at the age of 8. She fell in love with the game as she saw the sport as an escape from the trauma that she experienced with her father’s passing.  After the life-changing event, Brown found herself focused on basketball which would lead to loving and having a passion for the game.  During her high school years at Valley Vista, Adrianna was named second-team all-region honors during her junior and senior years as well as named the school’s Defensive Player of the Year in her senior year.

Brown experienced her collegiate basketball career at Elmhurst (2011-12), Scottsdale Community College (2012-13), and the University of Saint Mary (2013-14). During her college career, she totaled 141 points, 29 rebounds, 27 steals, 24 assists, and 1 block. In her junior year in college, Brown ended her playing career after the birth of her daughter. Adrianna still maintains to be in the basketball work as she started coaching at her old high school, Valley Vista for four years. During that time, she joined the Beautiful Ballers team and the collaboration with Brown and Beautiful Ballers soon began to rise.

As a student-athlete, Adrianna admitted that balancing both academics and athletics was furthest the thing from easy. Time management is a key component that Brown describes when it comes to being a student-athlete. “When it came to balancing sports and academics, it truly took a lot of time management,” Adrianna states. “I lived by a schedule every minute of every day and it helped using a planner to write things down and have reminders. Whether it was for practice, homework, weights, tutoring, etc. I made sure to always have it on my checklist.”

Adrianna majored in Communications with a minor in both Social Media and Public Relations. She enjoyed learning the subject and became passionate about the major as she saw how resourceful it became in her life, both personally and professionally. Brown also saw how beneficial the major was as it helped her in growing as an influencer and working continuously in the social media field.

When it comes to preparing for the next level, you must remember why you started what you were passionate about in the first place. Adrianna advises future athletes to know their niche when it comes to taking their talents to the next level. “Find something that you are good at that you can contribute to your team and perfect that part,” states Brown. “Everyone in college was one of the "bests" at their school; so not all the time are you gonna be that leading scorer or that go-to player, but find your purpose on the team and perfect it,” Adriana explains that you still play a purpose on the team even if you don’t see much playing time. “Don't let your emotions get the best of you, because it is a completely different game at the next level,” said Brown. 

Adrianna has been a huge advocate for women’s basketball as she sees the sport continuing to grow every year. One of the biggest advocates of women’s basketball was the late, great Hall of Famer, Kobe Bryant. Brown saw how much of an impact that both Kobe and his daughter, Gianna brought to not only just women’s basketball; but, also women’s sports. “Just in the past few years since the passing of Kobe and Gianna Bryant, the game has seen an increased amount of exposure on national television, social media, even celebrity and male athlete appearances at games. The support for the WNBA has been substantial for the times we are in and it is only getting better,” Adrianna described.

When it comes to life, Adrianna knows exactly what she wants and is strive every day to get to her goal. When it comes to hoops, there is one person that she admires. That person is WNBA champion and Seattle Storm’s Briann January. January was a standout collegiate player at Arizona State, where she led the team in assists and steals in all four years. Brown explains how January’s skills motivated her game. “I loved watching her (Briann January) play, mirroring her game, and defensive knowledge. When I was in high school defense was our specialty and I always studied her game. It ended up making me defensive player of the year a few times in my season and tournaments.”

Every person has a journey that shapes the person who they are. Adrianna’s story is powerful and inspiring. When asked what makes her story stands out, Adrianna explains confidently: “I would say the one thing that stands out about me and my story is that I never quit. I forever dealt with adversity but still managed to make it out and still make a way for myself. I entered motherhood at a young age, didn’t complete college, was a single parent, low income; but at the same time, I went back to school after I had my daughter while I was working a full-time job, coaching, and being a single mother. I managed to finish my degree, move up in my company, and take my team to two state championships. There were many late nights and early mornings, but it was an accomplishment and I worked so hard during those last few years before graduating. It was all worth it in the end because now I can say I am the first person in my family with a Bachelor's Degree.”

Since the start of Beautiful Ballers, the brand played a huge part in Adrianna’s life and helped grow her social media. Since her college days, Beautiful Ballers showed love and appreciation to her as Brown continue to work with the brand after her college days. “Once I stopped playing, the page reached out to me looking to expand and we ended up bouncing a lot of ideas off each other and running with it. From there the rest is history, the owner of the page has been a big part of my life and I am so thankful for the inspiration and love they have shown since day one.” When asked what it means to be a Beautiful Baller, Adriana describes it perfectly: “A beautiful baller to me is a girl that is passionate about her sport, works hard on and off the court (or field), has integrity, pushes herself; but, also the others around her to be better and of course can throw on a fire outfit and dress it up when needed.”

To learn more about Adrianna and her journey, follow her on Instagram: twoshotsofadri