Multi-media sports journalist Noa Dalzell is working to create a more positive world by spreading awareness of a community in dire need.
An accomplished journalist, writer and reporter for both the NBA and WNBA across many outlets, including SB Nation, Bleacher Report, and Celtics on CLNS, Dalzell is fully realizing her ambition to address social issues and create change. Through the initiative called “Olive of Gaza,” Dalzell has been able to use her influence to help those who are struggling in Palestine.
Dalzell spoke on why she became a huge part of helping the Gaza community: “I went to college with the intention of working in non-profits and doing social justice. Ultimately, I ended up pursuing a different lifelong dream covering basketball. But I have always had this thought in the back of my mind that I can do something good with [my] platform.”
Over the past few years, because of the active Israeli bombings in Gaza City, many Palestinian families have had to be evacuated to the south. Dalzell’s audience’s donations have helped residents in Olive Camp, a displacement camp in a safer part of Gaza. After repeated bombings, displacements, injuries, and fatalities, Dalzell and her platform have helped hundreds of families.
As a media personality, dealing with her own fair share of toxic replies and comments, she explained the impact that the support of Gaza has had on social media: “It’s shown me the nice side of social media. We can sometimes focus on the negatives and the online hate, but this was an example of the power of social media in a positive way.”
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Dalzell’s Love for the Game of Basketball
Dalzell had two childhood passions: social justice and sports journalism.
She liked reading, learning, and even ice skating as a kid. Above all else, she was absolutely in love with basketball. Being around basketball all her life — her dad, Jon, being a lifelong player — she fell hard for the game at a young age.
“I remember the first time I went to the park, and I made my first layup, and I was like this is so sick!” said Dalzell. “I was never good at sports, but I loved basketball, and so being decent at basketball was a change of pace.”
Shortly after she picked up a basketball for the first time, she started watching basketball games, especially Celtics’ games, since she grew up in Boston.
Dalzell became obsessed with watching games, reading articles, and even keeping up with Rajon Rondo’s assist numbers. “I look back and I can’t believe how much energy I wasted as a kid. It wasn’t normal for a young kid to be doing that. So, I started a Celtics [fan] site when I was 11.
“I updated that site every single day with news, analysis, and latest developments. Also, I had some hot takes; actually, terrible takes.”
Dalzell applied for every NBA writer position known to mankind. Bleacher Report had an opening for an NBA writer, but “surprisingly” she was rejected via email, due to her being 13 years old.
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Becoming a Celtics Fan
Dalzell still regrets becoming a fan of the Celtics a year too late, the year after they won the title. She eventually was able to experience the Celtics winning a championship in 2024 as a reporter, but she never got the experience as a fan.
“I became a fan of the Celtics in ‘09, a year after they won the title,” she said. “During the year they won the title, I didn’t even know they existed. So, I wanted to see them win again; by the time they won another title, I was a reporter.”
Her passion for the Celtics came at a cost. “The 2010 finals were heartbreaking. Even though they didn’t go all the way, there were some pretty fun moments that I got to watch. Paul Pierce hitting that game-winner against the Heat was a trademark moment.”
On the Court
The devotion Noa Dalzell had for basketball wasn’t just limited to watching games, reading articles, and making sure Chris Paul wasn’t challenging Rondo for the assist title; the love of the game led her to start playing organized basketball in sixth grade.
“I became obsessed with it,” she said. “I played all four years in high school. My Senior year was easily my best season.” Dalzell never dropped a 50-burger, but she did have eight threes in one game; a self-proclaimed three-point specialist indeed.
After high school, Dalzell attended undergrad, as well as grad school, at Northeastern University. There, she received a master’s degree in public administration, while working a full-time job, maintaining a 4.0 GPA, and playing club basketball.
Making the Switch to Journalism
Dalzell didn’t begin her career in sports journalism, since she was more focused on how she could make a positive impact on the lives of others. As a political science student, she attended climate conferences and worked as an environmental lobbyist before shifting her professional focus.
She would make the full-time switch at the perfect time. “The year the Celtics won the title in 2024, I was actually a full-time plant-based food lobbyist,” she said. “I was covering the Celtics on the side, and the joy it brought me every day being around basketball, and that community, [ultimately] became the reason I made the switch.”
Embracing a sacrifice mindset, Dalzell started her journalism career, taking on every opportunity that came her way (even if that meant losing countless hours of sleep). “I thought to myself, maybe at some point I will make enough money through all of these freelancing gigs to be able to do this full-time,” she explained.
