Even in a space centered around men’s college basketball, the attention followed her. Young girls approached one after another, asking for photos and autographs — a reminder, in real time, of just how much the game and its visibility have shifted.

“It’s so crazy because… I was looking up to other women who were playing the sport, and they did a lot of things that are now a transition for my generation,” Powers shared. “And now we’re technically, literally in a period where whatever we do, however we compose ourselves, could change the trajectory for the people next.”

“So for me, it’s tremendous… It’s a time in life where it’s like, ‘This is the moment.’ The moment that the women before me have paved the way for.”

As for what’s driving the shift, Powers says it comes down to something simple: time.

“Men started playing professional basketball a few years before us. So that means… everything in life you have to build and grow and consistently do,” she said.

“And it’s just — now our time. It’s our time to start doing those things.”

Powers, who is not only part of the generation benefiting from that shift but one of the voices pushing it forward, says the moment still feels surreal.

“If I was talking to my younger self — the young girl from Detroit, Michigan — I would have never thought I would have been in this position that I’m in,” she said.

“I was always just chasing my dream, which was to be in the WNBA. And now it’s like… you can meet a young girl or a young guy and change the way they look at the sport.”

“I would have never thought that. I’m just blessed to be able to do that.”

This moment isn’t just about basketball, and Powers is clear about what she hopes young girls take from it.

“We too belong in everything, not just sports,” she said. “I hope they take away that as long as you work hard in something and can consistently keep your confidence high, that you can achieve great things.”

Like many players in this new era, Powers is also embracing her voice off the court — through platforms like her podcast Aerial View.

“People see me on the court, and they have this perception,” she said. “That’s not who we are. That’s just our competitiveness.”

“I have a voice. And it allows me to broadcast the things that I think are important… And I think there’s such strength in vulnerability.”

That same strength is what Powers — and the generation alongside her — will carry into the 2026 season, as women’s basketball steps into a new era that finally reflects its value.

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The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon