Talent Director Gives Insight on WNBA Strategy, How College Stars Can Boost NIL Value

The name of the game with NIL in college sports is typically being a high-power star on a competitive team, be it college football or men’s or women’s basketball.

An underrated value that college athletes can bring to name, image, and likeness partnerships is an ability to market themselves, on-camera savviness that will actually draw in target audiences, or personal journeys told through NIL deals.

The NIL market is also, unfortunately, not really one that highlights greater inclusivity, equitable compensation, and accurate representation of BIPOC athletes and creators—the latter of whom are forgotten college students eligible to monetize their name, image, and likeness. 

Director of Talent for Kensington Grey, Deneka Dousant, is creating a new blueprint for WNBA partnerships that have a focus on culture and the unique journeys of each creator or athlete, and she shared that strategy and insights with NIL Daily On SI. 

She initially carved out a space in the marketing and creator landscape with an emphasis on women of color being paid the same as their counterparts with equal engagement, such as deals with beauty companies. 

Her agency represents college students, top creators, WNBA stars, and more, though she leaves the on-court contracts to traditional agencies. Dousant set out to leverage opportunities in the beauty, fashion, and wellness space that tell the stories of the women creating the content.

“When we’re looking to partner with a company like Fenty, maybe it’s not even about the makeup; maybe it’s the skincare prep and caring for their hair,” Dousant explained. “There are so many more elements that we can come to the table with, with athletes, and it also comes from their personal stories. We rep Black and Brown creators who have their own hair journeys. They have issues, for example, when they sweat a lot and aren’t just able to use the products in the shower or locker room and always have to bring their own. It’s the little things like that we’re trying to carve out. We want it to resonate with viewers sitting down watching their stories as well, who are often athletes themselves.”

Dousant is intentional in the partnerships she cultivates, especially in the WNBA, as she’s focusing on brands that are already showing up for the stars. As the playbook for companies shifts, so does the strategy.

Serena Williams recently became the co-owner of the Toronto-based WNBA team, with Sephora as their official partner. Every announcement they make is now presented by Sephora, making that a prime pitch for athletes in the WNBA for companies known to partner with them already.

While highlighting the stories behind the creators is a focus, there’s also a need for talent that knows how to make an impression on social media. Dousant used the example of NBA player Jared McCain, who is great at incorporating brand content in a fun way.

“I’m not saying I want to go out and sign the top player, but they don’t know how to hit record or aren’t natural on camera,” Dousant explained. “I’m actually looking for creators and the type of talent that comes through as content-first, because we still want to be able to deliver quality to our brands. I’ve signed really big names in the space in the past, but it didn't translate when it came time to feature a product in their content or make it sound genuine, like they actually use it; there was a big disconnect. You can sign the biggest name, but then it falls flat when it's time to record content.” 

Dousant is poised to make waves by capitalizing on the timing and synergy with brands showing up, but she makes a critical point about the ability for stars to market themselves and translate content into engagement and sales or whatever the desired end goal may be.

While the company focuses on BIPOC stars entering the WNBA, college stars can take these lessons and apply them in their NIL endeavors. Arguably, taking marketing courses and learning how to leverage name, image, and likeness is as critical to brand deals as on-court success can be.