In addition to being an outstanding forward with the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream, Monique Billings is a TV analyst and model. All of her skills come together in her latest assignment, working as a coach on the Obsesh (obsesh.com) video platform. Obsesh connects athletes with their fans and enables aspiring athletes to get both customized feedback and words of wisdom from professional athletes.
Billings looks forward to discussing basketball skills, mental preparation and overall insights into the game as well as additional content to be added as the platform develops. As of now, people can book Monique for a private video about skills, fitness, food and fuel, mental preparation, going pro and general inspiration.
“I think of when I was 12 years old, junior high, high school, I wish I could have had a platform like this to be able to connect with my favorite athletes, women who inspire me,” said Billings, who played her college ball at UCLA before being drafted by the Dream in 2018. “My ultimate purpose is to be the person I needed when I was younger, a woman I would have looked up to.
“I’ve always wanted to bridge the gap between women’s athletics and everyday womanhood,” she continued. “I want to empower women and girls to know that you can be strong and you can be beautiful at the same time.”
Billings, who is soon heading to Australia to play during the WNBA’s off-season, is in frequent conversation with Obsesh about the kind of content she wants to develop. There is even an option where someone can upload a video of herself or himself and receive customized feedback from Billings. She is looking forward to being a mentor and providing motivation to “be better than yesterday.”
The Atlanta Dream players have been recognized for their extraordinary political activism, playing a huge role in the election of Sen. Raphael Warnock. Just last week, the Dream were honored with two community awards in recognition for their social justice work: the Clio Sports’ Impact Award and Athlete Ally’s Action Award. In July, the team was named Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year at the Sports Humanitarian Awards. HBO’s “Level Playing Field” presented an episode on the Dream’s activism.
“There are so many different ways to have an impact. It’s very important to find what that means to you,” said Billings, who is excited to play for the Dream’s new coach, Tanisha Wright, who joins Vickie Johnson and Noelle Quinn of the Seattle Storm as Black female coaches in the WNBA.
Other female athletes on Obsesh are boxer Keisher “Fire” McLeod, and track Olympians Khamica Bingham and Sparkle McKnight.