Her insane workload spoke to her work ethic and commitment: “I was writing for like six different organizations. I was working for SB Nation, Celtics Blog, Hardwood Houdini, Fansided, and The Next for women’s basketball, covering the Connecticut Sun. I was totally drowning.”
Ultimately, those lost hours of sleep paid off. Those freelancing gigs gave her the opening to cover the aforementioned Celtics’ 2024 championship; it was her “I’ve made it” moment.
“Being a beat writer for that championship meant there were more eyes on my work. People were seeing me ask questions at the finals,” she said.
Eleven-year-old Noa was gleaming.
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For an NBA fan, watching their team reach the mountaintop is amazing, but watching them reach the mountaintop as a credentialed reporter can be absolutely exhilarating. Dalzell experienced that and more on the night the Celtics won the NBA Finals.
A Jaylen Brown Story
“The night that the Celtics won the title, Jaylen Brown came back at like 5:00 in the morning to TD Garden,” said Dalzell. “He had been partying all night, and I think he came back for a change of clothes or something.
“A few reporters and I were still writing, and we were exhausted from the moment, and we started playing basketball; the court was all covered in confetti. He was carrying his finals MVP trophy around and just kept saying, ‘wow, what a beautiful sight,’ and he was just so happy that we were all playing. That was a special moment.”
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Full-Time Coverage
Dalzell would end up receiving multiple job offers — one being with SB Nation as a full-time WNBA reporter and writer. She would make the proverbial jump to cover basketball full-time in the middle of last year’s WNBA season, living out her lifelong dream, continuing her coverage of the recently crowned champions.
Since becoming a full-time basketball reporter and writer, Dalzell has not only experienced the Celtics’ championship but also the New York Liberty’s basketball glory. She recalled her favorite moments covering the sport.
“Being in the building for each of those two Finals definitely takes the cake for sure. I would also say interviewing Courtney Williams’ dad and being able to tell his story [was special].”
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Dalzell was able to find a connection between the WNBA and the NBA when Natalie Nakase was shadowing Celtics Head Coach Joe Mazzula. “I was like, wait a second, is that Natalie Nakase? What is she doing at Celtics practice? Getting to go behind the scenes and tell that story was super rewarding,” she said.
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Award Voter
On the WNBA side of things, Dalzell has the distinct honor of being a voter for the WNBA Awards —she is one of 72 voters in the media.
Dalzell had Veronica Burton, A’ja Wilson, Alanna Smith, Natalie Nakase, and Natisha Hiedeman all winning their respective awards this season.
Dalzell talked about how she became a voter: “Honestly, I really don’t know; they just reached out to me and asked if I would be a media voter. I was thrilled when they asked me, and it’s something I took very seriously.”
CBA Negotiations
As seen during the All-Star game, the WNBA’s ongoing CBA negotiation discourse has taken command of this season. “I didn’t really agree with all the backlash the players received at the [All-Star] game. I’m not an expert on CBA negotiations, but from what I understand, the demands seem to be reasonable.
“We’ve seen the league become more profitable in recent years. I don’t think we want to see a lockout come, but these players deserve to be making more than they are.”
Room for Improvement
As the media world transforms, journalists must show continuous improvement in the growing industry. Dalzell said she there’s a few things she wants to improve on while she grows as a journalist: “I don’t know if I’m going to do a whole lot of it, because at the end of the day, you want to focus on your niche. Something I’d like to add to my arsenal would be high-level play breakdowns and learning the terminology.”
Good Where She’s At
Dalzell plans to stay right where she is, covering the WNBA and the Boston Celtics.
She has been busy recently starting a podcast called WNBA Today. “I’m good where I’m at,” she said. “Honestly, I’ve got the perfect set up. I love being able to cover the WNBA and the Celtics. I couldn’t have designed it better. It’s great that I can write and do video and audio content. People ask me what my dream job is, and it’s exactly what I’m doing right now. I would not change anything.”
She continues to use her platform to play a significant role in the Gaza Community, helping with contributions and spreading awareness. She’s living the best of both worlds, using her public platform to help a community in dire need, while simultaneously fulfilling childhood career ambitions.
Every step along Dalzell’s journey has played a major part in what she does now. Her character and career experiences have helped cast her into the spotlight of the basketball journalism industry.
“Human instincts go a long way, and human ethics,” said Dalzell. “A lot of times, journalism is human judgment and figuring out what makes a player tick. How can I connect with this person, rather than making our conversation feel transactional?
“So, I think of all the skills I learned in life, whether it was being a teammate, a basketball captain, a lobbyist, a friend, or [my waitressing job]. It all helped me build that experience as a person in the journalism profession. Even though I didn’t take journalism classes, I still built those skills.”
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