Wheaton News

Paige Zimmerman ’27 interns with WNBA’s Chicago Sky

Growing up in Connecticut, Paige Zimmerman ’27 became a fan of the UConn women’s basketball team. That led to her interest in the WNBA, and recently, to her summer internship with the Chicago Sky, where she is gaining firsthand experience in professional sports communications.

A business and management major, Zimmerman serves as a public relations and communications intern. She maintains statistics and detailed notes during the Sky’s games, then writes and distributes recaps to media members and assists the media with postgame interviews of players and coaches. She also interviews players and writes feature stories for the team’s communications content.

“I’ve learned a lot about the pace of pro sports communication,” she said. “I’ve learned how to write quickly and accurately under deadlines, and how to craft interview questions and build trust in short time frames. Additionally, I’ve seen how much preparation goes into media access and how important it is to be organized, proactive, and adaptable. It’s been an exciting way to combine my interests in media and women’s sports.”

The internship has provided Zimmerman with a clear picture of what a day-to-day sports media and communications career entails, she says. “It’s shown me how important it is to build relationships in this industry, whether with players, coaches or members of the media.”

Zimmerman credits the preparation she’s received at Wheaton to tackle what’s next.

“My Wheaton education has equipped me extremely well for life after graduation, both practically and personally,” she said. “The close working relationship with the professors and smaller classes have made an enormous impact. I’ve received one-on-one critiques, I have insightful discussions about my goals and I benefit greatly from mentorship that has shaped how I approach my work. The emphasis on writing, critical thinking and clear communication across disciplines has had a direct influence on my internship.”

Working on a concentration in marketing, new media and media analytics, Zimmerman is unsure about her post-graduation path, but believes that her internship has pointed her in a direction.

“I’ve enjoyed being in a fast-paced, media-focused environment and working behind the scenes in professional sports. I’ve picked up a lot of the technical and tactical side of things just by being in the environment,” she said. “It’s made me more interested in careers in sports communications, journalism, or media relations and I’m open and exploring what that might look like long term.”