THANK YOU FOR JOINING US!

VOICES OF THE GAME (12pm - 2:30pm) 

An exclusive networking luncheon and panel moderated by Syd Scott (daughter of late ESPN legend Stuart Scott). Panel features iconic sports broadcasters Ari Chambers , Elle Duncan , LaChina Robinson, and Coach Jackie J sharing never before heard stories about their unique journeys, and how they navigate the constantly shifting media landscape. A portion of proceeds supports the Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund. 

LEGENDS LOUNGE (4:30pm - 5:30pm)

Live recording of the Good Game with Sarah Spain podcast, featuring a panel of WNBA Legends including Hall of Famers Ticha Penicheiro and Sheryl Swoopes, and former WNBA President Donna Orender. This panel will feature unfiltered discussions about sports, culture, and personal stories of challenges and triumphs. Attendees will also witness the presentation of the NEXT UP Award presented by Penicheiro to NCAA Superstar Hannah Hidalgo. A portion of proceeds supports the V Foundation for Cancer Research. 

CULINARY TIP-OFF (6pm - 10pm) 

An exclusive culinary experience and high-energy celebration bringing together legendary athletes and broadcasters, renowned chefs - Chef Stephanie Izard, Tracey Shepos Cenami, Dylan Patel, guest chef WNBA player Alysha Clark - celebrities, elite wineries, master mixologists, and industry thought leaders. The event also includes a spectacular silent auction benefiting the V Foundation for Cancer Research. 

 Widely revered as one of the greatest and most charismatic point guards in WNBA history. Over a brilliant 15-season WNBA career, she redefined the position with her signature flash, elite defensive tenacity, and masterful no-look passing. A WNBA Champion, four-time WNBA All-Star, seven-time league assists leader, and a member of the WNBA’s prestigious 25th Anniversary Team, Penicheiro was deservingly inducted into both the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame and the FIBA Hall of Fame. Today, she serves as a top agent and VP of the Women’s Sports Division at Priority Sports.

A Rhodes Scholar and graduate of Columbia University and the University of Oxford, Syd is a researcher and scholar of politics and culture with a passion for translating research findings out of the academy and into society. Since 2016 Syd has been an ambassador for the V Foundation for Cancer Research and has written about public health and racial disparities in healthcare outcomes since 2019. Since falling in love with soccer at age 5,  she has been a lifelong athlete, competing on the Division I track & field team at Columbia. Aside from her research, Syd spends her time as a writer, an emcee, and a singer. 

Recipient of the James Beard Award Best Chef: Great Lakes and Food & Wine Best New Chef, Izard is the Executive Chef and Owner of Girl & the Goat, Little Goat, Duck Duck Goat, Cabra, and Lucky Goat in Chicagoland, along with Girl & the Goat and Valley Goat in California. She won the coveted title of Iron Chef in 2017 and was the first woman to win Bravo’s Top Chef.  Izard has made numerous appearances, as both a competitor and a judge, on shows including Tournament of Champions, Hell’s Kitchen, Superchef Grudge Match, Guy’s Grocery Games, Chopped, and more. 

Emmy Award–winning broadcaster and lead host for Netflix’s live sports and events, Elle brings her signature energy and deep love of the game to audiences around the world. A Georgia native, she built her career covering some of the biggest moments in sports, always with a mix of insight, humor, and authenticity.

Before joining Netflix, while at ESPN, Duncan anchored SportsCenter and led coverage of Women’s NCAA basketball, WNBA Countdown, and the March Madness tournament. She also hosts WNBA coverage for USA Sports.  Elle is a tireless champion of moms, proudly supporting Helping Mamas, a volunteer organization providing essential supplies to mothers in need.

Arielle "Ari" Chambers is a trailblazing multimedia journalist and sports commentator who has worked for ESPN and Andscape, renowned for her fierce advocacy of women's sports. She founded Bleacher Report’s wildly successful HighlightHER platform in 2019 and coined the viral phrase "THE WNBA IS SO IMPORTANT," which inspired a signature Wilson basketball collaboration. Her narrative-shifting storytelling and impact have earned her numerous prestigious honors, including spots on the Forbes 30 Under 30 and Sports Illustrated’s 100 Influential Women in Sports lists, the Dawn Staley Excellence in Broadcasting Award, and a Webby Award.

Sarah Spain is an Emmy, Gracie, and Peabody Award-winning sports journalist. She’s the host of the first ever daily women's sports podcast, Good Game with Sarah Spain, and Content Director of iHeart Women's Sports. A former Cornell University athlete and published author, Spain has spent more than two decades in the sports business, including 15+ years at ESPN as a radio and podcast host, TV personality, producer and writer, and currently focuses on women’s sports on espnW. She’s a co-owner of the LOVB San Francisco pro women's volleyball team and a community owner of the Minnesota Aurora pre-professional soccer team. 

Emmy Award-winning host and women's basketball analyst, who spent 16 years at ESPN before joining NBC Sports and Prime Video. LaChina is a recipient of the Dawn Staley Excellence in Broadcasting Award as well as the prestigious Mel Greenberg Award, which recognizes

a media professional who demonstrates a lasting commitment to women's basketball. She is the founder of Rising Media Stars, a non-profit dedicated to empowering the next generation of women of color in sports media. LaChina has also created The Rise, a platform designed to empower women in sport and beyond show up confidently in every area of their lives.

