Ashley Reid, who played four years of Division I college basketball, is now presenting the pressing issues of today’s collegiate athletes through social media and the podcast “The College Cut” by EssentiallySports. In a recent three-part interview with University of Florida players KN’isha Godfrey and Me’Arah O’Neal (now on YouTube), they discussed how name, image, and likeness (NIL) opportunities are affecting their college basketball experience.
“When I was in college … I knew a lot of athletes probably didn’t have a plan for after they graduate in terms of what they’re going to do,” said Reid. “Now, with NIL [and] athletes making money from this, they have a little cushion so when they graduate college, they probably have some savings. I love the opportunity that all of them have, because we didn’t have that.”
After graduating with a degree in mathematics and computer science, Reid worked in the computer field, as well as playing basketball professionally. In 2024, she began working in content creation. She started posting fitness videos (we.gettin_fitty on Instagram).
“It kind of grew an audience,” said Reid. “I thought, I love basketball, so let me include basketball. I found a way — going to games, creating content at the games; having a way to be involved in basketball from the sidelines.”
After working with the Bleacher Report and the NBA, Reid became head of social media for EssentiallySports in October 2025, which describes itself as the home for underserved sports fans. “We cover stories that not everybody is talking about,” said Reid. “Maybe the underappreciated athlete … We find those smaller stories, and those stories are interesting. I like grabbing those stories and finding a way to create a post or reel out of it and putting it on Instagram.”
NIL is a pressing issue. In her conversation with Godfrey and O’Neal, they discuss how they consider opportunities and balance those with their obligations to school and sport, as well as how they’re saving and investing their earnings.
“Women tend to open up and show more personality than men do,” said Reid, who hopes to travel to more schools in 2026. “Social media is changing in the way where people want to see genuineness, behind-the-scenes, and people’s personalities. I tell women [to] record ‘a day in the life’ with a voiceover. They should express their voice … That attracts a lot of brands.”