GROW: Honoring the WNBA & Celebrating Women Mentors

In partnership with

Issue #94

Welcome!

Hey G-Tribe! For those just joining us, the G-Tribe stands for the GROW Tribe, a community of people committed to Guidance that Redefines Our Way of living, leading, and showing up in this world.

Something extraordinary is happening in basketball right now. While everyone is talking about dunks and highlights in the NBA Summer League, there's a deeper game being played. A game where mentorship matters more than minutes played. Where influence extends far beyond the court. Where women are not just playing basketball but building the future.

As a true basketball fan, I’ve noticed the WNBA is in the middle of its most exciting season ever. The 2025 All-Star Game was just played this weekend in Indianapolis, featuring some of the most talented and inspiring women athletes on the planet. But what catches my attention isn't just their athletic ability. It's what they're doing with their platform.

These women are mentors. They're role models. They're showing young girls that leadership comes in many forms. And they're teaching us all something important about respect, determination, and what it means to lead by example.

This week, we're exploring the mentorship revolution in women's sports. We're exploring how female athletes are changing lives through guidance and support. We're examining what this means for the next generation of leaders.

🌱 Growth Spotlight: She Leads Too - Women's Mentorship in Action

The numbers tell a powerful story about women and mentorship. Research indicates that 67% of women consider having a mentor to be extremely important for their career advancement. Yet 63% of women have never had a formal mentor. This gap represents millions of women who could benefit from guidance but don't have access to it.

Enter the WNBA and their partnership with VOICEINSPORT. This year, twelve WNBA players are providing virtual mentorship to girls around the world. Aliyah Boston, Nneka Ogwumike, Natasha Cloud, and nine other players are conducting 144 live virtual sessions throughout the year. Their goal is ambitious: reach 50,000 girls in sports by the end of the year.

The Science Behind Female Mentorship

When the average girl turns 14, she becomes twice as likely to quit playing sports compared to her male peers of the same age. The absence of widespread female mentorship, combined with social pressures of adolescence, contributes to this phenomenon. But here's what happens when girls do have mentors:

Women with mentors are 28% more likely to become senior leaders compared to 19% of those without mentors. In the tech industry specifically, 89% of women found mentoring to be impactful, and 86% would recommend it to another woman in tech.

The ripple effect extends beyond individual careers. Companies with formal mentoring programs have 20% higher representation of diverse employees in leadership roles. When women mentor other women, they create a pipeline of confident leaders who understand what's possible.

Real Stories from the Court

Aliyah Boston, the Indiana Fever center and three-time All-Star, recently shared why mentorship matters to her. "As a VIS Mentor, I've seen firsthand how mentorship can keep girls in sport and give them the confidence to chase their dreams," she said. "I'm excited to continue working with VOICEINSPORT to uplift and inspire the next generation."

Boston knows about dreaming big. The 6-foot-5 center has been voted to the All-Star Game in each of her three WNBA seasons. In 2023, as the No. 1 overall draft pick, she became the eighth rookie selected to start in the All-Star Game. This weekend, she'll take the court as a starter alongside teammate Caitlin Clark.

Nneka Ogwumike brings a different perspective to mentorship. Now in her 14th season, she's earning her 10th All-Star selection, tying her for the third most in WNBA history. At 35, she shows no sign of slowing down. She's averaging career highs in both points and rebounds this season.

Ogwumike understands the long game. She ranks ninth in league history for career points and eighth in total rebounds. But her impact extends beyond statistics. Through the VOICEINSPORT partnership, she's helping young girls see what is possible when talent is combined with persistence.

The Mentorship Multiplier Effect

Research reveals that 89% of mentees go on to become mentors themselves. This creates a powerful cycle of growth and support. When Ariel Atkins of the Washington Mystics joined the program, she expressed the vulnerability required: "Sharing a piece of yourself with the world is always a little scary, but it's so necessary because I can guarantee there is one person in the world who will hear your story and feel inspiration or belief in knowing you're just like them."

The numbers support this approach. Studies show that 94% of women CEOs previously played sports, while 52% of them played sports in college. This connection between athletics and leadership success isn't coincidental. Sports teach teamwork, resilience, strategic thinking, and the ability to perform under pressure.

When young girls see professional athletes who look like them, they expand their vision of what's possible. The mentorship programs create a direct connection between elite performance and accessible guidance.

💼 Professional Growth Gateway: Empowering Young Men to Respect Women Leaders

Here's something we need to talk about openly. You probably won’t get a discussion like this in most newsletters and online platforms. Young men need to learn how to respect and work with women leaders. This isn't about being politically correct or checking boxes. This is about preparing the next generation for a workplace where women hold increasingly powerful positions.

