Jordan Robinson wakes up and checks her phone. Not to see who was victorious in the WNBA the previous night, for fashion tips, or even the specifics on the latest Alyssa Thomas triple-double, but to ensure her blood sugar levels are at a good number.
She takes a huge gulp of water that was set by her bedside the night before. She then instinctively calculates the carbs and the number registered on her phone, which is connected to her continuous glucose monitor (CGM), and administers insulin through her insulin pump. Doing this before she eats breakfast allows her to enjoy her food and avoid blood sugar spikes; this is the typical Type 1 diabetic routine, and something that I go through every day myself, twice, in fact.
I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes two days before my sixth birthday, and my son was diagnosed seven months ago. I wouldn’t wish Type 1 Diabetes on anyone, especially a child; neither would Robinson. The constant pricks, sugar-free treats at birthday parties, and sitting on the bench at basketball games due to blood sugar levels don’t tell the full story. Thankfully, Robinson got to enjoy her childhood at full capacity.
Once I learned that Robinson was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, I felt a rush of motivation.
I know there are other diabetics out there, but not THE Jordan Robinson that I listen to on Spotify almost every day at work. It couldn’t be. Unfortunately, it is.
Who Is Jordan Robinson?
“Girly”, as Robinson’s family called her since she was a little girl, grew up in Sacramento, CA. She was probably one of the few kids in the world who enjoyed homework. She would get jealous if her two older siblings had homework and she didn’t.
Robinson’s parents met in high school. Her dad played football and her mom was a cheerleader. Her dad went on to play for UC Davis. There was a competitive nature that was instilled in Robinson at a very young age, and it wasn’t strictly limited to family game nights.
“My dad was my coach growing up,” said Robinson. “I started playing basketball because of my brother. We were one of the only houses on the block that had a hoop. Everyone came to our house to hoop on weekends or after school. It was always this vibe of competitiveness. It was no surprise that I played basketball, not only in my childhood, but also in college.”
An Absolute Stud on the Court
The first time Robinson played on an organized basketball team was at the age of five, as a member of a coed squad. A baller at a young age, she wanted nothing more than to be the number one option.
“We were the Lakers, but we didn’t even have jerseys, we just had t-shirts,” Robinson said. “There was this boy on the team, and he was such a ball-hog. I remember saying to him that you have to pass the ball. He would say no I’m the best player. Then I would say, no, I’m the best player. I would like go steal the ball away from my own teammate.”
Ironically, she’s still fighting for gender equality in the WNBA media space today.
Committed Hoops Fan
Robinson’s love and passion for playing basketball was fueled by her dedicated fandom to the Los Angeles Lakers — asking her dad a million questions, while they watched Kobe and Shaq do their thing — and the Sacramento Monarchs.
“It was so important to have the Monarchs in my hometown,” said Robinson. “I got to see those WNBA games and see the growth, see that championship [when I was in 5th grade] that the Monarchs won in 2005. So, to be able to cover the WNBA now is such a full-circle moment.”
Meeting Her Hero
The Sacramento Monarchs were a fun team to watch in the early 2000s. They were led by franchise point guard Ticha Penicheiro. She was known for her flashy playmaking skills and competitiveness, especially on the defensive side of the court.
Penicheiro led the Monarchs to their first WNBA championship in 2005. She was a four-time WNBA All-Star and a three-time All-WNBA selection. For a young girl growing up in Sacramento, Penicheiro was the perfect player to admire.
“I wanted to be in the WNBA growing up,” said Robinson. “[Penicheiro] signing my jersey and being able to meet my hero was so crazy. Now to have her number on my phone, and to be able to talk to her and [Penicheiro] knowing who I am, is so crazy to me.”
“I still feel like that little girl who was such a point guard, and a fan girl of one of my favorite players.”
Star Player in High School
As a freshman, Robinson played on the River City High School varsity team. As the starting point guard for all four years, she helped her team win the first conference championship in school history in her junior year. For her efforts, she was honored with Conference Player of the Year that same year.
“It is still the best team that has ever been a part of River City, and no one has gotten close yet,” said Robinson. “So, that’s my claim to fame. I was the starting point guard all four years and was able to get a scholarship because of it,” she said.
Robinson would graduate from River City in 2012.
Uncertainty About Sports Writing
While basketball had dominated her junior high and high school years, Robinson’s initial instinct was to shy away from sports writing.
“At [Point Loma Nazarene University], I was playing basketball and studying journalism,” she said. “Basketball was so much a part of my life, but I didn’t want to write about it. I wanted to write about fashion, lifestyle, and people.”
“My professor, Dean Nelson, said to me, Don’t limit yourself, you have the foundation of great writing and storytelling, you can cover anything,” said Robinson.
That advice would motivate her to ensure she had the basics of journalism and the genuine desire to write about an expanded range of topics.
