From Court to Mic: Cassie Chantel Finds Her Voice in Sports as Resilience Reigns

Written By Allison Cho | October 29, 2025

In the dimly lit gymnasium of her former high school in Athens, Georgia, Cassie Chantel stood on the court with a basketball in hand, feeling the familiar bounce echo. It was years after her ACL tear had shattered her dreams of playing college basketball, but the game called her back. This time it wasn’t as a player, but as a coach, storyteller, and voice for women’s basketball. With a microphone in one hand and channeling her past experiences, Chantel turned setbacks into symphonies, blending her love for the game and music into a career that inspires a new generation. 

Born and raised in Athens, Chantel grew up in a world where grit was as necessary as air. Basketball wasn’t just a sport; it was a family tradition. Though both her parents played basketball, it was her father’s competitive fire that ignited her own passion for the game. At the age of 7, she was already dribbling in the driveway of their trailer park home, mastering the fundamentals on a plastic hoop. "The interaction between me and my dad was something that energized me," she recalls. "I like how excited it made my dad, and I like how easy it was for me. I feel like I was a fast learner."

By the time she hit the Boys and Girls Club courts, her edge was evident. She showcased a fierce competitive spirit, rising through the ranks with hard-earned achievements. “I'm from the era of no participation trophies. We had to earn everything that we got," Chantel says. She was surrounded by great mentors, including her cousin, a college athlete who coached her team, which all made winning all the more enjoyable. 

High school brought elite Amateur Athletic Union teams and college scouts, but a devastating ACL tear in her senior year during a summer league game changed everything. “I felt like my world caved in,” Chantel reflects. “This is everything that I’ve been working towards. Why would God take this from me?” Over 15 years ago, her ACL recovery lacked specialized support, especially in a small town like Athens.

“Tearing your ACL is different for athletes. It was kind of like, ‘oh, it’s done,’” she explains. Dreams of playing Division I faded, shifting her focus to mass communications at the Art Institute of Atlanta. However, the underdog mentality her dad instilled stuck with her, showing doubters wrong. “I’ve always felt doubted, and always felt like people underestimated what I’m able to do,” Chantel notes. 

Music became her outlet long before the injury. As an emotionally-driven child, Chantel turned to writing poems and stories to express herself. School introduced poetry, but Tupac's "Brenda's Got a Baby" transformed her. "It was a story," she explains, “to see Tupac really bring it together into a song—like, oh, we can bob our head to this. We can memorize this. It changed the game for me, and it turned me into a musical storyteller." After graduating high school, Chantel stepped into the music scene, securing her first paid gig at a graduation party. "Once I realized, very early on [at] 17 years old, I [could] get paid for a performance, that was my mindset immediately," Chantel says.

Her style evolved with the times, but storytelling remained at the core, influenced by the grit of her Athens upbringing. "Growing up in Athens in a small town, considering our country, it gives you that grit, like I'm not just this pretty girl. I always had an edge to me," she shares. Her dad taught her she could win against anyone, man or woman, forcing her to play one-on-one against a boy after practice. "That's been my mentality with everything that I take on as a creative person," Chantel adds.

This drive propelled her music career, taking her on nationwide tours, earning her accolades like the Vic Chesnutt Songwriter of the Year for “Miss America,” and opening doors to exciting collaborations, such as opening for Cindy Wilson of the B-52s. She also toured the West Coast, Texas, Florida, and Milwaukee, self-funding these trips with prize money.

However, touring took its toll. Losing her voice and facing constant crowds led her to realize, "I don't like what I'm doing,” Chantel says. So she stepped back, focusing on messaging and authenticity. "[I started to be] really concerned with messaging and what type of message I'm putting out into the world," she explains. Finding the intensity of rap and hip-hop culture overwhelming, she took it in small doses and pivoted to jazz influences, releasing tracks like “Ego Death” and “Cool Chicks Only.”  Her writing began as an emotional expression, a trait she attributes to being a “very emotional child,” Chantel says, a natural inclination that evolved into music after Tupac’s narrative style inspired her. 