The Changing Leadership Landscape

In 2023, women CEOs finally topped 10% of CEOs for Fortune 500 companies. While this represents progress, it also underscores the significant work that remains. The workplace is evolving rapidly, and young men who don't learn to respect women's leadership will be left behind.

The statistics paint a clear picture of this evolution. Women comprise nearly half of the U.S. workforce, and in 2024, 74% of mothers with children under 18 were working. Women in senior leadership roles are 38% more likely to sponsor women of color compared to their male counterparts at 23%.

Learning from Sports

Athletic environments provide powerful lessons about respecting women's leadership. When young men watch WNBA games, they see women making split-second decisions under intense pressure. They see coaches drawing up winning plays. They see leaders who earn respect through performance, not gender.

Alysha Clark of the Seattle Storm puts it perfectly: "Sports gave me the foundation for success, and I want to ensure young girls see the possibilities ahead of them. Through this partnership, we're not just keeping girls in the game—we're preparing them for their future careers."

But this preparation benefits everyone. When young men learn to respect women's leadership in athletics, they develop skills that translate directly to professional environments. They learn to evaluate leadership based on competence rather than assumptions.

Creating Workplace Cultures of Respect

Female mentors receive 28% more endorsements than their male counterparts. The most common themes in feedback focus on exceptional coaching skills, leadership advice, and ability to nurture career confidence.

This excellence in mentorship creates opportunities for young men to learn from women leaders. When they work in organizations that support female mentors, they experience firsthand the value of diverse leadership styles.

The key insight is this: respect isn't just about doing the right thing morally. It's about positioning yourself for success in a changing world where women's leadership continues to expand.

💝 Community Corner: AFGM's Moms Appreciation Week

We need to pause and talk about something that hits close to home. The backbone of our communities: our mothers. Especially those single mothers and working mothers who are carrying incredible loads while still showing up for their families and communities.

This week, we're celebrating AFGM's Moms Appreciation Week, and I want to share a story that perfectly captures what we're honoring.

When Motherhood Meets Professional Dreams

WNBA All-Star Cheyenne Parker-Tyus recently gave birth to her second child, but her story isn't just about basketball. It's about the reality that millions of working mothers face every single day. In a recent interview with Newsweek, she opened up about something most professional sports leagues barely acknowledge: what it's like to be a mother and a high-level athlete at the same time.

"I've learned a lot about myself and my capabilities," Parker-Tyus shared. "It's allowed me just to push on, because some days it's not easy."

Think about that for a second. Here's a woman who has reached the pinnacle of professional basketball, and she's discussing how motherhood has taught her about her capabilities. That's the kind of strength we're celebrating this week.

The Support That's Missing

Parker-Tyus pointed out something that should make all of us think. When you're talking about the "Big Four" sports in North America, parenthood doesn't enter the equation for men. An athlete might miss a game or two when their partner gives birth—end of story.

However, the WNBA must address motherhood directly because these women are the ones who carry and deliver the babies. They're the ones whose bodies change. They're the ones who have to figure out how to maintain elite athletic performance while growing another human being.

"I think that when I was first in the league, if I had had a kid, it would have been a lot harder," Parker-Tyus said. She's found support in an unofficial mothers' group chat with other WNBA players, but she's honest about what's still missing.

The Reality for All Working Mothers

Parker-Tyus's experience mirrors what millions of working mothers face every day. The statistics tell a sobering story about the challenges working mothers encounter.

There are approximately 21.7 million working mothers in the United States with children under the age of 18. That's like the entire population of Florida consisting of working moms. Yet working mothers still face significant wage gaps. The median weekly earnings for mothers in 2022 were $908, compared to $1,316 per week for fathers.

Single mothers face even steeper challenges. Nearly 30% of single-mother households in the U.S. live under the poverty line. Over 249,124 working mothers of children aged four or under have been forced to leave their employers due to a lack of childcare support.

Building the Connection

Parker-Tyus talked about something that resonates with what we're trying to build in the G-Tribe community. She wishes there were more connections among mothers in the WNBA.

"I wish it was a little more of a connection, because it is a small number and, like, it's not like a easy thing to do, so to have overcome it and have done it, and be doing it is kind of a connection we should foster, not even like on a spiritual side, but just also, just like on a business side, because it's such a rare thing."

That's precisely what AFGM's Moms Appreciation Week is about. Recognizing that motherhood—especially single motherhood and working motherhood—represents incredible strength, organizational skills, and determination.

What Support Looks Like

The most popular form of support that mothers want their workplace to offer is flexible work arrangements. This is echoed by businesses, with 83% of HR leaders noting improved productivity when the proper support is implemented.

