The pairing of Natisha Hiedeman and Courtney Williams on the Minnesota Lynx, nicknamed the “StudBudz,” has been one of the most talked-about fun stories among fans around the 2025 WNBA season.
The teammates have a close bond on and off the court and have built up a solid fanbase through the Twitch streams they perform together. The StudBudz brand truly took off during All-Stat Weekend when the pair streamed the WNBA player party held ahead of the game, and since then, the pair have been fan favorites.
Known for their dyed pink haircuts that became a sensation around the whole Lynx team, with several other players adding pink highlights or accessories of their own for the playoffs, the energy that Hiedeman and Williams brought on and off the court brought a different kind of spotlight on the WNBA during a season that had the shadow of CBA negotiations hanging over it.
Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams (10) and guard Natisha Hiedeman (2) celebrate their teams win against the New York Liberty after the game at Target Center. / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
The influence of the StudBudz has extended beyond just basketball and has become a personal brand for the duo. Their budding business empire has led to brand deals and new streaming opportunities, like an appearance at NASCAR races at Talladega.
Their rising brand has led to some recognition outside of the professional world as well. On Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird’s podcast A Touch More, the pair of retired athletes gave a shoutout to the StudBudz, naming their emergence the “So Women’s Sport’s” moment of the 2025 WNBA season.
“This is so women’s sports, nothing like this would ever happen other than in women’s sports, the StudBudz,” Rapinoe said when describing the award thought process. “Just the whole thing; the whole vibe, the streams, the hair… the friendship, the masc of it all, the visibility, the bringing in the power straights is just perfection.”
Hiedeman and Williams have been praised not only for the fun they’ve brought to the league, but the representation as well. They’ve been praised for being authentic and putting a spotlight on Black female athletes and masculine gay representation in their sport.
The sensation they’ve become was one of the biggest stories in a very successful season for Minnesota as a whole, and they’ve spread their pink hair everywhere: not just on their teammates but in the crowds as well, with leagues of fans in Minnesota donning pink wigs as they cheered on their Lynx.
Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams (10), forward Jessica Shepard (15) and forward Bridget Carleton (6) celebrates a blocked shot by guard Natisha Hiedeman (2) against the Las Vegas Aces during the fourth quarter of their game at Michelob Ultra Arena. / Candice Ward-Imagn Images
There is nothing like it in the WNBA. There is nothing like it in sports. The power and energy the StudBudz have generated transcends athletics and has become something else entirely: a brand, a business, a friendship.
As Rapinoe and Bird put on their podcast, they are “So Women’s Sports.”