Cole Villena

Nashville

Associate Editor at Nashville Scene

Associate Editor at @NashvilleScene. Tar Heel. Formerly @Tennessean, @INDYWeek. 🇵🇭🇺🇸

Articles

Athletes Unlimited Proves Nashville’s Appetite for Women’s Basketball

1 month ago | nashvillescene.com | Cole Villena

When confetti fell in Municipal Auditorium on March 2, it was a celebration of four weeks of basketball excellence from Dallas Wings forward Maddy Siegrist. The second-year pro was crowned as the top individual performer of Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball, a professional women’s basketball league that made its home in Nashville this year. But the season finale that day was also a joyous occasion for fans of the game in general.
The People Issue 2025: WNBA Coach Stephanie White

1 month ago | nashvillescene.com | Cole Villena

No one is better equipped to illustrate Nashville’s recent history than Ricky Rogers. As the photo archivist at The Tennessean, Rogers combs the paper’s century-old library of photos to create galleries of “Nashville Then.” The galleries are available on the paper’s website and on criminally under-followed social media pages like the @nashville_then Instagram page.
Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball Week 1 recap: Bradford, Siegrist lead the way

2 months ago | nashvillepost.com | Cole Villena

Athletes Unlimited kicked off last week at Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium, giving Music City fans a taste of professional women’s basketball. Evina Westbrook’s team of efficient guards set the pace in the first week, locking up all but one of the top spots in the league’s individual leaderboard. Crystal Bradford topped the individual leaderboard by securing the most individual stat points and team win points as a member of Team Westbrook, impressing both as a shooter and a rebounder.
What Do the Arcade’s Tenants Think About Its New Chapter?

2 months ago | nashvillescene.com | Cole Villena |Laura Hutson Hunter

Nashville’s Arcade has a storied history. It first opened in 1902, with architecture based on the open-air bazaars of Milan, Italy, and became a hub for downtown foot traffic long before the honky-tonks of Lower Broadway. In more recent years, it’s become an engine for the local art community as the home of the First Saturday Art Crawl. But Nashville’s rapid growth brought new places to eat, shop and do business.
Hearing From the Arcade’s New Owners

2 months ago | nashvillescene.com | Cole Villena

The Arcade’s new look started to take shape after a group of investors — including local real estate power player Rob Lowe and an affiliate of the Manhattan-based real estate company Linfield Capital — purchased the property for $28 million in April 2021. The new owners have worked to renovate the space and secure new tenants, charting a new course for the historic property.
Athletes Unlimited Brings Professional Women’s Basketball to Nashville

2 months ago | nashvillescene.com | Cole Villena

Professional women’s basketball is set to tip off at Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium Wednesday with Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball. The league features stars from the Women’s National Basketball Association, the Southeastern Conference and around the basketball world. The monthlong competition begins as interest in the sport is especially high in Music City. In January, a group of investors launched a bid for a Nashville WNBA franchise, the Tennessee Summitt, which would begin play in 2028.
Athletes Unlimited brings professional women’s basketball to Nashville

2 months ago | nashvillepost.com | Cole Villena

Professional women’s basketball is set to tip off at Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium Wednesday with Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball. The league features stars from the Women’s National Basketball Association, the Southeastern Conference and around the basketball world. The monthlong competition begins as interest in the sport is especially high in Music City. In January, a group of investors launched a bid for a Nashville WNBA franchise, the Tennessee Summitt, which would begin play in 2028.
Severe Weather Resources

Jan 14, 2025 | nashvillescene.com | Cole Villena

The best way to stay safe during a severe weather event is to be prepared. That’s especially true in Middle Tennessee, where residents can experience everything from floods and tornadoes to hurricanes and snowstorms — occasionally in the same year. Here are some resources to stay safe. Nashville Severe WeatherNashvillians have a fantastic resource in Nashville Severe Weather, which posts updates to nashvillesevereweather.com and streams on its YouTube channel during severe weather events.
Hey Thanks, New Mexico State Aggies

Nov 27, 2024 | nashvillescene.com | Cole Villena

The college football world rejoiced — and marveled — when the long-suffering Vanderbilt Commodores defeated the nation’s top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide on Oct. 5. It barely made sense: What had changed since last season, when the ’Dores failed to win a single Southeastern Conference game?
Hey Thanks, Affordable Dental Care Providers

Nov 26, 2024 | nashvillescene.com | Cole Villena

Dental health is an essential part of overall well-being, but it’s not always accessible to Tennesseans. Medicare, for example, doesn’t include dental coverage, and TennCare didn’t expand to cover certain dental procedures until 2023. That’s why we’re grateful for organizations like the Lentz Dental Clinic, which provides both comprehensive care for kids (ages 20 and younger) and emergency care for adults.

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