This TikTok Star Is On A Mission To Turn Women Into Basketball Fans

Over the weekend, 19,783 fans attended WNBA All-Star Weekend, making league history. Among the crowd was Simone Scott (aka Simone’s Playbook), a lifelong basketball fan turned sports content creator, who was on the ground with TikTok interviewing players, attending panels, and even getting a sneak peek of the 3-Point Contest rehearsal.

After more than five years reporting for Fox Sports and picking up freelance gigs, Scott began posting videos on social media in 2024 after encouragement from a mentor. Now, she has nearly 260,000 followers and more than 3.3 million likes on TikTok. She’s most known for her “For the Girls” series, a collection of videos that explain sports for a female audience, from basic rules to draft prospects. Scott started the series after creating a fantasy-football league with her girlfriends and seeing the influx of women who found the NFL when Taylor Swift started dating Travis Kelce.

Scott’s content also covers football, soccer, and golf, but she has a special place in her heart for basketball. Her father is NBA Hall of Famer Charlie Scott, who won a championship with the Celtics in ’76. While Scott chose to play tennis as a kid, growing up in a basketball family gave her a unique appreciation for the sport.

“I love the sorority and the fraternity that comes with basketball players. They really do take care of each other,” she says, adding that her family still attends reunions for her father’s championship team.

Her love of the sport also extends to the WNBA. As a longtime spectator, she’s seen firsthand how the league has evolved over the years. Beyond the historic influx of money into the W, Scott is happy to see players getting their flowers. “[The league is] putting more into making sure you know the players,” she says. “You get more invested when you know there’s someone you want to cheer for and not just a team in general.”

For anyone new to watching the WNBA, Scott hopes to help them hone their understanding and appreciation for the sport. “They are elite athletes doing things that a lot of us could never do. And it’s just an exciting time to watch women’s sports and women’s basketball,” she says.

Below, Scott opens up about her controversial Friends opinion and her past life as a wannabe spy.

The Fast Follow With Simone Scott

What’s the weirdest internet rabbit hole you’ve gone down?

It might not be weird per se, but I’m really into gardening videos right now. On this one account, each clip starts with “It’s dinnertime!” and then she goes and picks the produce from her backyard. It makes me want to start a garden, but then I’m like, “No, I don’t want to do that that bad.”

What’s something you’re always defending to your friends?

I don’t think Emily from Friends overreacted when telling Ross to cut off contact with Rachel. I don’t get why she gets such a bad rap, because Ross was kind of out of line.

What’s a TV show you’re always trying to get your friends to watch?

Jury Duty and the spinoff Company Retreat. Anytime I meet someone, I suggest it. It’s hilarious, brilliant television.

What’s a topic you could give a presentation on at a moment’s notice?

I’m a Summer House fiend. I’ve been watching it since the Vanderpump Rules crossover episode when Stassi [Schroeder] went to the Hamptons. I’m so mad at Amanda [Batula] and West [Wilson]. I actually met West during the Super Bowl, so I feel so betrayed even though he didn’t betray me personally.

What’s the most surprising hobby you’ve picked up?

My favorite show growing up was Alias with Jennifer Garner. It’s a spy thriller, and I was convinced that I wanted to join the CIA, so I started doing things that I thought would help me — learning the phonetic alphabet, learning Morse code, taking boxing classes. I really wanted to become a spy. It was getting weird.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.