A freshman athlete will sometimes look up to an upperclassman as an example they’d like to emulate.

When the NIU women’s basketball team met the incoming freshman this season, the coaches wanted to pair the underclassmen with players they could connect with.

It didn’t take long for Ashley Sneed and Bianca Brown to realize they had a connection.

Not only did the Huskie teammates love their sport, but there was something more than that.

“I pulled Bianca to the side and I was like, ‘who has migrated to you?'” NIU assistant coach E.C. Hill said. “And it was Ashley. Because Ashley sings gospel and Bianca does rap so they had that musical connection.”

Being a first-year player and going through the motions of starting college, Sneed wasn’t familiar with the DeKalb area. Plus, she took a back seat, not talking a lot at first. But Brown soon brought Sneed out of her shell and took her under her wing.

“When I first got here I was shy,” Sneed said. “Bianca was always outspoken and whenever I needed to go places, Bianca offered to take me.”

Where Sneed and Brown’s passion for music meets is singing. Sneed is an avid poetry writer while Brown composes raps.

“I do write on my down time if I don’t have enough school work or we get an off day,” Sneed said.

Last fall, Brown performed at The House Cafe in downtown DeKalb. When one of her vocalists couldn’t come out for her performance that night, she decided to call upon her basketball teammate in Sneed.

“She asked me to sing the hook for one of her songs because one of her singers couldn’t make it,” Sneed said. “It was really fun.”

Their fall collaboration has been their only performance together. With the Huskies in season, they haven’t gotten the chance to work together off the court. Although Brown sees the opportunity for them to perform together in the future.

“In the future I can definitely see us collaborating whether its pulling ideas together or writing together anything like that I’m open to,” Brown said.

Beyond music and basketball, there’s a rich friendship that both Sneed and Brown treasure.

“I know her to the point where, I know if she needs somebody to pull her to the side or talk to her to try and uplift her,” Brown said. “I know her personality where I can figure when she needs me needs me and when she’s okay.”

When asked who is most musically endowed, Hill suggested a competition to settle who reigns supreme.

“I think we should have another team talent show,” Hill said. “A team talent show, and whoever wins is flat out the best.”