Goodbye, Clips Nation

Three and a half years ago, when I joined Clips Nation, one of the things that excited me about covering this team was the endless possibilities. But even with the expectation of uncertainty, I never could have expected what surprises they had in store.

I picked the 2018-19 squad to miss the playoffs; they got there comfortably and took a historic win from the Warriors. Then came Kawhi Leonard (not exactly a shock) and PG (definitely a shock), and a year later, the Western Conference Finals. Somehow, Eric Bledsoe, a hero of my favorite game in franchise history, is back. And now, with a team whose roster changes on a day-to-day basis, the Clippers are doing the unexpected again, mounting ridiculous comebacks in pursuit of potentially another historic playoff run.

While the Clippers have changed the arc of their franchise, so many good things have come for me individually since I started working here. Getting to cover an NBA team on the ground opened doors for me professionally, giving me more opportunities to write and talk about this team and the league at-large, both at SB Nation and elsewhere. That also parlayed into opportunities to write and talk about the WNBA, a league that I’ve grown especially fond of. Most importantly, what started as a side project in my life turned into a full-time career. I still have a hard time processing how quickly it all happened.

Now it’s time for another challenge.

As of today, I am leaving Clips Nation but staying in the SB Nation family, as I will be moving on to women’s basketball coverage over at Swish Appeal. When I started here, I felt that there was a vacuum in Clippers coverage relative to other NBA teams that I could help fill, but that gap is nothing compared to what exists with women’s sports. I am thrilled to be able to focus full-time on women’s basketball and dig into the WNBA, NCAA, EuroLeague, and even Athletes Unlimited the same way I got to all these years with the Clippers.

I have Clips Nation to thank for so much of my growth as a writer, a communicator, an editor, a manager, a thinker, and in infinitely more skills. I am also so grateful for the people in the Clippers community it has introduced me to. Thanks to Robert Flom and Lucas Hann for bringing me on, to Alicia Rodriguez and Blake Harris for helping me keep this place afloat during the hiatus and the strangest year in NBA history, and to everyone (Brent, Jack, Jon, Josh M., Josh S., Matt, and Will) who writes and podcasts for this site today.

Those people are the reason why I feel comfortable moving on, knowing that the site is in good hands with everyone here, even though I do feel preemptively nostalgic about not starting my day with Clippings or continuing my crusade to get the Clippers to stop wearing black jerseys.

It’s been a treat to be a part of this community, and I invite you all to join me at Swish Appeal, just as I plan to check in here regularly too. I can’t quit this place that easily: I have been at Clips Nation longer than any current Clipper! Thanks for being part of the ride with me.