Maya Higa is swapping the sanctuary for the hardwood. The Twitch creator and conservationist has announced she will take part in a WNBA Celebrity 3-Point Contest, putting her in a lineup usually filled with athletes, actors, and musicians.
For most streamers, a shooting contest would be a wild jump. For Higa, it’s not far off from her regular content. She has played basketball on stream more than once, and clips of her shooting from range have circulated among fans. She’s not a pro, but she’s far from clueless with a ball in her hands.
Higa built her name doing something different from most Twitch creators. Instead of leaning on competitive gaming, she focused on wildlife conservation, animal education, and falconry.
In 2021 she founded Alveus Sanctuary, a nonprofit in Texas that uses animal ambassadors and livestreams to teach viewers about conservation, animal care, and habitat protection.
That dual identity is likely part of her appeal to mainstream organizers. She’s a digital entertainer and a nonprofit founder at the same time, which gives event producers more than just an audience number to sell.
Her invite also fits a growing trend. Sports leagues and sponsors keep adding online creators to celebrity events because they bring large, engaged audiences and clips that travel far beyond the original broadcast.
A few details are still up in the air. It’s not fully clear how the celebrity contest ties into official WNBA programming, who else is on the roster, or whether the format matches the league’s usual player three-point competition. Celebrity versions often use modified distances, timers, or scoring.