However, only a third of mothers have access to the flexible working arrangements they need. Working mothers are also less likely to have flexible working requests approved than their male counterparts—43% of working fathers have requests approved versus 39% of working mothers.

The Mentorship We Need to Provide

When we see a single mother working multiple jobs to support her family, we're witnessing determination. When we see a working mother balancing conference calls and school pickups, we're witnessing exceptional organizational skills. When we see mothers pursuing education while raising children, we're witnessing the kind of long-term thinking that every organization needs.

These women are mentors by necessity. They're teaching their children about perseverance, goal-setting, and the value of hard work through their daily example.

Parker-Tyus understands this. Even while pregnant, she maintained her workout and nutrition regimen to "just kind of stay hot, stay ready, even while baking the baby." That's the kind of dedication and forward-thinking that deserves our respect and support.

Our Commitment

During AFGM's Moms Appreciation Week, we're not just celebrating motherhood in general. We're specifically honoring single mothers and working mothers, who are often undervalued and overlooked, despite their incredible contributions to their families and communities.

We're recognizing that these women represent some of the strongest leaders in our communities. They're problem-solvers, multi-taskers, and long-term planners. They're teaching the next generation about resilience and determination through their daily example.

Most importantly, we're committed to being the kind of community that supports them—not with empty praise, but with genuine recognition, mentorship opportunities, and systems that truly acknowledge their value.

Source: Newsweek interview with Cheyenne Parker-Tyus, July 10, 2025

🙏 Echoes of Freedom: A Community Thank You

This past Saturday, July 19th, something special happened in our community. While the WNBA All-Star Weekend was lighting up Indianapolis, we had our own powerful gathering right here with the Echoes of Freedom Tour.

A Journey Through History

The tour took us through some of the most significant historical sites in our area, including stops at Jermantown Cemetery and Tinner Hill Park. These aren't just tourist destinations; they're sacred ground where the stories of courage, perseverance, and freedom come alive.

Standing at these locations, you can't help but think about the generations of people who fought for the freedoms we enjoy today. The same spirit of determination that we see in today's WNBA players, who demand fair treatment, has roots that run deep through American history.

The Power of Community

What struck me most about Saturday wasn't just the historical significance of where we went, but who we went with. Looking at the photos from the tour, you see exactly what community is supposed to look like. Multiple generations coming together. Young people learning from their elders. Adults are taking time to invest in the next generation's understanding of where we came from.

The fact that the group took a photo at Jernantown Cemetery tells a story. You've got young men and women standing alongside community leaders and elders. Everyone dressed respectfully, everyone engaged, everyone was there because they understood that knowing your history matters.

Mentorship in Action

This tour represents mentorship at its finest. The adults who planned and participated weren't just giving kids something to do on a Saturday; they were also providing an opportunity for them to learn and grow. They were investing in their understanding of legacy, sacrifice, and the responsibility that comes with freedom.

When you take young people to places like Freedom Hill Park, you're not just teaching history; you're also fostering a sense of community. You're teaching them that ordinary people can do extraordinary things. You're showing them that the fights for justice and equality aren't abstract concepts; they're lived experiences of real people who walked the same ground they're walking.

The Planning That Made It Happen

Events like this don't just happen by chance. They require vision, planning, coordination, and people willing to give their time and energy. To everyone who helped plan the Echoes of Freedom Tour—thank you. To the community leaders who shared their knowledge and insights—thank you. To the parents and guardians who made sure young people could participate—thank you.

To the young people who showed up ready to learn and engage—thank you. Your presence and participation give us hope for the future.

Why This Matters

In a world where young people are constantly bombarded with distractions, taking time to connect with history and community is revolutionary. It's mentorship. It's leadership development. It's character building.

When we stand in places where people fought for freedom, we're reminded that the challenges we face today aren't insurmountable. We're part of a long line of people who refused to accept limitations and worked to create better opportunities for the next generation.

The Connection to Our Mission

The Echoes of Freedom Tour perfectly embodies what AFGM is all about. We're not just talking about mentorship and leadership development—we're creating experiences that shape character and perspective.

Just like WNBA players who use their platform to mentor young girls while fighting for fair treatment, our community is showing young people what it means to honor the past while working toward a better future.

Moving Forward

Saturday's tour is just the beginning. The real work begins when those young people apply what they have learned to their daily lives. When they understand that they're part of a legacy of strength and resilience. When they realize that they have a responsibility to continue creating opportunities for others.

To everyone who made the Echoes of Freedom Tour possible—your investment in our young people matters. Your commitment to community matters. Your willingness to share history and wisdom matters.

The echoes of freedom don't just live in historical sites. They live in the hearts and minds of people who understand that freedom requires constant vigilance, continuous growth, and unwavering commitment to lifting others up.

Thank you for keeping those echoes alive.