UC Irvine Women’s Basketball team players Hunter Hernandez and Nevaeh Dean were featured in the third episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars season 10, which aired on May 16. The series is a spinoff of the annual competition reality series, RuPaul’s Drag Race.
In the episode titled “Hoop Queens Makeovers,” Drag Race competitors paired up with Hernandez, Dean and other women’s basketball players from various Southern California universities in a makeover challenge. In addition to the makeover, the athletes walked in a fashion runway, helped write lyrics for their partner’s verse in a song and participated in a choreographed lip sync performance.
Dean, who plays forward and is in her first year in the legal and forensic psychology master’s program, was paired with contestant Olivia Lux. Shooting guard and third-year business administration student Hernandez was paired with Irene the Alien, who placed in the top two.
“I think I was nervous, but also partially excited, because I’ve never done anything like that, so it was kind of exciting; but I was also nervous because it’s a step out of the comfort zone of mine,” Dean told New University.
According to Dean, the casting process took place over two weeks in June 2024. When she and Hernandez signed up for the opportunity, which they heard about from their coach, they weren’t allowed to know which television show they agreed to be on.
“We had to say yes without knowing what it actually was,” Dean said.
Although performing on a competition-based reality TV series was a new experience for both athletes, Hernandez and Dean said that the competitive nature of basketball helped prepare them for it.
“So, like, you’re pretty nervous at first, but then it’s serious because this is their job so they’re super serious. You don’t wanna mess it up for them,” Hernandez told New University. “That made me try harder too, because obviously you want to win and so do they.”
Dean reflected on the ways that working as a team on the court also helped her in the episode’s challenge.
“I think it’s also the team aspect of basketball players,” Dean said. “Sometimes you’re not in it 100%, so you end up playing for your teammate. And I think that was the same when it came to this, like, though I don’t really know what’s going on or what I’m doing, I have to give my all because my teammate, the other queen, needs that from me.”
Hernandez realized that her expectations of the filming process differed from reality. During the two-day filming period in L.A., the athletes had to do the same final performance two or three times and had to repeat parts of their conversations for the camera.
“It’s just very different than what you expect, because when I watch shows, I don’t think anything of it. It’s like, oh, yeah, they just record it and then go. But that’s not the case,” Hernandez said.
While in the Werk Room — the area where the contestants prepare before each event — the queens worked with the visiting athletes to write basketball and drag-inspired lyrics for the final performance of the episode.
Hernandez said she enjoyed having conversations with the competing queens because she didn’t feel the same amount of pressure to perform as she is used to.
“All the time when you talk about basketball, it’s so much pressure because your coaches are there and stuff like that, but this was just no pressure with them because they don’t care if you do good or not, it’s just for fun,” Hernandez said.
While preparing for their performances, the contestants and players also discussed misconceptions female basketball players face.
“Another stereotype that I see a lot is people thinking that we are the dumb jock,” Dean said in the episode. “I mean, I can still play and be smart at the same time.”
Hernandez said it felt comforting to hear the other guest athletes on the show speak about the same problems she faces. Hernandez and Dean also expressed frustration over issues such as female athletes advancing in their basketball careers.
“Even when you get to the professional level, they’re fighting the same battles of trying to earn respect and stuff like that,” Hernandez said. “I think people are so comfortable talking about women, and it’s not the same for men, so to be able to relate with other people and then also the queens as well, be able to relate to that because obviously everyone’s always commenting about them and what they do.”
At the end of the episode, RuPaul announced that the show is donating $2,500 to the Play Like a Girl organization, which connects young girls with “inspiring women role models and mentors leading in traditionally male-dominated fields.”
“I think basketball is growing on the female side, but I think we’re still a little bit behind,” Dean said. “I think that’s where it’s frustrating, but at the same time, I appreciate the growth that we do have so far.”
UCI’s basketball season returns in November 2025. To keep up with UCI Women’s Basketball news, visit UC Irvine Athletics or the Sports section of New University’s website.
Emma Richman is a Features Intern for the spring 2025 quarter. She can be reached at richmane@uci.edu.
Edited by Annia Pallares zur Nieden.