The stars of Gina Prince-Bythewood’s romantic sports drama have continued to shine.

Love & Basketball, then and now: See what the all-star cast is doing 26 years later

The stars of Gina Prince-Bythewood's romantic sports drama have continued to shine.

By Sezin Devi Koehler

April 24, 2026 4:00 p.m. ET

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Sanaa Lathan as Monica Wright and Omar Epps as Quincy McCall in 'Love & Basketball'. Credit:

Time has been kind to *Love & Basketball*, the beloved 2000 romantic drama from writer-director Gina Prince-Bythewood. The film, which follows Monica (Sanaa Lathan) and Quincy (Omar Epps) as they prove their prowess on the basketball court and finally give in to their feelings for one another before attending the same college, could have been a cliché sports drama. Instead, it's an engrossing character study with electric chemistry between Lathan and Epps.

*Love & Basketball* remains one of the most cherished films on Lathan's and Epps' lists of credits, even as both have had thriving careers in the 26 years since its release. The same goes for their supporting castmates, a who's who of top-of-the-line Black talent that includes Alfre Woodard, Dennis Haysbert, Regina Hall, and Gabrielle Union.

Today, we're looking back on the all-star cast of *Love & Basketball* and catching up with where they are now.

Sanaa Lathan (Monica Wright)

Sanaa Lathan as Monica Wright in 'Love & Basketball'; Sanaa Lathan at the 'The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat' Los Angeles premiere held at the Culver Theater on Aug. 23, 2024, in Los Angeles, Calif.

New Line Cinema/Courtesy Everett; Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty

Sanaa Lathan plays headstrong, vulnerable, basketball-obsessed Monica, who falls for next-door neighbor Quincy when she’s 11.

“What a gift it was that I was able to, at a young age, play this amazing, fierce character in this beloved movie,” she told PEOPLE in 2024. “It became this thing where people watched it over and over and over again.”

Lathan’s nuanced portrayal was her first lead role after a string of supporting and guest spots. She was the daywalker’s mother in *Blade *(1998) before appearing in 1999's coming-of-age rom-coms *The Wood* and *The Best Man*. After *Love & Basketball*, she paired up with Taye Diggs for *Brown Sugar *(2002) and Denzel Washington for *Out of Time *(2003) before delivering a Tony-nominated turn in *A Raisin in the Sun.*

No stranger to genre work, the actress was the final girl in *Alien vs. Predator *(2004) and went on to appear in Steven Soderbergh’s *Contagion* (2011) while picking up regular voice acting gigs as Catwoman on *Harley Quinn* and Cleveland’s wife on *The Cleveland Show*. Her guest work on *Succession* earned her her first Emmy nomination. She made her directorial debut with the 2022 film *On the Come Up*.

Lathan is vocally single and advocates for women to choose themselves until, and unless, they find the right partner. She was notably dating her *Love & Basketball *costar Omar Epps during filming.

Omar Epps (Quincy McCall)

Omar Epps as Quincy McCall in 'Love & Basketball'; Omar Epps visits the SiriusXM Studios on Sept. 26, 2023, in New York City.

S. Baldwin/New Line Cinema; Cindy Ord/Getty

Omar Epps plays Quincy, Monica’s next-door neighbor, hoops rival, and eventual one-and-only.

The actor confessed to ESPN in 2020* *that he didn’t really know how to hoop before the film came around: He had to learn on the fly. When it came to acting, however, he was already a Hollywood staple, having starred in such high-profile films as *Juice *(1992) alongside Tupac Shakur, John Singleton’s *Higher Learning *(1995), and Wes Craven’s *Scream 2 *(1997) — not to mention *The Wood,* where he first paired up with Lathan.

Since the turn of the century, Epps has become a television staple, joining the main cast of *House* before booking *Resurrection*, *Shooter*, and *Power Book III: Raising Kanan**.* He also had a recurring role on the beloved drama *This Is Us*. Most recently, he starred in the independent crime drama *Moses the Black* (2026).

Epps has been married to R&B singer Keisha Spivey since 2006. They have a daughter and a son together. He also has a daughter from a previous relationship.

Alfre Woodard (Camille Wright)

Alfre Woodard as Camille Wright in 'Love & Basketball'; Alfre Woodard at 'Number One on the Call Sheet' New York premiere at Crosby Street Hotel on March 10, 2025, in New York.

New Line Cinema; Adela Loconte/Variety via Getty

Alfre Woodard plays Monica’s genteel housewife mom, Camille, the polar opposite of her combative younger daughter.

Woodard, of course, needs no introduction, as one of the most acclaimed figures in American acting. She’s been nominated for every award under the sun and was named one of the 25 greatest actors of the 21st century by *The New York Times*.

