January 20, 2026
WNBA Acting Gigs We Need
Steve Pimental
While the longest WNBA season ever drags on, there is a unique way for fans to see some of their favorite stars. Last week, Chicago Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot appeared on an episode of Chicago Med, while Angel Reese and A’ja Wilson will make cameos in the animated movie “GOAT” next month. This got me thinking about which other WNBA players I would like to see on the big or small screen. Here are five WNBA appearances we need ASAP.
Kelsey Plum, Law and Order
My favorite characters on Law and Order are the ones who look sweet on the outside but turn out to be cold-blooded killers. That could probably describe a lot of WNBA players, but I think Kelsey Plum is perfect for that role.
She has a 1000-watt smile and seems like a blast off the court, but she will delight in ripping your heart out on the court. And in case you don’t agree with that assessment, Plum led the league with 70 clutch points last season. I would also love this because it would be a big departure from her role in Happy Gilmore 2.
Kate Martin, Star Trek Lower Decks
Martin is a fan favorite despite only starting in six of her 76 career games. There is a decent chance she will be an expansion draft pick for a second consecutive season, where she would most likely come off the bench again. I believe this would make her the perfect WNBA player to make a cameo on Lower Decks.
Lower Decks is a show about a bunch of junior officers on a smaller Starfleet ship, in contrast to all the other Star Trek shows that focus on the highest-ranking officers on the most important ships. These characters are good at their jobs and take them seriously even though they (mostly) don’t take themselves too seriously. That sounds a lot like Kate Martin to me.
Sydney Colson, The Tonight Show
The late-night talk show format appears to be heading for extinction, but I have no doubt Sydney Colson could breathe some life into it. Sydney actually would have been a great choice for Lower Decks as well, but I didn’t want to choose the same athlete for two different properties. Colson has made just 16 starts in 271 career games, six of which came last season for the injury-ravaged Indiana Fever.
One of the reasons Colson has stuck around so long in this league is that she is a fantastic teammate who appears to be universally loved around the league. She is hilarious in her own right but is also a fantastic hype man for her more prominent teammates. She would be like a (much) less annoying version of Jimmy Fallon.
Caitlin Clark, Space Jam
I am so certain this will happen that I actually looked it up to make sure it hadn’t been announced. I feel like this is pretty much the only way to keep the franchise going, unless we’re just going to wait another 25 years for the next movie. Clark is a big enough star to make people care, and her addition would provide a new wrinkle for a franchise that could desperately use it. Clark has proven to be pretty personable in her State Farm ads and her appearance on Saturday Night Live, so I think she could do well as herself in Space Jam.
Aliyah Boston, Sesame Street
I’m not sure how well I can explain this, but I just think Boston’s energy and enthusiasm would be perfect alongside Elmo and Big Bird. Something about watching her do the Say the Word on Beat challenge just makes me think she would do well on a children’s show. Boston isn’t a superstar just yet, but I think she is on that trajectory on and off the court. An appearance on Sesame Street would be fitting for a player of her stature.
About the Author
Steve Pimental would rather write 20,000 words about Stef Dolson than write two sentences about himself. He lives near Chicago with his beagle/shepherd mix, Hootie.



