MILWAUKEE — It's been proven that when girls and women have access to team sports, they can cultivate critical skills, confidence, and leadership.
TMJ4's Andrea Williams pays tribute to a Milwaukee woman who not only served as an advocate for gender equality in sports but also encouraged girls and women to reach their full potential in the world of sports.
"She was extremely passionate about women's sports. That's what she breathed every day and talked about every day," said Rita Adair, the widow of Bernell Hooker.
Bernell Hooker spent 25 years as a collegiate women's basketball coach and established the nonprofit organization Images of Us Sports in 2002.
Andrea had the opportunity to interview Hooker over the last decade about many of her accomplishments.
"So, the whole piece is having a path for girls and encouraging them, influencing them to say, ‘Sports is a business, and you can work in it,’” said Hooker.
In 2014, the Custer High School graduate became the owner of the Milwaukee Aces Semi-Pro Women's Basketball Team.
"I'm very proud of these women here in the city and these young girls who are following them and giving them the opportunity," said Hooker.
In forming the team, Bernell hired Marquette grad and former all-time leading scorer Krystal Ellis as head coach.
"She gave people an opportunity to play again after college. They didn't have to go overseas, they didn't have to be in the WNBA," said Ellis.
The Milwaukee Aces shut down in 2020 because of the pandemic, but Bernell's passion remained intact.
"She never stopped dreaming or planning the next step in women's sports," said Adair.
Bernell moved to Las Vegas in 2021 after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
"This was her hometown. She had only left for the first time in her life three years ago, when she went to Vegas. And she did go there to die. That was her purpose… she wanted to die in the sun," said Adair.
Watch: Remembering the contributions of Bernell Hooker.
Members of the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces surprised Bernell with an honorary jersey, thanking her for helping to change the game for women.
"For them to come to her the way they did and recognize her, and just give her some time—it really meant a lot to her at the end of her life," said Adair.
For those who knew and loved Bernell, her legacy will be remembered as a woman who encouraged others to believe they could achieve anything on and off the court.
"She was ahead of her time, of course, but she believed it," said Ellis.
"I didn’t know I was going to get emotional, but she was a person I loved a lot. She was family, she was my protector," added Adair.
Bernell Hooker was nationally recognized for her leadership in advocating for gender equality in sports by the National Association for Girls and Women in Sports, the Milwaukee Business Journal's Women of Influence, and the Women's Fund of Greater Milwaukee Title IX Athletes for her commitment to sports, business, and community.
She received her bachelor's degree from Concordia University. She coached women's basketball for 25 years, retiring in 2006 as the senior woman administrator at Mount Mary University and as one of the strategic team members in helping MMU obtain its NCAA Division III status. Her leadership skills and dedication demonstrated the effectiveness of her work.
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