DJ Poizon Ivy
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Ivy Winfrey, formerly known as DJ Poizon Ivy, has distinguished herself as a groundbreaking figure in the intersection of professional sports and music, most notably through her tenure as the official DJ for the Dallas Mavericks.
Winfrey's ascent marked a significant milestone as she was the second female DJ in NBA history and the first Black woman to hold the position for a team in the league. Her carefully curated music selections are designed to amplify the energy within the arena, impacting both players and fans. As she states in an interview with Olympics.com, she believes the atmosphere helped create a tangible difference, likening her role to the "sixth man" in basketball.
“The things I used to do, I ultimately really feel like there are some games where the energy that I brought because of how I'd fuse music into the arena was the real sixth man. I've always referred to myself in that capacity when it came to sports deejaying,” she says
Originally from Kenya and raised in Dallas, Texas, Winfrey's introduction to basketball was through watching NBA games with her uncles. This early exposure cultivated a deep appreciation for the sport, leading her to become a ball kid for the Mavericks, an opportunity that placed her directly within the game she loved. During her studies at Marquette University, Winfrey pursued opportunities to integrate music and sports.
Juggling roles in athletics, radio, and record labels, she gained insights into the symbiotic relationship between the two. A pivotal moment in Winfrey's career was her work with WNBA star and Olympic champion Skylar Diggins-Smith. Deejaying for Diggins-Smith’s basketball camp, "Shoot 4 the Sky," provided a platform that solidified her presence in the sports deejaying scene. Looking forward, Winfrey aims to explore the foundational elements of her pioneering accomplishments, not just celebrate them.
“In college, I literally had seven jobs. I was interning at the radio station in Milwaukee, working for Marquette Athletics, and had my own show on the college radio station, interning for record labels. Like literally anything that could get me closer to this dream job that I didn't know what it was,” she reflects on the informal gigs that launched a career.