Meet the Maker: Nate Baranowski
Why it matters: Nate Baranowski's 24-foot piece will debut this summer in time to welcome scores of fans to the Circle City for the sellout 2025 WNBA All-Star Game in July.
What he's saying:"Tamika Catchings is a magnetic personality and an amazing force for good to those around her and in her community," Baranowski said in a statement. "She is not just a legendary basketball player, but also an entrepreneur, activist, broadcaster, volunteer, mentor and motivational speaker. I wanted my design to reflect this high-energy force surrounding her."
Zoom in: Baranowski was one of 98 artists who responded to an international call from the Indy Arts Council and WNBA All-Star 2025 Host Committee.
Baranowski — a University of Illinois grad with a degree in fine arts and a passion for street painting — has experience with large chalk murals, painted murals, acrylic on canvas and various forms of digital painting.
He was the only Indiana creator to make the final four.
The inspo: The selection committee said Baranowski best captured Catchings' bright personality, basketball legacy and impact on Indy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
23 minutes ago
- New York Post
Rapper GloRilla busted for drug possession following break-in at Atlanta home — and blasts cops for nabbing her instead of burglars
Rapper GloRilla was hit with drug charges after cops found a large stash of marijuana in her Georgia home while investigating a break-in – and the Grammy-nominated artist is now slamming police for arresting her instead of the burglars. The 'Yeah Glo' hitmaker, whose real name is Gloria Hallelujah Woods, was slapped with possession of marijuana and a controlled substance after voluntarily turning herself into police on Tuesday, according to the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office. GloRilla's arrest came after deputies responded to reports of a break-in at her Atlanta home around 1:30 a.m. Sunday – just hours after she performed at halftime during the WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis. 4 Rapper GloRilla was arrested after cops found cannabis in her closet during a home invasion investigation. Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Police said three bandits – who still remain at large – broke into the 25-year-old's home and were in the middle of stealing items when someone inside opened fire, prompting the uninjured thieves to flee. While investigating the brazen intrusion, deputies smelled 'a strong odor' and discovered 'a significant amount of marijuana' in plain view inside the 'F.N.F. (Let's Go)' artist's master bedroom closet. GloRilla, who was previously busted for a DUI last April, was released Tuesday on a $22,260 bond. 4 She was previously arrested last April for a DUI. Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office 'My House got Home Invaded Saturday while I was in Indianapolis performing for the WNBA all star game & instead of focusing on finding the Suspects, they focus on some cannabis,' the Tennessee native said in a fiery X post Thursday afternoon. 'Long story short my house gets home invaded and Im the only one that gets arrested. So that's tea.' The rapper's 'traumatized' family was inside the home when the intruders struck — allegedly making off with 'high value jewelry,' her lawyers said in a statement, blasting their client's arrest as a 'disturbing window into how warped law enforcement priorities have become.' 4 GloRilla slammed police for arresting her instead of the three suspected bandits in fiery post on X. GloRilla ð¦ 'When her family members did the right thing and called law enforcement, instead of investigating the violent home invasion and theft at Ms. Woods' home, they instead sought a search warrant,' her attorneys said. 'No arrest warrants have been issued for the violent home invaders. Ms. Woods is a victim, not a suspect. This is our tax dollars at work, absolutely unbelievable.' Police, who have yet to find the three bandits following 'an extensive search,' agreed that the 'Blessed' star is a victim, but said they still have a duty to uphold the law. 4 She was charged with possession of marijuana and a controlled substance. Getty Images 'The homeowner is a victim of a serious crime, and we are committed to bringing the suspects to justice,' Sheriff Ron Freeman said. 'At the same time, we must continue to uphold and enforce the law in all aspects of this case.' The investigation is ongoing. With Post wires.
