Tamryn Spruill
Columnist, Fmr. Site Manager
Tamryn Spruill is an author and freelance journalist covering women’s basketball, with issues of gender, race and sexuality central to her reporting. She has followed the WNBA since its 1997 inception, and she is writing a book about its exciting history through the lens of the passionate, persevering and powerful women who make the league up: COURT QUEENS: The Story of the WNBA's Power, Passion and Perseverance On and Off the Court (ABRAMS 2022). Spruill’s bylines include Harper’s BAZAAR, The New York Times, SLAM, ZORA, Teen Vogue, The Athletic and Swish Appeal, where she served as editor-in-chief from 2018, when hired as the first woman to hold that position, and 2021, when she stepped down from the role to finish her book. Spruill has appeared in interviews as an expert source for NPR’s All Things Considered, Fox Sports’ First Sports in the Morning, The Julie DiCaro Show on 670 The Score and Bleacher Report. She holds Bachelor’s degrees in Spanish and Journalism (University of South Carolina) and a Master’s of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (Goddard College).
This stream has:
Around the NCAAW Weekly
Check out the milestones, surprises and outstanding performances from the last week in NCAA women’s basketball, brought to you by Zack Ward.
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‘Three Up, Three Down’ Fantasy Hub
All things WNBA fantasy courtesy of Eric Nemchock.
The Hard Screen: “Chiney Ogwumike’s ‘144’ is a revolutionary work of journalistic art”
Tamryn Spruill of "The Hard Screen" reviews the new ESPN documentary "144."
Column: Snapshots from a WNBA preseason that nobody watched
An early peek at retooled teams is a sport all its own for WNBA fans waiting several months to watch their favorite teams again. But no preseason games were broadcast ahead of the 2021 season, leaving impressions to be formed from clips, interviews and box scores. Tamryn Spruill launches her Tam’s Take column with insights into every team in the runup to the start of the league’s 25th anniversary season.
‘Count It’: An exclusive look into the WNBA’s 25th-anniversary season
A new logo saluting Title IX, initiatives honoring WNBA legends and women’s basketball pioneers and fans returning to arenas for the 2021 WNBA season highlight the features of the league’s 25th-anniversary season. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert gave our Tamryn Spruill an exclusive peek into the league’s quickly-approaching historic season.
Swish Appeal editor-in-chief steps down to finish writing book about the WNBA
After three years as Swish Appeal editor-in-chief, Tamryn Spruill — the first woman, Black woman and gay woman to hold the position — is stepping down to finish writing a book about the WNBA. COURT QUEENS: The WNBA’s Story of Power, Passion, and Perseverance On and Off the Court is forthcoming from ABRAMS Books in 2022.
Gabby Williams muscles into the mainstream
WNBA fans are used to seeing Gabby Williams "show some muscle" in her Chicago Sky blue uniform. Now, a new partnership with Ford gives her the platform to smash outdated gender mandates and send a powerful message on women’s equality.
ALL 12 ROSTERS | WNBA FREE AGENCY 2021
WNBA free agency in 2021 already has featured blockbuster player movement and Mikiah Herbert Harrigan and Katie Lou Samuelson to the Seattle Storm are just the latest. The free agency signing period began Feb. 1 and Swish Appeal is tracking the 12 teams’ rosters — all one one page.
Preview: No. 2 UConn vs. No. 1 South Carolina in battle of redemption
One year ago almost to the day, the Connecticut Huskies allowed the South Carolina Gamecocks to pick up a first-ever win against them. Can Paige Bueckers, the top-ranked freshman recruit, pile on the points to help the No. 2 Huskies vindicate that loss? Or will the super sophomores of South Carolina, Aliyah Boston and Zia Cooke, help prove why they’ve reclaimed the No. 1 ranking and are anything but a fluke?
Clarendon on being ‘magically trans,’ fighting anti-trans legislation
After announcing on Jan. 29 that they had undergone successful top surgery, New York Liberty guard Layshia Clarendon spoke with ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio about the wave of bills sweeping the nation that seek to limit trans rights.