Kobe Bryant once said, “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.” For Emily Sullivan, the journey is just beginning. Emily started playing ball in the 7^th grade. In freshmen year at Reitz Memorial High School, Sullivan fell in love with the game and began to take basketball seriously once sophomore year arrived. Sullivan was a multi-talented and successful athlete in high school as she participated in basketball, track, and volleyball. She collected many accolades during her high school career and earned approximately 10 varsity letters total in her high school career. During her junior year, Sullivan averaged 13.9 points, 12.0 rebounds, 6.0 blocks, and 1.4 steals per game and was awarded First Team All-Metro, All-City, and All-Conference. In 2016, Sullivan saw an improvement during her senior year as she averaged 18.4 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 6.4 blocks. Her senior campaign paid off as it would lead to another year of First Team All-Metro, All-City, and All-Conference awards along with being selected for both All-State and Indiana Girls All-Star Team, and was named a McDonald’s All-American Nominee. Emily was awarded the top honor by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association as she was selected to the Underclass All-State/Supreme 15 team. Emily led all Indiana Girls High School Basketball in blocks in both her junior and senior years and ranks in the Top-4 Shot Blockers in the state of Indiana. Outside of high school basketball, Emily succeeded in track and volleyball as she was an All-State finalist in track, holds the school record in high jumps, and was awarded the high school’s All-Sports for her successful multi-sport career.

Emily began her college career at the University of North Carolina (UNC). During her four years at UNC, Sullivan appeared in 52 games as she played both her freshmen and sophomore season. In her junior year, Sullivan sustained an injury and redshirted that season. In her last year at UNC, Emily began to play again in the first eight games of the season. Unfortunately, she would end up missing the remainder of the season due to injury. After four years at UNC, Emily totaled 463 minutes, 116 points, 94 rebounds, 35 blocks, 8 assists, and 9 steals. During the spring signing period, Emily transferred and signed with University of Florida. Sullivan appeared in 16 games with the Florida Gators as well as participated in the WNIT during her senior (first graduate season). After one year at Florida, Sullivan transferred her talent to Long Beach State (LBSU). Emily confidently explains the reason why she transferred to LBSU. “I knew I wanted to be in the Los Angeles area,” states Sullivan.  Emily secured her graduate season career at Florida with 117 minutes, 11 points, 17 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 1 assist. At LBSU, Emily saw herself and the team succeeding in the Big West Conference as they made it in the Top 3 standings in the conference. As her collegiate career in LBSU came to a complete, Emily ended her season at LBSU with 87 minutes, 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 steals. Overall, Emily finished her 6 years collegiate career with 667 minutes, 147 points, 120 rebounds, 40 blocks, 9 assists, and 11 steals.

Academics has played a huge part in Emily’s college career. As a student-athlete, Sullivan secured multiple All-Academic honors at UNC, Florida, and Long Beach State. During her undergrad years, Emily majored in sports broadcasting at UNC. Sullivan would soon add two graduate degrees to her academic career: Social Media and Marketing at the University of Florida and Sports Management at Long Beach State University. Emily states that she sees her studies being applied to sports as she wants to stay in basketball through both social media and sports media. When it comes to inspiring the upcoming student-athletes, Emily advises that a lot of sacrifices, time, and dedication are key to elevating into the next level. “Look at your life to figure out your biggest priority. The fruit of the labor,” Emily states. The benefits of working hard can result into something greater than expected. Emily has seen it firsthand from experience as both a student and a hooper.

Women’s basketball continues to rise above the obstacles. The 2022 WNBA draft and the NCAA Women’s Basketball tournament are proof that people are now investing in women’s sports. For Emily, she sees that women’s basketball continues to be on the rise and make an impact in the sports world. “It (Women’s basketball) is finally getting the recognition it deserves,” Sullivan confidently states.

Every athlete always has that one person that motivates them to be great on and off the court. For Emily, her parents are the driving force that has helped her through life both on and off the court. Sullivan’s father introduced basketball to Emily as she explains how much of an impact her father made on the court. “My father coached the team that I was part of at a young age,” Sullivan states. Her father helped Emily study the game by showing her videos of old-school basketball with athletes such as Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, etc. When it comes to work ethic, you automatically think of your favorite player. Some of the greatest athletes such as Los Angeles Lakers legend and Hall of Famer, Kobe Bryant, Chicago Bulls legend and Hall of Famer, Michael Jordan, and Washington Mystics hooper and 2015 WNBA MVP, Elena Dolle-Donne all display that hard work mentality that Emily admired and saw how much of an influence that these three players brought to her game.

Every person has a voice that should be heard. Emily’s story is one that exemplifies the courage of overcoming obstacles and figuring out the biggest priority in your life. When asked what makes her story stands out, Emily confidently answer: “I had one of the most interesting college careers. In my six years of college, I played at three colleges (UNC, Florida, and Long Beach State) and played under four coaches. There were two seasons when I could not play due to injuries. However, all the experiences that I went through in those six years helped me grow as a student, a person, and a player. Beautiful Ballers announced Emily Sullivan as an official athlete for the team. Emily was excited to join as she describes how the brand helps shine a light on females as they are more than just athletes. “It’s a sisterhood and a family that all support each other,” Emily states. “It’s a brand that’s going to keep growing.” When asked what it means to be a Beautiful Baller, Sullivan describes the answer with confidence: “A beautiful baller is someone that is good at what they do. You can do more than just sports.” 

To learn more about Emily and her story, be sure to follow her on Instagram: rosewitdachalk