Atlanta Dream goalkeeper Aerial Powers plays on the field and virtually — Andscape

Memorial Day weekend was different than a normal holiday meal for Atlanta Dream guard Aerial Powers and his father Juan. As Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals began, the Powers family looked down at the feet of Boston Celtics guard Jayson Tatum as he sported his “Camo” Player Edition of the Jordan Tatum 2.

Powers designed the colorway with Jordan in homage to his father, a sergeant in the Marine Corps.

“It’s a moment I’ll never forget,” Powers said. “Jayson Tatum is one of my favorite basketball players. It really meant a lot to me that he wore these shoes in one of the biggest games of his life, not because it was Tatum, but because these shoes are a thank you to my dad and everyone veterans.

The 2016 All-Rookie team member credits her father for his work ethic and attack strategy in dealing with adversity.

“Having Tatum wear these shoes meant a lot to me and my family and it gave me a feeling of inspiration to keep going even with a grudge against me, especially after everything I went through last year not not playing as much,” Power said.

Before being traded to the Atlanta Dream in February, Powers played for the Minnesota Lynx for three seasons. She was a starter for the team, but as the 2023 season progressed, she occasionally played five minutes. Powers is now a starting guard for the Dream, averaging 8.3 points and three rebounds per game.

Even though her minutes fluctuate, Powers is still eager to create outfits around her favorite Jordan 1 colorways for drop-in photos. When Powers saw Tatum in her PE, it inspired Powers, who won a WNBA championship in 2019 with the Washington Mystics, to continue her quest for a second championship. As Powers watched Game 5, she continued to text and call her dad.

“Seeing one of the best players in my shoe reminded me and my dad how hard we worked to get to this point and for me to continue to have success in this league” , Powers said.

The inspiration for the Tatum 2 “Camo” is closely tied to different parts of Powers’ life since middle school, starting with his introduction to video games. Growing up, Powers did not get along with his younger brother Juan Jr. One day, over the course of a few weeks, Powers noticed his brother playing video games and talking into headphones.

“Who are you talking to about this?” Powers asked.

His brother explained that he was playing Call of Duty online with strangers.

“Come on, man, show me, show me!” » Powers said.

Juan Jr. showed Powers how to play, and she said she fell in love immediately.

“My dad finally came over and said, ‘You guys are too quiet in here,’” Powers said. “He was surprised at how well we got along. My dad’s a Marine at heart, so he naturally loves Call of Duty, too. The next day, he came home with two more Xboxes and two new headsets. We were in this little house, and my mom was going crazy with all the noise. We were yelling into the headsets but sitting next to each other. It’s been a part of my life ever since.”

Powers has turned her love of gaming into an advocate for female gamers. She started out representing the esports organization Team Liquid by leading their diversity and inclusion efforts and is now a co-owner. She is also a brand ambassador for HyperX and is heavily involved in the Global Esports Federation.

During the coronavirus pandemic, she bonded with her future teammate, Dream guard Allisha Gray, as they played Call of Duty and NBA 2K together.

“During the pandemic, we would start playing at 10 p.m. and not finish until 3 a.m.,” Powers said. “I would get up, go to practice and then come back on the field for about three hours.”

Powers also uses avatars in her games to express her creativity in fashion and sneakers. Creating her My Player reminds her that there is still much work to be done to advance women’s equality.

“You can buy WNBA jerseys and T-shirts for your players during the game and put whatever sneakers you want on them,” Powers said. “But I think we can go even further to help girls get involved by hosting charity events, tournaments and STEM programs to encourage them to focus on the game.”