Often referred to as the "female Michael Jordan," Sheryl Swoopes is a basketball icon who forever changed the landscape of women's sports as the very first player signed to the WNBA in 1997. After leading Texas Tech in 1993 to an NCAA National Championship with a legendary 47-point performance, she became the anchor of the Houston Comets dynasty, capturing 4 consecutive WNBA championships. Swoopes earned 3 WNBA MVP awards, 3 Defensive Player of the Year honors, and 3 Olympic Gold Medals with Team USA. She also broke major cultural barriers as the first female athlete to ever receive a Nike signature shoe, the iconic Air Swoopes. In 2016, she was deservedly enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Coach Jackie J is a creator who focuses on covering women's sports through a storytelling lens. She first gained popularity with her coverage of the 2023 World Cup and her platforms now reach over 5 million people a week and has over  1.18M total followers. This year, Jackie was named one of Adweek’s "Most Powerful Women in Sports."  She excels at making sports accessible to everyone and in connecting the dots between sports and pop culture. 

 A three-time WNBA Champion with two different teams, seasoned international pro, and one of the most respected and versatile players in women’s basketball. Known for tenacious defense, leadership, and clutch play, she has built a legacy defined by excellence, resilience, and authenticity. In college, Clark led the nation in scoring and earned back-to-back Sun Belt Player of the Year honors. As a VP of the WNBA Players Association Executive Committee, she was a driving force behind the league’s most recent Collective Bargaining Agreement, hailed as a defining moment for the WNBA and a historic step forward for women’s sports.  That same spirit of care and creativity fuels one of Clark’s greatest personal passions: cooking. Whether exploring global cuisines or hosting meals for teammates and friends, food has become a powerful outlet for connection and self-expression.

 An innovator, trailblazer, game changer and highly respected business executive, Donna Orender has been recognized as one of the top 10 Most Powerful Women in Sports and one of Newsweek’s 100 most influential people in sports.  She served as the President of the WNBA for six years and worked with the PGA TOUR for 17 years, ending up in the Office of the Commissioner.

Her role at the WNBA included oversight of all league operations including both the business and competitive aspects of the league. During her tenure, the league experienced four years of consecutive attendance growth, after many years of decline. 

  Her commitment to supporting women can be seen in her GENERATION W initiative,  a brand focused on educating, inspiring and connecting women & girls.   

Donna is also the inaugural commissioner of the UpShot League, a new developmental women's professional basketball league in the United States, that debuted in May 2026. She is also on the board of the V Foundation. 

Cassidy Hubbarth is an award-winning broadcaster and the lead NBA sideline reporter for Amazon Prime Video,  joining the network after 15 years at ESPN, where she became one of the most recognizable voices covering the NBA, WNBA, and college football.

Throughout her career, Hubbarth has reported from the sidelines of the NBA Finals and Playoffs, hosted ESPN's Hoop Streams, the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, and regularly appeared on SportsCenter, Get Up, First Take, NBA Today, and NBA Countdown. She is also the co-host of ANDMOM, a new podcast with WNBA star Skylar Diggins exploring the realities of motherhood, identity, and high performance through candid conversations with athletes, celebrities, and changemakers.

Widely recognized as the best two-way player in college basketball. During her remarkable 2026 campaign, she became the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year and only the second player in NCAA tournament history (after Ticha Penicheiro) to record a triple-double featuring double-digit steals. 

Hidalgo cemented her legacy with 26 steals in three games during the 2026 tournament, surpassing the previous record of 23, also set by Penicheiro. This season, she also set Notre Dame's single-game scoring record with 44 points, and in the same game broke the NCAA record for single game steals (16), a record also previously held by Penicheiro!

As a Gold Medalist, 3x All-American, and USA Female Basketball Athlete of the Year, Hidalgo embodies the "NEXT UP" spirit, continuing the tradition of excellence established by the game's pioneers.

One of Chicago's premier rising culinary talents, currently serving as the Executive Chef of avec River North and its open-air rooftop sister concept, bar avec, Patel has been recognized by Nation’s Restaurant News on their Chefs “Power List”. Part of the acclaimed One Off Hospitality group, Patel is celebrated for his straightforward, rustic approach to Mediterranean-inspired cuisine and his intentional, community-driven kitchen culture. 

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Tracey worked in New York and San Francisco before becoming the Executive Chef de Cuisine of Stark Reality Restaurants, opening 5 restaurants and a catering department. Currently, as the Chef de Cuisine of Jackson Family Wines she specializes in wine country cuisine and cheese pairings. Her recipes have been published nationally and she is a 3 time winner of Guy's Grocery Games.  She is also the co-author of Season: A Year of Wine Country Food, Farming, Family, and Friends.

A celebrated Ukrainian-American dancer, choreographer, and actor best known for his dynamic, multi-season run as a pro on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, where he won the Mirrorball Trophy in 2014. Beyond the ballroom, his performance career spans Broadway stages (including productions of Burn the Floor and Forever Tango) and acting roles, such as appearing on the medical drama General Hospital.

As an entrepreneur, Chmerkovskiy co-founded Tetya KAPA Napa Valley Vodka alongside winemaker Ian Devereux White and the Napa Valley Distillery. Inspired by a summer residency in the region, he helped create the award-winning, small-batch spirit by blending American winter wheat with sustainably farmed Napa Sauvignon Blanc grapes—a project that honors his Ukrainian heritage and playfully bears the name of his beloved great-aunt, Kapa.

A Chicago-based multi-disciplinary artist and creator of What’s HER Net Worth?™ - an ongoing series utilizing sport nets as stencils to spark conversations around gender equity, value, and visibility in sports.  Her work blends vibrant color, layered texture, and cultural commentary. Through painting, wearable art, and storytelling, Favia creates work that invites dialogue at the intersection of art, sport, fashion, and activism. Favia has been commissioned by and collaborated with the Chicago Sky, the Chicago Bulls, Round21, and other cultural and sports organizations.