Exclusive: What Happened When WNBA Star Kelsey Plum and Rapper Lay Bankz Met in Memphis?
They hail from vastly different worlds: Kelsey Plum, 30, is an established basketball star from the West Coast with two WNBA championship rings and is an Olympic gold medalist. Lay Bankz, who’s 10 years her junior, is an emerging artist from Philadelphia who scored her first Billboard Hot 100 hit in 2024.
At first glance, they don’t seem to have much in common. But when the two Under Armour ambassadors met for the first time at FN’s cover shoot last month, they seemed like lifelong friends.
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Right away, the duo joked about playing one-on-one and talked about house shopping on Zillow.
And Plum even asked Bankz for “some bars” so she could better trash talk during games.
“When we first walked up, I thought from the jump, ‘I love your energy,’” Plum said of her fellow cover star.
Bankz responded, “I could tell from how you carry yourself and your demeanor that you have good values. You have something that makes me feel like, ‘This girl is going to change the world.’”
She’s not wrong. While the start of the 2025 WNBA season is still months away, Plum continues to dominate sports conversations. In late January, the superstar guard — who just had her jersey retired at the University of Washington — was the centerpiece of a blockbuster trade. In May, she’ll hit the court as a member of the Los Angeles Sparks.
Meanwhile, Bankz, whose single “Ick” became a mainstay on TikTok in 2023, scored another hit in 2024 with “Tell Ur Girlfriend.” The 20-year-old rapper-singer also made headlines in December 2024 when she became the first female music artist to sign with Under Armour.
For their conversation, the two met on neutral ground at the Memphis Sports and Events Center, a venue that couldn’t be more fitting for these two successful and inspiring women. Not only is the city a hotbed for both basketball and music, it also played a pivotal role in the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote.
The U.S. is again at a crossroads, with DEI rollbacks at the center of political conversations and women’s rights under attack.
At the same time, women are having a major moment across the sport and music worlds — with basketball ratings records being broken in both college and the WNBA, and music’s female forces dominating the rap scene.
“[Women have] been taking a back seat for a long time. The energy now is very unapologetic,” said Plum, seated in the bleachers alongside Bankz.
Bankz added with a laugh, “There was a point in time where it was like, ‘This is a man’s world.’ But now it’s like, ‘It’s really a woman’s world and all of y’all are just living in it.’”
Their partner Under Armour has known that for a while. The athletic brand continues to invest in the women’s business (an area where it once thrived), at a time when chief executive officer Kevin Plank is plotting Under Armour’s return to market dominance.
For the shoot, Plum and Bankz debuted selections from its upcoming Courtside capsule collection that takes aim at the lifestyle consumer. On foot, Bankz revealed the brand’s Sola sneaker, which arrives in July, and Plum opted for the Court Anatomix.
Here, the women talk about viral social media moments, the people who keep them grounded and changing the world for the better for future generations. The conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Kelsey Plum: “They just shut TikTok down for a second. How did you feel?”
Lay Bankz: “I love TikTok so much and it brought me and a lot of other people opportunities. I immediately thought, ‘All these people’s jobs are gone.’ People were making money being influencers and hair stylists and makeup artists — getting jobs off being seen on TikTok. It going down was devastating for me. I went viral on this app, I built a whole foundation. I had 4 million followers. Luckily, it’s back.”
KP: “How do you navigate social media fame?”
LB: “I just try to be as personable as possible. A lot of people put up fronts for social media. If I’m having a bad day, I’m going to be like, ‘Yo, today is not a good day.’ I might even go live and talk to them. How do you feel though?”
KP: “I don’t even have it on my phone. It’s like Satan’s playground. But I understand it’s important to reach people. I’ll post stuff and just be gone. Reading the comments will take you places. What’s funny about [going] viral is I’m never intentionally trying to do anything. I’m just myself. I was eating popcorn, and it went viral. People were so mad because of the way I was eating popcorn [laughs]. You can’t take it too seriously.”
LB: “You are literally a superstar basketball player. Knowing that there’s a lot of pressure and eyes are on you, what are the next steps to keeping the greatness you got going?”
