La'Keisha Sutton
"If opportunity is not given to you, you have to create it" are words from La'Keisha Sutton, American professional basketball player and founder of "Fan Favorite Club," born and raised in Trenton, New Jersey. At age 10, she was introduced to the basketball world, where she grew a love for the sport. Playing basketball with all-boys teams when she was younger, Sutton began her experience with the sport uniquely, ultimately fostering a stronger sense of competitiveness and ambition within herself. This led her to take on diverse opportunities. She became a part of various recreational basketball teams and even led her team to two consecutive state championships in high school.
Prior to her success, La'Keisha had to overcome inevitable obstacles. Growing up in Trenton, a poverty-stricken city, she lacked opportunities to travel outside her community, triggering an even more significant challenge: making her talents and skills visible to the world. She stood at only 5 foot 7 inches, a height considered "too short" by many college recruiters. "I just didn't pass the look test." La'Keisha was heavily under-recruited despite being one of the best players in the state, simply because of her height barrier. However, she incorporated this "weakness" into her strength, utilizing her natural scoring ability and offensive drive through opposing teams' defense, which earned her a scholarship to play for the University of South Carolina from 2008-2012. As a strong player, she finished her career as a WNBA prospect and a 1,000-point scorer, earning her the nickname and future brand name "Fan Favorite."
During the years after college, La'Keisha also began developing her business career as she built her professional basketball career. Sutton used the nickname given to her, Fan Favorite, to create her brand: the Fan Favorite Club. Taking a deeper look into the club's roots, La'Keisha was inspired to make it after the tragic murder of her friend's niece in 2016. Sutton's mission was simple; She wanted to create a safe space for kids and teenagers to express themselves and socialize outside their school and team dynamics. The club was designed to allow kids to be their authentic selves and to inspire them further to be leaders in their community. She pushed to create the Fan Favorite Club to ensure a safer environment for all teenagers.
Eventually stepping down from playing professionally overseas, La'Keisha looked to expand her brand at home. This ambition led her to pursue involvement in community outreach events for underprivileged youth in her city to decrease gun violence and chronic absenteeism in school. Her motivations stem from the need to help those around her and focus on facilitating a safe and comfortable environment. In 2018, she was scouted by the World Famous Harlem Globetrotters to continue her professional basketball career, where she became a team ambassador featured on several prominent media outlets. She carries her ambition and kindness with her both in the game and outside of it. Her motto is "I Believe In Me," and she hopes to instill this same mindset in every member of the Fan Favorite Club. La'Keisha Sutton is a tremendous inspiration to those around her and is continuing her journey to being an influential female leader. La'Keisha advises young girls, "Don't be afraid because, in the pursuit of your dream, you are going to meet incredible people."
Editing Department: Suhani Davda
Domestic Department: Manasvi Rajiv
Graphic Design Department: Sophia Opong
Writing Department: Saanvi Srivastava
Social Media Department: Safa Asrar
September 25th, 2023