Dipping Into Sports Journalism
Robinson would spend many semesters interning for San Diego Magazine, majoring in journalism and women’s studies. She would graduate from college in 2016. After completing her degrees, Robinson became an editor for LOCALE Magazine. Her history of playing basketball and watching it closely allowed her to feel comfortable transitioning to sports coverage.
“I started gravitating towards the sports stories,” said Robinson. “Anytime an athlete would come across the desk, I wanted to interview them. [Always having that experience playing], I felt like I connected with the athletes. I had a special connection with their drive and competitiveness that resonated with them,” she said.
Life Changing Health Scare
Shortly after completing her degree, 2017 would bring a whole new challenge to the forefront of Robinson’s life. She started to lose weight, feeling sick, and she had an addiction to sugar. When she was admitted into the hospital, her blood sugar was 400.
“Being a Type 1 diabetic has changed my life,” Robinson said. “Especially since I was diagnosed at age 23. I was able to have a ‘normal’ childhood.”
“Diabetes is not easy; it’s an every hour/every minute job. Since I’ve been through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows literally, I feel like I can get through anything.”
First Sports Journalism Focused Gig
Once she got healthy, and now jam-packed with information about this new disease that got thrown at her, Robinson would not let diabetes get in the way of her goals.
Her hard work, consistency, and professionalism at LOCALE would be instrumental and lead her to her first real taste in sports journalism; she earned a job at The Ringer, working as a fact checker.
“I was able to read some of the best sports writing in the country,” Robinson said. “I think The Ringer has incredible reporters. As a fact checker, I was able to read all their work. It was so cool how uniquely the writers covered the sport. It wasn’t just who won the game and the box score. There were so many nuances to sports writing that I learned during my time there.”
WNBA Coverage Off the Clock
While at The Ringer, she showcased her undeniable dedication to providing comprehensive women’s basketball coverage. The Ringer didn’t have women’s basketball as a focal point on their website. So, Robinson took it upon herself to make a change.
“In 2018, I started pitching stories after my shift as a fact checker,” she said. “I would write WNBA listicles or stories about the finals. That led me to my first feature story on Napheesa Collier winning the Rookie of the Year.”
Hesitation Leads to…
Robinson would eventually leave The Ringer to seek other opportunities. Contemplating what the next step would be for her and her career, she wound up at a startup focused on youth sports called MOJO.
The goal of MOJO, a youth sports app, was to provide parents with the necessary tools to coach their children; Robinson was a part of the basketball department. She would make practice plans for parents and give them tips and tricks as they coached.
“That was a lot of fun,” said Robinson. “It reminded me of my childhood, since I started playing basketball when I was five, but I thought I was done with writing. I didn’t think it was for me.”
Little did Robinson know her curiosity in youth sports would lead to bigger and better things in journalism. Robinson would spend almost a year at MOJO, helping parents and young children succeed in youth sports. During that time, she started to receive a few freelance opportunities. One of those was to interview WNBA all-time great Candace Parker about her parenting podcast for Romper Magazine.
“After getting that freelance gig with Candace Parker, I kind of fell in love with freelancing,” said Robinson. “It was this transition of covering a ton of players and the WNBA, kind of broadly [at The Ringer], and then moving into a freelance space. That was also when I started my podcast Spinsters, with Haley O’Shaughnessy. We covered the NBA mostly in that show.”
Robinson started pitching more ideas to various outlets that weren’t covering the WNBA. That’s how she got her opportunities. Her persistence would pay off and she eventually was able to work full time as a freelance writer.
Dreams Come True
Before the 2023 WNBA season, Robinson launched a podcast called Queens of the Court. She didn’t know at the time that she would soon be living a dream, not only hosting one of the first successful women’s basketball shows but also sharing the responsibilities of cohosting the show with an all-time great WNBA player.
“We had a list of cohosts, and Sheryl [Swoopes] was at the top of that list,” said Robinson. “We did two full seasons of Queens of the Court, and we kind of morphed it into the Women’s Hoop Show for this season, where now we have rotating cohosts.”
“We open it up to all women’s basketball, so it’s not just about the WNBA. We touch on college, Unrivaled, and overseas. We really try to get into everything about women’s basketball, not just the WNBA. So, that was the reason for expanding and changing the name of Queens of the Court,” she said.
Sheryl Swoopes was the first ever signed WNBA player. She became a three-time MVP and a four-time WNBA champion with the Houston Comets. Swoopes was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. She was an absolute legend on the court.
“It’s been a dream [to work with Swoopes],” said Robinson. “Sheryl is so smart. The experience she speaks about has taught me so much. How she can see the game and contextualize it based off being one of the greatest to ever play the game, it’s so cool. It has been so fun to talk with her, bounce ideas off her, and laugh with her. It has been a complete joy and blast, and now she is one of my dear friends.”
The perspective that Swoopes provides as a former WNBA great puts a whole new level to those conversations. Swoopes saying that she’s never seen anybody play like A’ja Wilson adds way more to the perspective; one of the reasons that makes her an incredible addition to the Audacy network.
