Shirley Simson, an 84-year-old mother of four, grandmother of 14 and great-grandmother of 10, stood at the Bellagio in Las Vegas one afternoon in early January Waiting for the bus in the lobby of the Gio Hotel and Casino. She wore bright pink athletic shorts with “SPORT DRIP” printed all over, a white one-leg sleeve on her left arm, a white shooting sleeve on her right arm, and a white “CANDY” headband in the middle. Her gray hair. Shirley planned the 20-minute trip with her two grandchildren to Henderson, Nevada, home of the Las Vegas Aces. She hopes to work out at a WNBA team’s facility.
Before the trio left, a teenager – “a young lad” in Simson’s words – spotted her near the hotel entrance and asked to take a photo. She had never been stopped like this before. She was surprised, but agreed.
Simson remained unknown for almost his entire life. For approximately forty years she was a registered nurse in southern British Columbia, Canada. Now retired, she gardens, plays bridge, creates stone sculptures and participates in two book clubs. Despite her age and height — she was once 5-foot-6 but says she has shrunk to 5-foot-4 — Simson is also a basketball player. Or rather, she’s trying to be one.
She hopes to become a WNBA All-Star. “To me, life is worth living,” Simson said. “I just think you should make the most of it because you’re only here for a while.”
In mid-October, Simson’s career journey began. Her grandchildren, Parker, 25, and Hunter, 21, recommended the project to her and she immediately got involved. “I enjoy being around them,” Simson said, “and I’m always interested in things that are a little bit zany.”
They filmed her practicing at a local rec center and then shared the edited video on the Instagram and TikTok accounts of Court Candy, a basketball accessories brand they founded in the summer of 2020. Their goal is to create at least 50 videos about her, presented as a series, each titled “Grandma of the WNBA.” Simson voices her scenes, using Gen Z phrases like “I’m nervous,” “I start cooking,” and “Cooking pot curry, kid.”
“I don’t know what it means, but they don’t understand the lingo of my time,” she said.
Of course, this project is ambitious. Simson’s grandchildren hope it will bring more publicity to their company. But it’s also a way for her to get back into better shape after undergoing left knee replacement surgery last March. Most importantly for the three, it allowed them to spend more time together.
“She’s really one of our best friends,” Parker said.
Simson last played recreational basketball six years ago in nursing school. During her first workout back, she struggled. “I’m desperate,” she said. “I can’t dribble. I can’t shoot the ball in the basket unless I do it the grandma way.” However, that didn’t stop her. Nor has it turned off consumers. Her progress subsequently attracted the attention of millions of people.
The show’s premiere garnered nearly 2 million views on TikTok alone. Three other videos have also received over one million views on social media platforms. Three videos on Instagram have been viewed more than 500,000 times. Simson said she doesn’t really understand social media. “I don’t have enough time in my life to do it all,” she said. Still, she’s grateful people are following. Parker and Hunter often showed her these comments. “We thought that was the coolest part for her,” Parker said. Their attitude is very positive. “I’m glad people are interested in this because one of the main factors is if you’re moving, you’re improving,” Simson said.
Her workouts start earlier than any standard WNBA or college workout. On training days, Simson wakes up around 5:30 a.m. and starts preparing. At 7 a.m., she showed up on the court wearing not only her grandchildren’s brand of accessories, but also their basketball sneakers, which she put on after putting on two pairs of socks and inserting extra insoles. Her grandchildren coach her in drills such as two-ball dribbling and pin-down shots. She works on her underhand and overhand jump shots. She’s still using an eight-foot rim; they hope to eventually meet WNBA regulations.
Shirley Simson works hard to improve her agility with the guidance of her grandchildren. (Courtesy of Palace Candy)
In one video, Simson pushes away her walker. In another photo, she lifts free weights and performs step-by-step lunges. She practiced her vertical jump (0.67 inches) and completed the three-cone drill in just over six seconds. Multiple videos show her running up ladders, sometimes holding a basketball, which she said is one of the most difficult exercises. “Dad, you’re 84 years old. You’re doing great,” her grandchildren told her when she was having trouble.
The WNBA is already paying attention to Simonson. In December, The Connecticut Sun commented: “Grandma… where are you?”
“That was really bad,” Hunter said. Soon after, at Simonson’s urging in the video, the league’s official account left an eye emoji on its Instagram and TikTok content. “Freedom” star Breanna Stewart even shared Simson’s video on her Instagram Story.
Still, the Simonsons’ Las Vegas adventure didn’t quite pan out the way they’d hoped. Parker said a security guard at the Aces facility turned them away without an appointment. Instead, they shot a video on the sidewalk outside.
Simson’s grandchildren hope the project will create more opportunities for Shirley, who they recently launched a separate Instagram page for. It’s called “EasyMoneyGranny,” after Kevin Durant’s “easymoneysniper” handle.
They’d love to see her receive an invite to the WNBA All-Star Game or play a ceremonial role in the draft. “We just want her to have some cool adventures,” Parker said.
The prospect excites Simson, but also raises some concerns. She asked her grandchildren, “What if someone wants me to actually come, but I’m not good enough? What if a team picks me and I play badly?”
They responded, “Don’t worry, Dad, they’re not expecting you to dunk and do crazy things.”
It also didn’t help calm nerves over a family vacation and a holiday cold that temporarily halted Simson’s campaign. But as she recovers and settles back home in British Columbia, her WNBA journey will continue.
“Those of us who are lucky enough to be alive should show people that older people can do things, older people can dream,” Simson said. “While we may forget a lot of things, we do know how to do a lot of things.”
(Above photo by Shirley Simson: Courtesy of Court Candy)
