ARTICLE 01 • OUR STORY
01 / THE ORIGIN STORY
More than a hat.
A tribute to the game.
Cofounders Shaylee Nielsen and Ande Miller have been in the game their whole lives. Both played college basketball before becoming high school teachers and coaches. Shaylee has been coaching for over 14 years, while Ande coached for a decade before becoming an administrator. They first met playing against each other in college—and have been close friends ever since.
In 2023, the two teamed up with their friend Lexi and her non-profit, “Run It Back,” to run coaching clinics during WNBA All-Star Weekend. That experience changed everything. Immersed in the energy of the WNBA, they fell in love with its culture, its people, and its powerful sense of community. They knew they wanted to be part of growing the game and building space for more fans to feel seen and connected.
Being big hat lovers, they went looking for the perfect way to rep the W—but couldn’t find anything that felt right. There were plenty of great tees, but no hats that were bold, stylish, or told the story they wanted to share. The following year, it was the same story. So they stopped waiting and started building.
Lift and Legacy was born from that moment: a brand that combines their love for the game with a commitment to honoring its past and lifting up its future.
