By Chris Steven
(Source HBCU hoops):
Olivia Antilla is a busy woman these days during her favorite time of the year.
From her feed on X, formerly known as Twitter, and her YouTube channel LivForHoops, the former Florida A&M basketball player is breaking down matchups across Black College women’s basketball from Division I to the NAIA ranks.
Her rise as a trusted source for HBCU women’s hoops comes from her own experiences as a Rattlers basketball during the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.
‘It just felt right’
“As I went through my athletic career, I rarely saw young women that looked like me in coaching positions, and I knew I wanted to give back to the game to be a representation for the new generation of young Black girls,” said Antilla, who has previous coaching experience at junior college, high school and AAU levels. “I have followed HBCU hoops since I graduated, keeping up with teams and watching when I could. With women’s basketball, in general, there lacked media representation.”
So, Antilla decided to “shine some light on” HBCU players, coaches and teams in her own way.
That motivation came earlier this year when Antilla noticed a lack of media presence and representation at the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s basketball media day in October. For her, the time was right for a new and consistent voice in HBCU women’s hoops.
“There wasn’t great coverage, and little to no one was talking about it online besides myself. At that point, I tweeted that I planned to cover SWAC women’s basketball the entire season,” Antilla said. “I had a friend who really encouraged me to dive into it, and that’s when I came up with LivForHoops.
“Being a former basketball player, coach, and continuing student of the game, I find myself always watching and talking about basketball. So being able to highlight the women’s game and HBCU programs to grow their coverage just felt right.”
She has done just that, highlighting key matchups and players to watch each game day, and her expertise has caught the eye of several media outlets, including HBCU Sports, HBCU Gameday, the nationally recognized The Committee Sports Group and HBCU Nightly.
“HBCUs have such a great product and deserve to be talked about. I love being included in the conversations that promote, highlight and bring attention to the athletes, the programs and the schools,” she said. “I work hard so that I am able to contribute as one of the voices in an educated and thoughtful way. I would like to see all media outlets doing the same things, especially for women’s basketball.”
Filling the void in HBCU women’s basketball coverage
To that point, Antilla says that women’s basketball is doing well enough without suggestions from people who don’t appreciate the game in its current form.
“The game doesn’t have to do anything to bring more people in. The media coverage needs to change. The negative narratives about the game need to change,” Antilla said. “Women’s basketball is a high-quality game. The players at all levels are extremely talented, the games are exciting and will always be worth the watch. You cannot grow the game without giving it the coverage it deserves.”
She is determined to help lead a revolution in HBCU women’s basketball coverage on social media while serving as an inspiration to anyone interested in creating their own lane.
“Social media gives fans of the game easier access to information and knowledge they are looking for. It gives quick and easy searches and info, which is a huge positive,” Antilla said. “Also, social media in general, like Twitter, can be at times negative and impact your mental health.
“My advice to anyone who wants to do their own thing would be to just do it. Someone out there will connect with what you are talking about or trying to provide information about.”
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