KP: “You do it because you love it. That’s why I play. I don’t play for the accolades or the fame or attention or money. I love to compete. I love to hoop. When I play my best basketball, I’m smiling, laughing, messing with the fans. And with the [WNBA], watching it take off, it’s been cool to see because it’s been building for so long. I’m sure it’s similar to the rap game. So many women laid the foundation and gave us these opportunities. It’s our job to take it and run with it. We have all these things happening with TV revenue and viewership. We’re negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement, trying to renegotiate salary.”
LB: “When do you feel was the turning point for women’s basketball?”
KP: “I think we’re at it. It’s brewing. We have, for the first time ever in professional women’s sports, more eyes than a lot of the men. We’re in a spot where we can finally change those rules, those guidelines to benefit not just our generation, but the next. If I can leave the game better for a daughter or my cousin or whoever is coming next, I want to be able to say, ‘I helped change that.’ There are so many women in the league who are doing that, we’re all fighting together for a bigger purpose.”
LB: “Do you think women support each other in the right way?”
KP: “I think real women do. What about you?”
LB: “I feel the same way. As a real woman, you’re not wasting time being a hater. You want to see women win. At the end of the day, if the next woman wins, I’m winning too.”
KP: “There is no cattiness [in the WNBA]. We’re just competitive because we want to be better.”
LB: “That’s rap, too. When people [say] female rappers don’t support each other, it’s all competition, but it’s friendly competition. At the end of the day, I want to see you try your hardest, and I’m going to try my hardest so we both can win.”
KP: “Was there a moment you feel like you made it?”
LB: “I don’t feel like I’ve made it yet. When you say ‘make it,’ it’s like, ‘boom, I’m done.’ I’m still chasing, I’m still hungry, I’m still on that journey. I’m fighting to show that I’m more than what people might think I am. I just want to make music and show how deep my artistry goes. I’m going to always feel like I made it because my mom’s proud, my dad’s proud, my family loves me. As long as I can take care of my people, that’s what matters.”
KP: “I knew I loved you [laughs]. I feel the same. I feel like I’m just heating up.”
LB: “Do you have a mentor?”
KP: “I have so many mentors. I’m grateful because there’s no way you can stay grounded in this life without people around you. My mother is incredible, tells you the truth, doesn’t put no sugar on it. Sometimes I’m like, ‘Mom, put some sugar on it. It’s a little salty.’ I still talk to my high school coach all the time. I have older sisters that have been incredible. I have other coaches I played for that, if I’m ever I’m at a crossroads or I need help, I’m calling them, like, ‘Hey, what do you think?’ Having that wisdom is gold.”
LB: “I’ve got to give my manager, Kenney Blake, the biggest praise. We’ve been doing this together almost six years now. Kenney saw something in me that you don’t see in everybody, and he made me see it in myself. I was in high school and wasn’t thinking about being serious about music because, when you come from where I come from, there’s not that many opportunities. Kenney changed my life. My mom loves me unconditionally and she is never afraid to tell me the truth. My mom plays devil’s advocate. She’ll be like, ‘Do you think you should do this?’ or ‘Here’s the other side.’ My stepdad, my father, sisters, my friends — being able to rely on those people when I need is amazing because you never know when you’re going to need help. So how do you plan on helping the next generation?”
KP: “One, it’s important to be accessible. When I was in high school and college, I remember not having opportunities to meet someone who was doing what I wanted to do. I have Dawg Class at Under Armour. It’s a camp that brings in college players who want to play in the WNBA. I bring all the people I work with — basketball coaches, strength coaches, pilates [instructors], mental coach. We spend a weekend together and [I say], ‘This is what it’s like. No one’s going to tell you how to do this, but this is what works for me.’ The biggest thing I’ve learned is making myself accessible to the young women who want to play: ‘You need anything, here’s my number. Call me.’ And [the second thing] is taking time to show love. Everyone wants to feel loved, appreciated.”
LB: “I feel the same. What more can you do other than just be available? I do events in my community, I do events with nonprofits … to show the kids I’m here for y’all. And this bracelet.” [Points to her arm]
KP: “What does it say?”
