NEW YORK – The BIG EAST Conference will host its eighth annual Transition Game Program Sept. 16-17 in New York City. The in-person, interactive weekend aims to assist current women’s basketball student-athletes in the transition from college player to emerging professional, both on and off the court. Notable guest speakers slated to participate include Keia Clarke, Chief Executive Officer for the WNBA’s New York Liberty, and Terri Carmichael Jackson, Executive Director of the Women's National Basketball Players Association.
BIG EAST schools will send women’s basketball student-athletes who have been selected at the institution’s discretion. More than 30 student-athletes are expected to attend, along with leaders from across the conference’s campus administrations.
“We are proud that Transition Game has become a much anticipated experience for our women’s basketball student-athletes,” said Jackie Campbell, BIG EAST Sr. Associate Commissioner, Women’s Basketball and Strategic Initiatives. “We believe this program offers a unique opportunity for them to learn from a diverse group of professionals, many of whom are graduates of BIG EAST institutions. Our impressive roster of speakers will impart valuable information about life after graduation and help to develop skills to be successful in their post-college journeys.”
The BIG EAST Transition Game schedule will include panels and segments comprised of former BIG EAST standouts; WNBA and collegiate leaders from the court, the sidelines and in the front office; respected media personalities; and leaders in the business and finance world. Student-athletes will enjoy interactive sessions on mental health, communications, financial literacy and interviewing skills. The program will include a visit to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, as well as dinner at a renowned New York City steakhouse.
Following opening remarks from Campbell, attendees will hear from BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman along with the Liberty’s Clarke. Ackerman and Clarke will provide their unique insights into being executives in the world of sports.
A BIG EAST Alumnae Player Panel will follow, which includes Anna Martin, a former DePaul standout who is now the Director of Global Communications for Nike; Mary Shaw, a successful entrepreneur and former Butler women’s basketball student-athlete; Shenneika Smith, a highly decorated former St. John’s player who has transitioned from playing professionally to coaching at her alma mater; and Faith Woodard, a former captain of the Georgetown women’s basketball team who now shines on-camera as an evening news anchor.
Former Penn basketball standout Kim Adams, a veteran broadcaster of the likes of FOX Sports and CBS Sports Network, will serve as moderator for the discussion with Ackerman and Clarke, as well as the player panel.
The student-athletes will then hear from Angie Bennett, Vice President of Sales and Senior Instructor for Dardis Communications, Inc. Bennett will host a discussion on communicating with impact. The student-athletes will gain skills and learn tips that will be put into practice on Sunday morning, when Cheryl Gelzer Alexis, J.D., facilitates an activity entitled: Selling Yourself.
Saturday’s sessions will close out with Dr. Alfiee M. Breland-Noble (aka Dr. Alfiee), a sought-after speaker, media personality, researcher and consultant. Dr. Alfiee is an expert in teen, young adult and family mental health. She appears on and collaborates with major media outlets, including CNN, MSNBC/Peacock, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Breakfast Club nationally syndicated show and dozens of others. Dr. Alfiee is a licensed psychologist and clinical investigator and is recognized nationally as a gifted scientist, public speaker and author. She is the founder of the AAKOMA Project, a thriving Woman of Color led mental health nonprofit.
Adams will return Sunday morning to host a conversation entitled “An Inside Look into the WNBA and Beyond,” which will feature the WNBPA’s Carmichael Jackson, who is a graduate of Georgetown.
Also on Sunday, the student-athletes will hear from Eric Smith, a national financial presenter and the founder of The Financial Literacy Coach. Throughout the weekend, student-athletes will have the opportunity to have their resumes reviewed, professional headshots taken and the ability to network with each other and professionals from across various industries.