A Dual Celebrity Push for Women's Hockey
The ESPYS, ESPN's annual awards show, typically draws a glittering crowd of athletes, coaches and fans. This year, however, the U.S. Women's Hockey Team faced a logistical hurdle: limited travel funding threatened their ability to attend the ceremony in New York.
Enter Flavor Flav, the outspoken rapper and longtime champion of women's athletics. Over the past several years he has quietly funded travel for a range of Team USA squads, from bobsled to skeleton, and has now extended that support to the hockey program.
Paris Hilton, who discovered her love for ice hockey during high school, contributed a substantial cache of Hilton Honors points — approximately 2.5 million — to cover hotel accommodations for every player and staff member. The points, sourced from her own travel portfolio, effectively eliminated the team's lodging barrier.
The collaboration underscores a broader movement in which celebrities from entertainment, music and business are leveraging their platforms and resources to amplify women's sports. Flav's five‑year sponsorship with USA Water Polo, alongside his mentorship of athletes across Olympic disciplines, illustrates a sustained commitment that goes beyond one‑off gestures.
Hilton Honors, the loyalty program behind the hotel chain, has confirmed the point redemption and highlighted the partnership as a model for corporate‑sponsored athlete support. The initiative not only secures travel for the hockey team but also sets a precedent for using loyalty ecosystems to fund sports participation.
Both Paris Hilton and Flavor Flav have spoken about the personal significance of the project. Hilton, who played defense in high school, recalled the exhilaration of the rink and the importance of representation. Flav, meanwhile, emphasized that his advocacy is driven by a desire to see women's achievements celebrated on the same stage as their male counterparts.
The ripple effect of this alliance extends beyond the ESPYS. By covering travel and lodging, the duo frees up resources that can be redirected toward training, fundraising and community outreach. Athletes such as Maggie Steffens and Hillary Knight, who have benefited from Flav's earlier sponsorships, view the new support as a validation of their own journeys.
Located in the heart of New York, the ESPYS venue will now host a fully supported delegation, allowing the team to celebrate their season's milestones alongside peers from other sports. The gesture also shines a spotlight on the growing visibility of women's hockey, a sport that continues to break attendance and sponsorship records.