Drew League, the Los Angeles-based summer pro-am basketball league, is celebrating 50 years of existence and continues to be a showcase for some of the nation’s best hoops talents. Drew League recently inked a new partnership with ClashTV, which is exclusively airing Drew Women’s League games over the summer.
ClashTV, an interactive live-streaming digital platform, announced a slate of original programming that includes cultural commentary, mixed martial arts coverage, and, of course, basketball. At the end of last month (June), ClashTV and Drew League announced a multiyear partnership that will air the Drew’s Women’s League games live with fans able to interact with one another, enter a chat room, upvote and get behind-the-scenes content along with interviews and video on demand using the ClashTV platform.
The pairing is timely as the Drew League is in partnership with the WNBA, the leading professional women’s basketball league. The Drew Women’s Leagues games air live on Wednesdays and Fridays streaming from King Drew Magnet High School in Los Angeles, Calif. WNBA alum Essence Carson, Chelsea Gray, Kaleena Mosquada Lewis, Nicky McCrimmon, Noelle Quinn, Odyssey Sims, and Nikki Teasley are all slated to play this season among other notables. The Drew Women’s League’s championship game will take place at El Camino College in Torrance, Calif.
“To be able to celebrate 50 years of Drew and 36 years of the women’s league speaks to the power and importance that basketball has in our lives,” Drew League Commissioner Chaniel Smiley, offered in a statement. “We know that the men put on a show, but so do the women. And getting our teams out to the world, so fans can see the excellence, the skill, the grit, is vital. These are world-class athletes, and they are inspirations to everyone who loves the sport. This year is very special because as part of our 50th Anniversary year, this is the first time the Women’s Drew will take place over the summer at the same time as the Men’s Drew, which will create a platform for our rising talent in high school & college to also participate in.”
As Commissioner Smiley notes, interest in women’s basketball is surging due to the excellent NCAA women’s basketball tournament and the growing presence of the WNBA and other women’s leagues around the globe. With ClashTV giving the Drew League a necessary boost in the modern era, it aims to become part of the basketball conversation year in and year out as well.
“ClashTV coming on board to stream the Women’s Drew League means a lot because, it not only shows that the men’s league is the premier ProAm, but now this also helps to recognize the women’s league as a premier destination for women to compete as well. We’re excited for the young girls and women out there who want to compete, to now have additional visibility to showcase their talent to the masses and have an outlet that can help them also create second chance opportunities and awareness to continue playing the game of basketball professionally or at the next level,” Crossover Collective [OVR] Co-Founder Steph Rawlins, the Drew League’s media, marketing & brand agency who helped navigate the partnership, added in a statement.
Ivan Isakov, ClashTV co-founder, added, “We are so proud to partner with Chaniel, Dino, and the Drew League family. Being able to show the world what this league is all about is an honor for our company and for me personally, as a father whose daughter is also an athlete.”
Drew Women’s League is in its 35th year. The Drew League was founded in 1973. NBA greats have graced the Drew League courts, including the late Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Trae Young, Kyrie Irving, James Harden, and more.
To learn more about the Drew League, click here. To learn more about ClashTV, including how to watch Drew Women’s League games, click here.
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Photo: FG Trade / Getty
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