Fox News
2 hours ago
- Fox News
ESPN anchor Elle Duncan stands firm after crude WNBA broadcast joke sparks online debate
ESPN anchor Elle Duncan caught some flak for a particularly crude comment during the network's broadcast of the WNBA All-Star Game. It was during halftime when Duncan made her comment regarding the high-offensive output by both teams. "We hope it gets a little bit more competitive," Duncan started off after watching Napheesa Collier's team put up 82 puts to Caitlin Clark's squad's 60 in the first half. "Because like a girls' trip to Cancun, right now, there's no D." ESPN analyst Chiney Ogwumike quickly said, "Elle, you're in timeout. You're done." Then, the broadcast went to commercial. Duncan doesn't have any regrets over her comments despite the vitriol on social media. During an appearance on "The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz," she defended her comment. "My thing with the Cancun joke is, I feel like whenever I say something, it's like sometimes a reintroduction for some people who clearly don't know me or my work over the last 10 years," Duncan said, per Awful Announcing. "I'm like, 'Bro, I said on-air one time that if you celebrate too early, it's called premature I'm-Jacked-Elation.' Like I can't actually imagine this is worse than that. Like I feel like I constantly have to remind people, I have been saying things like this for the 10 years I have been at ESPN. "So, I thought it was silly. I thought it was funny. Some people disagree. Some people definitely agree. But it is what it is. Like, yes, girls say crude jokes, too." Duncan also addressed a specific portion of comments. "The funny part to me, y'all, has been the people who are like, 'What am I supposed to say to my children?'" Duncan added. "I'm like, 'Well if you have to talk to your children about the fact that 'D' is a slang word for a p---s, then I hope that I was able to help you have that conversation with your child who's old enough to watch basketball.' Because my 4-year-old knows what a p---s is. "It's so silly to me. The idea that like this is groundbreaking or somehow completely inappropriate in the landscape that we live in right now is just wild to me. I was a little blown, to be real." When Duncan's comment went viral on social media, many were quick to comment their frustration with hearing her say it. "Add this to a long list of why no one takes @WNBA or @espn seriously," one X user said under a video of Duncan, posted by Awful Announcing. "If Shane Gillis said that, they'd try to cancel him," another wrote, referencing the comedian's ESPYs monologue that turned heads this past week. When the second half eventually started, there was more offense than defense yet again, as Collier led the way with 36 points to help her squad beat Clark's, 151-131, to win the All-Star Game.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sophie Cunningham fined $500 for TikTok video criticizing officiating
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham's pockets are a little lighter after a social media video resulted in a fine. On Wednesday, Cunningham revealed she was fined $500 by the WNBA over a TikTok video that seemingly criticized officiating, which has become a hot button issue in the league in recent weeks. In the video addressed to "some refs," Cunningham lip-synced Sabrina Carpenter's new single "Manchild." She sang, "Stupid. Or is it... slow? Maybe it's ... useless?" in the video, which has amassed more than 1.3 million views on TikTok as of Thursday. Cunningham, 28, appeared to laugh off the fine, writing, "Idk why this is funny to me… like ok you got it bud! Cause there's not more important things to be worried about with our league right now." USA TODAY Sports reached out to the WNBA, which declined to comment. Cunningham is not the only WNBA player or coach to voice frustration this season over inconsistent calls and the physicality of the game. Following the Fever's 90-88 loss to the New York Liberty on May 24, head coach Stephanie White sounded off against "disappointing" calls that didn't "go both ways." White confirmed she was fined days later when asked about officiating again: "Do you want me to get fined again? Because I did just get fined." Similarly, Angel Reese said officiating "has to be fixed" following the Chicago Sky's 80-75 loss to the Minnesota Lynx on July 6, adding, "I don't give a damn if I get fined." Reese continued her criticism on social media, resharing a photo of her being held in the paint and urging the WNBA to "DO BETTER." Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon said "officiating was awful" after the Aces' 70-68 loss to the Washington Mystics on July 10. Following the press conference, Hammon said, "Tell me how much my fine is." On July 14, Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase said she's "begging for consistency' after her team lost to the Phoenix Mercury by one point after a foul was called in the final seconds of a tie game. It's not clear if Reese, Hammon and Nakase were fined for their comments. Unlike the NBA, the WNBA does not announce all fines levied against players or the amount docked for infractions. WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert addressed officiating concerns ahead of the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game and assured that the league will "definitely look at and evaluate" officiating. "We hear the concerns. We take that input. Every play is reviewed. Spend hours and hours and hours," she said. "Consistency is important, I think. I think some people observe our game versus other basketball formats, there aren't a ton of fouls called. I realize consistency is the name of the game. ... There's an independent evaluation of our officials. There are ramifications. So, it's something we need to continue to work on." The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fastDownload for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fever's Sophie Cunningham fined $500 over TikTok criticizing refs
