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Eden Laase

Passionate, experienced storyteller who specializes in women’s basketball and feature writing. Creative mind who can work individually or as part of a team to produce a high-quality product.

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Eden's Work

The Athletic •

Why the stigma of eating disorders persists in women’s college basketball

Bulimia came on slowly. Then, it engulfed her. Isai became one of the many women and girls impacted by eating disorders. According to research by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, one in five women will develop an eating disorder by the time they turn 40. Some, such as former Buffalo player Hanna Hall and former Iowa State standout Emily Ryan, use sport as a tether, connecting them to the real world. But for Isai, basketball only pushed her further from reality.

And eventually, the disorder nearly killed her.
The Athletic •

A UNLV player feared pregnancy might end her career. Now a mom, she’s returning to action

LAS VEGAS — Sydni Summers lives in crop tops. To the California native, they are year-round attire. Which is why it’s strange that on this June day, surrounded by her new teammates at UNLV, Summers is wearing a baggy, full-length T-shirt. After transferring from San Jose State, this is the first time Summers is meeting her new squad. So they don’t know that this is an out of character fashion choice. They don’t even know her.
Just Women's Sports •

Who’s Minnesota’s ‘Blanket Lady’? More than a superfan, she was a women’s basketball pioneer

Minnesota is in a tough spot. The No. 4 Gophers are down 9 points to No. 13 Green Bay in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

They hadn’t been to March Madness since 2018. Not only that, but also the Gophers earned a host spot. They should win. But the pressure is mounting.

Luckily for them, the Gophers have something Green Bay doesn’t: Blanket Lady.
The Athletic •

How NYU women’s basketball quietly became DIII’s No.1 team. No NIL, little attention, just winning

NEW YORK — Something sinister happened to the NYU women’s basketball team on March 11, 2023. At least, that’s the rumor.

The Violets played Transylvania in the Elite Eight of the DIII tournament, and legend has it that NYU lost.

Among current players, only senior Caroline Peper knows for sure. Everyone else has only experienced winning. This mythical, terrifying beast they call “losing” isn’t something that happens to them. It happens to their opponents.
Boston Globe •

The plight of Boston College women’s basketball: How NIL and the transfer portal make an already tall task even harder

When Boston College women’s basketball coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee took over in 2018, she began searching for an equalizer between her program and the established ACC powerhouses.

She saw new facilities as the answer, but as soon as the Eagles got their updated facilities, something else emerged to create separation: NIL.

Once again, BC found itself playing catch-up.
Just Women's Sports •

The many layers of Stanford’s Cameron Brink

Cameron Brink has a note taped to the inside of her locker. It’s there so she can see it every day — before every practice, after every game. Even if she opens her locker because she forgot something, it’s there, reminding her.

It’s from a former Stanford staff member, Jaylyn Savage. When she left to take another job, she wrote Brink the note.

Composed with thick black ink on white paper, it starts with a greeting. Then comes the part that has stuck with Brink since she first read it.

“It’s so refreshing to see someone as talented as you still be a kid at heart. Never lose that quality. So many athletes of your caliber don’t have that.”

She’s trying not to.

Resume

Freelance

October 2023-Present

  • Write topical women’s basketball features and analysis. Stories on Cameron Brink, Aliyah
    Boston, Hannah Hidalgo and more. Coverage includes WNBA playoffs and March Madness.
Staff Writer

Just Women’s Sports / June 2021-Present 

  • Cover women’s college basketball, WNBA, NWSL and United States Women’s Soccer, responsible for pitching, researching, interviewing and writing news, analysis, and feature stories on multiple leagues and teams. Cover events on the ground and remotely, while highlighting unknown and compelling stories that take readers behind the scenes.

College Hockey Beat Writer / Desk Editor

Colorado Springs Gazette / April 2021-June 2022

  • Assigned and edited content for publication, assisted with design and assembly of all sections for print and online, coordinated with reporters, editors and photographers. Balanced desk duties with beat reporting duties for two Division 1 Hockey teams, Colorado College and Air Force Academy.

Co-Founder

Upbeat | June 2018 - April 2021

  • Founder, content creator and editor of the Upper Peninsula’s first region-wide high school sports publication. Wrote stories, took photos, managed a staff of five, maintained Wordpress website and social media, edited content including articles and photos, and recorded a weekly podcast.

Sports Writer

The Daily Mining Gazette | October 2017-June 2018 

  • Beat writer for Michigan Tech (Division I) and high school hockey, assisted with other sports including basketball, wrote game recaps, previews, sidebars, feature stories

Editorial Intern

Sports Illustrated | June 2017-August 2017

  • Started summer as a fact-checker, but quickly became motorsport beat writer, Covered IndyCar and NASCAR 

Contact Me

My inbox is always open. You can contact me with the contact form here. More clips are available upon request.