Beyond the Arc (5 of 5): Downtown Indy’s WNBA All-Star Signs Provide Important Bar Prep Reminders
- Tommy Sangchompuphen
- Jul 25, 2025
- 4 min read
"Beyond the Arc" chronicles my recent trip to the 2025 WNBA All-Star Weekend (July 18-19) in Indianapolis. This five-part series blends the excitement of All-Star Weekend and the celebration of women’s basketball with practical bar exam tips, advice, and strategies. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it's that there are bar exam lessons everywhere. From fan experiences to game-day energy, each post offers quick takeaways to keep you motivated and focused on your bar prep journey.
This summer, I had the chance to attend the 2025 WNBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis. And let me tell you—it wasn’t just a basketball celebration. It was a cultural moment.
While the action on the court was phenomenal, what truly stuck with me was what happened off the court—especially walking the streets of downtown Indy. There, across billboards, banners, building wraps, and event signage, you’d see bold, unapologetic messages that radiated power and pride. Messages that weren’t just about basketball—they were about identity, resilience, and belonging.
Here are four that stood out, all part of prominent marketing campaigns celebrating women athletes:
“Let Her Cook.” – Gatorade
“Can’t Block My Shine.” – Nike
“The Floor Is Ours.” – Nike
“Now You Know.” – Indiana Fever
These weren’t just clever slogans. Each was part of a deliberate effort to reshape how society views women in sports—and how women athletes view themselves. As I took them in, I realized they could just as easily speak to another intense, high-stakes arena: the bar exam.
This post—our fifth and final installment in the Beyond the Arc series—unpacks the meaning behind these slogans and connects them to your bar prep journey, whether you're days away from the test or still mapping out your path.
“Let Her Cook” – Gatorade’s Campaign to Spotlight Women’s Excellence
The phrase “Let Her Cook” comes from internet slang, originally used to encourage someone to keep doing their thing because they’re clearly doing it well. Gatorade embraced it for their campaign highlighting elite women athletes—underscoring the need to not only allow women to lead, compete, and shine, but to get out of their way and let it happen.
💡 Bar Prep Lesson: Stop micromanaging yourself. You’ve trained. You’ve studied. You’ve built your outlines and learned from your mistakes. At a certain point, more last-minute tweaks just stir up anxiety. Instead, trust the work you’ve done. Let yourself execute.
Don’t overload your final days with “one more outline” or “just one more cram session.” Focus on rest, routine, and confidence. Give yourself permission to perform. Let yourself cook.
“Can’t Block My Shine” – Nike’s Message of Unshakeable Confidence
Nike’s “Can’t Block My Shine” campaign is all about resilience—spotlighting how women athletes persist, resist, and rise despite barriers placed in their way. The campaign doesn’t pretend the road is smooth. Instead, it honors the radiance that continues in spite of—and sometimes because of—resistance.
💡 Bar Prep Lesson: Resilience is a skill, not a mood. On exam day, things might go wrong. You might see a question you weren’t expecting. Your neighbor might type loudly. Your energy might dip. None of that stops your light unless you let it.
Bar prep isn't about being perfect—it's about shining through imperfection. Stay calm when you hit a hard question. Don’t let one stumble throw you off. Keep your rhythm. Keep your glow.
“The Floor Is Ours” – Nike’s Reclamation of Space for Women in Sports
Nike’s “The Floor Is Ours” campaign reclaims the physical and symbolic space women have earned in professional basketball—and beyond. It recognizes that courts, arenas, and platforms that have historically excluded women now rightfully belong to them, too.
💡 Bar Prep Lesson: You belong in the room. When you walk into the bar exam, you might feel imposter syndrome. You might look around and see others who appear more confident, more composed, or more prepared. But remember: this isn’t their floor—it’s yours too.
You don’t need to prove you deserve to be there—you already do. You’re not auditioning; you’re delivering. Show up with purpose, take up space, and write like you’ve earned your seat—because you have.
“Now You Know” – The Indiana Fever’s Statement of Arrival
“Now You Know” is the Indiana Fever’s 2024–2025 team slogan—and it's as much a warning as a celebration. With the arrival of superstar rookie Caitlin Clark and the rise of other dynamic young players like Aliyah Boston, the Fever are making noise in the league. The phrase says: we’ve been building something. And now? You can’t ignore it.
💡 Bar Prep Lesson: You’ve been putting in the work. It’s time to let it show. This isn’t about surprising anyone. It’s about confirming what you’ve known all along: you’re capable, you’re ready, and you’ve earned your moment.
When you open that test booklet or begin typing that essay, lean into your preparation. Let every rule you recall, every issue you spot, every well-organized answer you write say: Now you know.
This is the conclusion of the Beyond the Arc series—five posts inspired by WNBA excellence, energy, and ethos. We’ve gone from Caitlin Clark’s poise to tunnel fits, from hot air balloons to downtown banners. And all along, we’ve made one central point:
➡️ Greatness on the court and greatness on the bar exam have a lot in common.
➡️ They both take preparation, confidence, and the courage to claim your space.
So when you step into that bar exam, remember:
“Let Her Cook.” – Gatorade
“Can’t Block My Shine.” – Nike
“The Floor Is Ours.” – Nike
“Now You Know.” – Indiana Fever
