Brooks Nader Reveals the Athlete She Would Next Like to See in the SI Swimsuit Issue

Brooks Nader.Paul Morigi/Getty Images

As a veteran of four SI Swimsuit Issues, Brooks Nader has a lot of experience with and knowledge of the brand. When asked which athletes should be featured in the pages of the next SI Swimsuit edition, the 2019 Swim Search winner was ready with her pitch. 

“I have a friend who’s a professional ballerina, named Violetta. She’s stunning. I feel like she would be a great addition,” said Nader.

Fellow SI Swimsuit model Camille Kostek responded with a surprised “Oh” in the Miami Swim Week clip.

“I used to dance in high school and I feel like a ballerina would be cool,” Nader continued. “That is a sport, [being] a professional dancer.”

“Oh, definitely,” Kostek agreed.

SI Swimsuit has a long history of featuring athletes in its annual publication. Olympic diver Ann Peterson was the first to be included, in 1970. Throughout the years superstars like Serena Williams, Lindsey Vonn, Danica Patrick, Ronda Rousey, Simone Biles and many more have been showcased. Last year WNBA players Sue Bird, Breann Stewart, DiDi Richards, Te’a Cooper and Nneka Ogwumike were photographed in St. Thomas.

“It’s been a dream my entire life so it’s crazy to be featured, especially after my first year in the WNBA, and to be a part with the other players,” said New York Liberty guard Richards of her SI Swimsuit photo shoot. “It was very humbling. My emotions were all over the place. I was like ‘Am I even supposed to be here?’”

WNBA stars photographed by Laretta Houston in St. Thomas.

Laretta Houston/Sports Illustrated

“This is who we are; this is the makeup of our league,” said Bird, who retired at the end of the 2022 season. “We represent a variety of things: of course women, women of color, members of the LGBTQIA2+ community and much more. The [Swimsuit] issue for so many years has been iconic and has represented a lot for women. Now you are seeing an evolution in what that can mean and what that can look like, and I think the WNBA players being a part of that is what makes it special. There is no better group of women to showcase that evolution.”

In 2019, the same year that Team USA won the World Cup, U.S. women’s national team players Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, Crystal Dunn and Abby Dahlkemper were featured in the Swimsuit Issue.