LB: “It says my name. This little girl, three years ago, I was doing a show, I had just started blowing up, I had this song going crazy viral. These two girls stood out to me so crazily because they had these bead bracelets that went all the way up their arms. They were so adorable, bro. They screaming, ‘Lay, take this. We made it for you.’ I’m like, ‘I’m going to wear it every day.’ I wore it every day for three years. The younger generation, or just people in general, want to feel seen. People want to feel important. It popped, and I went to go visit her again a month ago and she made me my bracelet over.”
KP: “You picked this [outfit] out?”
LB: “I did.”
KP: “This is fire. Talk to me about this.”
LB: “My style, I’m a very chill girl, but I have pieces, for sure. Even these [Sola] shoes, bro. The UA symbol is in the shoe. Y’all ain’t never seen that before. This is why UA is my favorite brand. My style, I’m very chill, but I have the stuff that matters.”
KP: “I like how you accessorize, too, your gloves, your earrings. That’s fire. These [Sola sneakers], fire. I’m taking these. Those aren’t out yet, but I’m going to steal the ones that they gave me. I love UA because they’re always evolving. UA has been known as specific to performance and sports, but the lifestyle stuff is really fire and they keep pushing the limit on different things. Did you see the collaboration they did with Balenciaga?”
LB: “Yes. I actually wore that for my Rolling Loud performance. I was so hyped about it. I had seen sneak peek pictures before they actually dropped it on Twitter. I was like, bro, UA is stepping their game up all the way. People don’t even know what’s about to happen.”
KP: “Coming from the basketball space, there are different brands, but what resonated with me was Under Armour’s emphasis in the community, how they impact young boys and girls through their grassroots programs. Also, I didn’t want to be another number in a lineup for a roster. I wanted to do something different, be a leader, cut a different path.”
LB: “That’s fly. I chose Under Armour because I have been wearing it for so long. I remember when I first went viral from making music, this was maybe threeand-a-half years ago, I had walked in the Under Armour store and I was like, bro, I’m about to buy all this UA, and I’ll make everybody feel like, ‘Yo, you got to wear Under Armour to dance like Lay Bankz.’”
KP: “The biggest reason I decided to sign with them was because brands talk, but then there are actually people who put their money where their mouth is. [UA has] the most prevalent grassroots program in the [Amateur Athletic Union] space for basketball, and it’s cool because whatever they do on the boys’ side, they do on the girls’ side. It’s equal. I’m proud to be able to walk into gyms playing in Under Armour shoes, wearing the brand, but then also seeing these girls being impacted in their lives. That’s what it’s about — legacy.”
LB: “For me, the same thing that you said. It’s about legacy. I’m the first female artist to ever sign with them.”
KP: “Hell yeah. Say that again.”
LB: “I’m the first female artist to ever sign with UA. And because I’m a Black woman, I feel like this is very special. I’m able to show my community that anything is possible. I have little sisters, and they admire me and look up to everything I do. One of my sisters wants to be a gymnast, and my other sister, she’s 18, she’s big into cheerleading. When I used to go to the outlets, I had to buy her so much [UA] stuff because she loved the brand so much, just as much as I did. Working with UA has showed me that no matter what your gender, race, where you come from or what you want to do, you can do it. That’s so important because us women don’t always get the easy route. Under Armour does a great job at highlighting women in their fields and making sure that we feel respected, valued. That’s beautiful.”
KP: “What I’m looking forward to most is continuing to push that limit. I’m not trying to give away all my secrets, but I have a lot of ideas and I just appreciate them being so open.”
LB: “I want to design my own sneaker, and hopefully even a division of Lay Bankz merch. That would be so fly, bro. I’ve been talking about it since I started wearing UA. Some of my biggest inspirations are Beyoncé and Rihanna, and what they’ve done as far as fashion and with their brands. It’s dope to see women in fashion diving into creating their own things.”
About the Author
Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He oversees coverage of the two fast-paced and ultracompetitive markets, which includes conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders and writing stories on sneakers and outdoor shoes. He is a lifelong sneaker addict (and shares his newest purchases via @peterverry on Instagram) and spends most of his free time on a trail. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be reached at peter.verry@footwearnews.com.
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