by FilmInk Staff
WHEN A TWEET STOPS A CAREER
Transgender basketballer Lexi Rodgers was blocked from playing the sport she trained her life for. Rather than walk away she doubled down, training, advocating, and waiting.
HOOPS, a new documentary series from Snack Drawer with principal production funding from Screen Australia, launching Wednesday, September 4, exclusively on Instagram and TikTok , follows Lexi Rodgers, a passionate and driven baller who, after a year of being benched by bureaucracy and backlash, is once again fighting for her chance to play in the NBL1.
Told through a series of short-form episodes, HOOPS, directed and written by Snack Drawer co-founder Hannah McElhinney (Rainbow History Class, TransAthletica) and produced by Eliza Bone (Netflix, TikTok, Fenced), reveals the human story behind one of the most politicised issues in sport today.
In early 2023, Lexi was days away from debuting with the Kilsyth Cobras before a single tweet triggered a wave of anti-trans public scrutiny and forced Basketball Australia to reject her eligibility. She became the centre of a social media storm where she was personally targeted, silenced, and excluded.
Rather than retreat, Lexi pushed harder and became more determined; she continued advocating for herself, submitted medical reviews, and kept training. HOOPS documents her quiet determination, her love of the game, and her growing sense of self. What emerges is not just a political story, but a deeply human one.
Featuring Australian sporting identities such as WAFL and former WNBL Player Saraid Taylor, Journalist Tracey Holmes, ex-AFL Player Ben Brown, and Olympian Anneli Maley, HOOPS is a story about identity, resilience, and a woman who refuses to be reduced to her biology but rather celebrates a relentless love of basketball.
Lexi Rodgers said: “This documentary is so important in bringing visibility to transgender and gender-diverse people in high-performance sport. Elite sport is a highly politicised space, where gender-diverse athletes, and transgender women in particular, are often discouraged or outright excluded. I wanted to invite people into that experience from a human point of view.
“By sharing my story, I hope to break down some of the barriers and misinformation in this space and remind people that transgender athletes are human beings. I’ve experienced firsthand how damaging a lack of dignity and respect can be to the mental health of trans athletes. I truly hope this documentary shines a light on that harm, so we can work toward a future where it’s no longer tolerated.”
Director and writer Hannah McElhinney, said: “Social media helped turn transgender inclusion in sport into a political flashpoint, So we’ve built this series for the same environment—designed to travel across algorithms and land in the feeds where this conversation is happening.”
Launching September 4 on Instagram and Tiktok