Career Highlight
Robinson’s amazing rise in the freelancing industry has allowed her to have some unforgettable experiences and pinch-me moments over the course of her career.
Recently, she hosted the Orange Carpet at the 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend.
“I have this love for fashion that started early,” said Robinson. “So, being able to talk fashion and basketball with all the best players in the league was such a pinch-me moment. It allowed me to interview players in a more calm and relaxed setting and build that trust with the players. I hope they ask me to host every year,” she said.
She also mentioned that she got to ask A’ja Wilson about her new shoe and everyone wearing it, and received a funny response from Rhyne Howard, who “was there to party”.
Huge Accomplishment
On top of meeting and interviewing the biggest stars in the WNBA, Robinson would dive deeper into the broadened story of women’s basketball by starting her first book.
As a young journalist, I’ve always wondered what it’s like to write a book on sports. Is it consuming all your time? How much research goes into it? Are you really coming up with that many words? (I’m struggling just to come up with the words for this piece!)
I would love to write a book one day about basketball specifically. I would certainly be up for that challenge and all the intricacies that go along with writing that many words. When I saw Robinson’s Instagram post about her new book coming out, I was exhilarated.
Robinson’s story won’t be your typical WNBA-driven book. Co-written with Sports Illustrated’s Emma Baccellieri, the book will be about how women’s basketball has evolved each decade since the 1800s. The book will feature stories and pictures that will leave you mind-blown as you progress through its 250 pages.
“[The book] happened in a [non-traditional] way,” explained Robinson. “I was approached by a literary agent, who was approached by Black Dog and Leventhal, and they wanted me to come up with a women’s basketball book. Usually, I would be the one pitching, so it wasn’t normal. We would research in libraries, and we just went and said, ‘What are the most important things in this time period?’ Then we would each write a 500-to-1000-word essay on each topic, which made it way easier.”
I will be buying this book and enjoying every second of it. It will be so interesting to learn about the trailblazers of women’s basketball.
@heyjordanrobinson Can’t wait for you all to see it. It’s really, really cool. DM your email if you want to be apart of the blast once the pre-order link is live!!! #wnba #booktok #blackauthorsoftiktok
Overcoming Obstacles
Last May, Robinson launched a podcast called She’s Got Next, where she interviews the biggest names in the WNBA and gives fans an inside look at the league.
One morning, shortly before a big interview was set to take place, Robinson found herself struggling with her blood sugar levels.
“I had a horrible low in the morning, and I still had to interview Kelsey Plum,” Robinson said. “Rather than my usual preparation for the interview, I was sitting on the floor, drinking a juice box, trying to get my numbers up. Nothing was working. I was not 100 percent for that interview, because my energy was taken through all of that.”
She absolutely aced that interview; I’ve listened to that episode multiple times. You would never know she was having health challenges earlier that day. It was a testament to her strength as a Type 1 Diabetic.
The Go-to Option
The WNBA has grown exponentially in the last few years, as we all know. Before this recent ascension, companies were unsure how to cover the WNBA.
Outlets would have full-time football and basketball coverage for men, but not so much for women’s basketball. Women like Jordan Robinson have done a phenomenal job growing the game under their own brands.
“[Companies] would look me up and call me, and ask if I can speak about the WNBA,” said Robinson. “I think being able to hop around and be that person for multiple agencies and different organizations has been huge. Now we are seeing that people are building out shows and have a robust community.”
Future Goals
Robinson hasn’t even scratched the surface yet. Her rapid start in the women’s basketball community is nothing short of remarkable. It shouldn’t be taken lightly how deserving she is to be one of the leading independent women’s basketball journalists in the industry.
“This whole experience, being a freelancer, has shown me that the possibilities are truly endless,” said Robinson. “I went into this thinking I would be a magazine print editor, now I’m a podcaster, writer, and on-camera host.”
“You know, is there a women’s basketball TV show I could pitch? Can I consult on different marketing campaigns? I think it’s going to be so fun to continue carving out a name for myself in this women’s basketball space.”
An Impactful Person On and Off the Hardwood
Robinson has shown she is a prominent voice and story-teller in women’s basketball. She has proved that she is a voice that’s needed in women’s basketball coverage.
Whether she’s using her voice in her podcast, writing a book, or interacting with players, she has absolutely crushed this industry. This is only the beginning of her career. She is bound to do so much more in this space.
After her diagnosis with diabetes, she demonstrated a new level of resilience. Since her diagnosis, she has channeled her energy into advocating for fellow people with diabetes, proving that the condition does not have to define or limit their potential.
As a success story in women’s basketball coverage, Robinson has shown that her true impact is off the court, where she continues to advocate for others with Type 1 Diabetes. For Robinson, managing her health isn’t a detour in her career path, but an integral part of the story she must tell.
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