UATL hits slam dunk with second movie night screening of ‘Love and Basketball’

UATL, AJC’s Black Culture franchise, held a screening of the 2000 film “Love and Basketball” for its second quarterly movie night at Plaza Theater on Tuesday.

Directed by Gina Prince Bythewood, the coming-of-age story is about two childhood friends-turned-love interests struggling to follow their aspirations to become pro basketball players, while maintaining their on-and-off again friendship and romance. The two-hour sports drama stars Omar Epps, Sanaa Lathan, Alfre Woodard, Harry J. Lennix, Gabrielle Union, Debbi Morgan, Dennis Haysbert and Regina Hall.

Following the screening, UATL news and video correspondent Najja Parker conducted a 20-minute chat with Atlanta Dream forward Laeticia Amihere.

Credit: RMO Photography

Credit: RMO Photography

The two ladies, holding court onstage from plush red armchairs, discussed parallels between the film and their personal lives. They also talked about the WNBA’s rising fan engagement and popularity, diversity and representation in sports, and creating exit strategies after pursuing a career in professional sports.

Amihere, 22, said she first became familiar with “Love and Basketball” after developing an interest in the sport at 11 years old. The Canadian-born, self-proclaimed “tomboy” said Lathan’s determination to succeed onscreen inspired her to binge any feature film she could get her eyes on that featured basketball, despite earlier interest in soccer, track and American football.

“It’s very rare that there are films that talk about girls,” Amihere told Parker in front of the Plaza Theatre crowd.

“You watch ‘Coach Carter’ and ‘Space Jam,’ but I could see myself in her.”

By the time Amihere was in the sixth grade, she was already standing six-foot-two, an inch shorter than her height today as a WNBA player. She says basketball also helped her develop self-confidence.

“I’d walk into malls and people would stare at me. I never really felt comfortable but I found a community of people who looked like me and started using my height to my advantage,” Amihere said about finding her love for basketball.

As a member of South Carolina Gamecocks’ women’s basketball team coached by Dawn Staley, Amihere said she could also relate to additional scenes in “Love and Basketball.”

The All-American and Olympian said she had a hard time adjusting after moving from her home in Canada to attend college in Columbia, S.C. Looking back at her time as a member of the 2024 NCAA championship team, she fondly recalled Staley’s tough love as a coach and a mentor.

Credit: RMO Photography

Credit: RMO Photography

The hype and increased attendance from women’s basketball also excites Amihere and her teammates. She said the Atlanta Dream takes pride in being role models for young women at their sold-out games since she didn’t get to watch WNBA growing up.

Amihere has turned her passions for athletics and young people into Back to the Motherland, a nonprofit she founded to help provide access to basketball and competitive sports to underserved communities in Africa.

She wants to host sports camps, take mentees under her wing, and cover their expenses just as coaches did for her.

“Basketball has helped me in so many ways with self-confidence and building lifelong relationships, and it sucks that they’re blocked from experiencing the love and passion that sports bring just because of financial barriers.”

Amihere says the community can assist by encouraging youth to get involved with sports and exposing them to nontraditional sports careers.

“Show them articles of women that are doing great things in high places and doing well, because that motivates a young person to know that’s a trajectory they’re able to go to,” Amihere said.

Parker presented Amihere with a UATL t-shirt at the close of the event.

Credit: RMO Photography

Credit: RMO Photography

To cap the evening, AJC’s editor-in-chief Leroy Chapman said UATL’s second movie night was a great cultural moment.

“It’s not too many times you get to go and see something like this on the big screen,” Chapman said. “It is changing the narrative of women’s athletics, and I’m glad that more people are able to see this.”

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