Black Fives NIL Deal With UConn Women’s Basketball Star KK Arnold
A Unique NCAA Student-Athlete Education & Leadership Name, Image, And Likeness Partnership With A Public 501(c)3 Charity
Partnership Includes Appearances To Promote Educational And Leadership Initiatives In Support Of Nonprofit’s Mission To Inspire Excellence With History
PRESS RELEASE
GREENWICH, CT – February 5, 2024 – The Black Fives Foundation, a Greenwich, CT-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to inspire excellence by preserving, teaching, and honoring the pre-NBA history of African Americans in basketball, announced the launch today of a name, image, and likeness (NIL) partnership with University of Connecticut Women’s Basketball star Kamorea “KK” Arnold.
Kamorea (pronounced “Kah-more-ah”), will support the Foundation’s mission through events and presentations that promote education and leadership, by sharing motivational insights about her student-athlete background, discussions on the inspirational value of Black Fives history, and by continuing her participation in the organization’s Black Fives Academy initiative, which teaches others how to teach Black Fives history.
The 5’ 9” freshman point guard from Germantown, Wisconsin is a starter for the UCONN Huskies, who are currently ranked in the TOP 20 in NCAA polling. She was named the BIG EAST Pre-Season Freshman of the Year and has already earned BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors four times this season, averaging 9.7 points and a team-best 2.6 steals per game. The last UCONN freshman to win the Freshman of the Week award was Paige Bueckers in 2020-21. “She’s done a really good job, and it starts in practice,” said Bueckers of her teammate. “She works extremely hard, and does individual workouts before practice even starts.”
In high school, Kamorea was named a Ring Of Honor Recipient by the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, earned honors as the 2021 and 2022 Wisconsin Girls High School Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year, and the 2021, 2022, and 2023 Associated Press Wisconsin State Player of the Year. She was also the 2023 Wisconsin Ms. Basketball recipient. In addition, Kamorea represented her country in winning gold medals at the 2021 FIBA Americas U16 Championship and the 2022 USA Basketball 3×3 U18 World Cup, where her team was named 3X3 Team Of The Year. She was also named to the 2023 McDonald’s All-American Team, the 2023 USA Women’s Nike Hoop Summit Team, and a 2023 Naismith First Team All-American.
Previously, Kamorea was a volunteer on the Foundation’s education team along with Ephraim Reed, now an agent assistant with William Morris Endeavor, and Carnegie Johnson, now a first-year point guard at the United States Naval Academy.
“KK first came to our attention in January 2020 as a freshman in high school by sending a blind email to our general mailbox asking for help with a history class project she was doing on the Black Fives Era,” said Claude Johnson, the organization’s founder. “The result was that her presentation was selected for the school district’s regional competition, and it was the best Black Fives school project I had ever seen,” Johnson says. “But I had no idea at the time that she also played basketball!” The project still ranks as the GOAT, he adds.
“I am deeply honored to have this incredible opportunity to collaborate with Black Fives,” said Kamorea. “It’s remarkable how a project I did my freshman year of high school has evolved into such a meaningful partnership.” Now, she will have the opportunity to assist in educating other high school students on the importance of learning this history and how to develop their own Black Fives school projects.
The UCONN Huskies Women’s basketball team played their scheduled Black Fives game as part of the BIG EAST Conference’s partnership with the Black Fives Foundation on February 7, 2024, at home against visiting Seton Hall in a 7:00 p.m. game that was televised on SNY.
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Media Contact:
media (at) blackfives.org
About The Black Fives Foundation
The Greenwich, CT-based Black Fives Foundation is a 501(c)3 public charity whose mission is to inspire excellence by preserving, teaching, and honoring the pre-NBA history of African Americans in basketball, a period known as the Black Fives Era that lasted from the early 1900s to 1950 when the NBA signed its first Black players. To support their mission, please visit www.givebutter.com/blackfives
