<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1ZhtLJ_0w2yOJhV00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1ZhtLJ_0w2yOJhV00" width="1199" height="628" >CHAMPAIGN — When Genesis Bryant was five years old, she proudly stood on national television in the finals of the Reading Rainbow contest without batting an eye.Bryant finished second, she said, in that competition. No small feat. But, at least in retrospect, she learned the value of confidence and the art of communication. Even back then."I was so confident. I wasn't nervous. I was speaking, projecting. It just came natural to me," Bryant told Illini Inquirer. "I feel like I've always been that type of person with class presentations and speaking up in any place. I feel like if you give me a microphone and camera, it's my personality. I've always been that way. It just fits me."Bryant has never shied away from talking in front of a camera and took that approach to <a href="https://247sports.com/college/illinois/article/fighting-illini-womens-basketball-notebook-berry-wallace-adalia-mckenzie-shauna-green-237342548/">Big Ten Media Days last week</a> when she interned with the Big Ten Network. Bryant interviewed the conference's coaches and players outside of the main hall inside the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont (Ill.). There were questions for her conference counterparts, teammates and <a href="https://247sports.com/college/illinois/">Illinois</a> head coach <a href="https://247sports.com/Coach/shauna-green-5065/">Shauna Green</a>."Building that personal rapport with the girls because we only know each other as competitors and going against each other, but being able to laugh, joke around and even talk on the side I feel like kind of gave more to the person than the athlete that we see when we play each other," Bryant said.Not a bad way for Bryant to get her foot in the door of what she hopes is a future job. The Illinois guard, entering her final season of eligibility, wants to go into broadcasting or sideline reporting, and if not for a European trip with her teammates over the summer likely would have done the same thing at the Big Ten Volleyball Media Days.Bryant's experience in Rosemont only solidified her desire to make this her full-time career when basketball eventually stops.Bryant over the weekend shadowed volleyball on campus to get a look at other sports, and there are conversations to have Bryant on the Big Ten Plus student broadcast for Illinois games, potentially as an analyst or a pre-recorded interview with Green.Whatever the case, her media days experience was a strong start. Illinois sports information director Jess Leifheit reached out to BTN on behalf of Bryant ahead of media days to try to find space for Bryant to get an opportunity. Vice president of remote production Sue Maryott was eager to get Bryant — a highly productive guard in the conference — in the fold.The rest was on Bryant to learn what works and doesn't work in front of a camera as an interviewer. It's, admittedly, a different setting than she's used to as the one getting interviewed about a resurgent women's basketball program."Just showing personality," Bryant said of her biggest takeaway. "I feel like when you're reading off a script and you try to remember the questions and be so formal, it becomes obvious to the other person and puts them on guard. I feel like when you can be yourself and showing personality and kind of going with the flow, I feel like it's more organic and that's what makes a better interview."In truth, this process started more than a year ago. Bryant wanted to network to open doors that allowed for her to find her way into broadcasting or sideline reporting. She graduated from Illinois with a degree in communications. Before she entered her senior year, she decided to go both feet in the water on this career path.Since arriving from N.C. State, Bryant has been a key part in the Illini turnaround. She's started 53 of 65 games during the last two years while averaging 14.6 points, 3.4 assists and shooting 37.4% on 3-pointers. But she's also preparing for a career after she stops playing.But basketball eventually ends — though it's unclear what Bryant's plans are following her final collegiate season — and Byant simply isn't ready to give up basketball entirely. She loves the intricacies of the game and studying the game's top players. Just because her own career eventually will stop doesn't mean she wants to leave the sport that brought her here in its entirety.Plus, she's pretty comfortable in these situations. Enough people, she said, reached out to her about this being a viable career path and, heck, talking about the game didn't sound so bad."I feel like I just love the sport," Bryant said. "Outside of playing it, I love watching it, I love talking about it, I love watching other great players. I'm just a lover of the game. I feel like any way I could be around it, I wanted to do it. I feel like this is the best avenue for me because I love to be in front of the camera, I love to talk. I'm not really nervous when it comes to things like that. I think that field just fits me and my personality."Bryant and the Illini still have <a href="https://247sports.com/college/illinois/article/fighting-illini-womens-basketball-expectations-illinois-head-coach-shauna-green-makira-cook-adalia-mckenzie-237315789/">lofty goals for this season</a>. Illinois is coming off back-to-back postseason appearances and a WBIT championship appearance last year. The goal is the NCAA Tournament in a continued push upward for a revitalized program.Basketball still has some juice left in it for Bryant, but last week was another step in the Illini guard positioning herself closer for life after basketball."This is something I want to go into," Bryant said. "I'm still by the game. It's not that I'm leaving it. I'm just going on a different side of it whenever basketball is over for me. I think that solidified it."</div></body>

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Illini WBB guard Genesis Bryant interns with BTN at Media Days: 'I think that field just fits me'

CHAMPAIGN — When Genesis Bryant was five years old, she proudly stood on national television in the finals of the Reading Rainbow contest without batting an eye. Bryant finished second, she said, in that competition. No small feat. But, at least in retrospect, she learned the value of confidence and the art of communication. Even back then.

Illini WBB guard Genesis Bryant interns with BTN at Media Days: 'I think that field just fits me'

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