The pivot back to basketball felt natural for Chantel. Attending a high school game reignited her passion: "I really like this," she confirmed. She organized a 3-on-3 fundraiser for a social justice camp, raising funds for cameras, and her old coach invited her to assist at her alma mater, eventually leading to head coaching a middle school team in Atlanta. "I wanted to talk about basketball more," Chantel says. Coaching became the bridge for Chantel’s passions, weaving together her love for basketball, leadership, and storytelling within a basketball community she calls "family," a bond that has always sustained her. This foundation propelled her into social media, where her Instagram grew organically during March Madness 2023 with honest takes on the WNBA.

"I saw a need," she notes. Content creation exploded with videos, analysis, and interviews. She founded Women's Basketball 365 and the podcast Let's Talk Hoops, amplifying untold stories. "Athletes are more than just their bodies," Chantel emphasizes, highlighting players' multifaceted lives. "There are a lot of stories about the WNBA out here. There aren't a lot of photos of these players,” Chantel points out. Using her photography skills from her music days, she decided to fill the gap.

Her social media success stems from her authenticity. “I just started talking to the internet, and it organically took off… [which led to] a lot of the media talking heads looking a certain way,” she says. The one thing Chantel continues to strive for in the future is greater reach. "I want to further amplify what they're doing," she says. This drive to elevate diverse voices fuels her ongoing evolution as a digital influencer.

Music's influence shines in her sports voice. Storytelling from songs translates to engaging breakdowns, and vulnerability from performances builds authentic connections. "Being on the internet made me comfortable," she says. Public speaking from stages also helped her develop her on-camera confidence. Her confidence channeled into her underdog spirit to fuel her advocacy for women in sports, challenging biases and pushing media literacy. "Anybody [who] has a platform at this point, and it's already doing well, I think that they're ahead of the curve," Chantel shares as she observes about social media's rise.

Challenges never let up for Chantel, who juggled her passions, mental health, and the toxicity of online spaces. She was balancing an act she describes as “a constant dance,” leading her to reject a significant platform opportunity to safeguard her well-being. The shift to social media brought new pressures, yet she found strength in therapy, loved ones, and grounding activities, such as playing basketball or spending time with her dog. “Sometimes you've got to feel those emotions," she advises, emphasizing the importance of self-care. Her commitment to authenticity always shines through, as seen in her decision to turn down major deals that would misalign with her values. “I would never be able to come back from it,” she states. This resolve fuels her advocacy, challenging biases in women’s sports and promoting media literacy. 

Chantel's impact? Inspiring belief. 

"Be you. Believe in yourself," she urges. "It may sound crazy to other people, but only you know that you can do it. They’re gonna doubt you, but their doubts are not your reality." From ACL recovery to music tours to WNBA content creator, her resilience shows doubts aren't reality. Social media's rise, she predicts, will dominate, with platforms like hers leading the way. "Social media is going to be the only thing that people focus on," Chantel says, noting attention spans demand quick content.

Her journey isn't linear, but that's the beauty of it. As she coaches youth, creates content, and eyes longevity, Chantel has no limits. "I'm most excited about the WNBA right now because it's just the time period that we're in. I see myself in a lot of these athletes," she shares. Music gave her a voice, but basketball gave her a platform. Together, they redefine success with no apologies needed.

In her Hazze interviews, Chantel reflects on early advice she'd give her younger self: "Get stronger, like really focus on resistance training." Avoiding weights to not "look like a boy" was a regret, but now she encourages strength. Overcoming injuries built depth because “when you're a leader, you have to face adversity, so you can know how to lead."

Chantel’s transition in music echoed the resilience she found in basketball, evolving from a youthful passion into a professional pursuit that followed her after high school. As her career gained momentum with award-winning tracks like “Miss America,” the demands of the industry prompted a deliberate pause, which allowed her to step back and rediscover her creative voice. This period of self-reflection only strengthened her alignment with her values, shaping a new approach that blended her early influences with a more profound sense of purpose.

From driveway hoops to stages and screens, resilience reigns in Chantel's inspirational story. Rather than sitting by as others dominate the field, she champions women fighting for their rightful place in sports, declaring, "We're here to stay, and we're here to show we belong," as a rallying cry for her community.