The actress’ Oscar-nominated performance in *Cross Creek *(1983) established her for good. In the ensuing years, roles in John Sayles’ *Passion Fish *(1992), Spike Lee’s *Crooklyn *(1994), and Maya Angelou’s *Down in the Delta *(1998) secured her reputation. She once again played Sanaa Lathan’s mother in the rom-com *Something New *(2006), starred in season 2 of *Desperate Housewives*, delivered a show-stopping one-scene performance in Best Picture winner *12 Years a Slave** *(2013), and earned a BAFTA nomination as a conflicted prison warden in *Clemency *(2019).

The Tulsa native also has two Marvel characters to her name — as a regular on *Luke Cage* and as a grieving mother in *Captain America: Civil War** *(2016). She also appeared in *The Book of Clarence *(2023) and *Salem’s Lot *(2024) and had a key role on the Apple TV drama series *The Last Frontier*.

Woodard has been married to writer Roderick Spencer since 1983. They have a daughter and a son.

Dennis Haysbert (Zeke McCall)

Dennis Haysbert as Zeke McCall in 'Love & Basketball'; Dennis Haysbert attends Hallmark Media's 15th anniversary of Countdown to Christmas event at Blue Hill at Stone Barns on Oct. 17, 2024, in Tarrytown, N.Y.

New Line Cinema; Dave Kotinsky/Getty

Dennis Haysbert plays Quincy’s tough-minded father, Zeke, an NBA player who demands more from his son than simply to follow in Dad’s footsteps.

This wasn’t the first sports movie for Haysbert, whose breakthrough role was superstitious slugger Pedro Serrano in *Major League* (1989). After memorable turns in the likes of *Heat *(1995), *Waiting to Exhale *(1995), and Clint Eastwood’s *Absolute Power *(1997), the actor cemented himself in our collective memory yet again as President David Palmer on *24*.

The man with the voice has never slowed down. He headlined David Mamet’s military series *The Unit* while making his presence felt on the big screen in *Far From Heaven *(2002), *Jarhead *(2005), and *Dear White People *(2014). He even played God on *Lucifer*. Of course, he admits most people recognize him from those Allstate ads.

Harry Lennix (Nathan Wright)

Harry Lennix as Nathan Wright in 'Love & Basketball'; Harry Lennix attends the 2023 HeartShare Spring Gala at Cipriani Wall Street on March 29, 2023, in New York City.

New Line Cinema; Mike Coppola/Getty

Harry Lennix plays Monica’s supportive but quietly demanding father, Nathan.

Lennix is one of the most ubiquitous faces across movies and TV. He was a standout in Spike Lee’s *Get on the Bus *(1996), then brought Shakespeare to modern life in *Titus *(1999) before achieving cult fandom on Joss Whedon’s *Dollhouse*. He later spent a decade as an FBI heavyweight on *The Blacklist*.

The Chicago native had a recurring role on *Billions* and another in the DC universe, showing up in *Man of Steel *(2013)*, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice* (2016)*,* and *Zack Snyder's* *Justice League* (2021). He earned his first Tony nomination in 2025 for his performance in the play *Purpose*.

Lennix has been married to businesswoman Djena Graves since 2009.

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Debbi Morgan (Nona McCall)

Debbi Morgan as Nona McCall in 'Love & Basketball'; Debbi Morgan attends the 'Beauty in Black' special screening at IPIC Atlanta on Oct. 21, 2024, in Atlanta, Ga.

New Line Cinema/Courtesy Everett; Paras Griffin/Getty

Debbi Morgan plays Quincy’s mother, and Zeke’s aggrieved wife, Nona.

It was a rare big-screen performance for the acting veteran, who by that point was a soap-opera legend. In 1989, she became the first African American to win a Daytime Emmy for supporting actress, for her long-running role on *All My Children*. She later became the first Black woman nominated in the lead category.

Her soap career has included long runs on *Generations*, *Loving*, *The City*, and *Port Charles*. During that time, she squeezed in roles in acclaimed films like *Eve's Bayou *(1997) and *The Hurricane *(1999).

Morgan’s television résumé includes multiple installments of the *Power* franchise, a guest spot on Marvel’s *The Defenders*, and an ongoing role on Tyler Perry’s Netflix drama *Beauty in Black*.

Morgan married Jeffrey Winston in 2009.

Regina Hall (Lena Wright)

Regina Hall as Lena Wright in 'Love & Basketball'; Regina Hall at the Warner Bros. Pictures 'The Big Picture' presentation press line as part of CinemaCon 2025 at Caesars Palace on April 1, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nev.

New Line Cinema; Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty

As Monica’s fashionista sister, Regina Hall made the most out of a small role.

Hall broke through in a big way in the comedy world, starring in four *Scary Movie* (2000) installments. That’s hardly her only long-running franchise: her rom-coms *The Best Man *(1999) and *Think Like a Man *(2012) spawned sequels as well.

Hall has been able to show off her dramatic chops in *Law Abiding Citizen *(2009), *The Hate U Give *(2018), and the indie dramedy *Support the Girls *(2018), for which she became the first Black woman to win the New York Film Critics Circle’s Best Actress award.

She made a fearsome comedy foursome — alongside Tiffany Haddish, Queen Latifah, and Jada Pinkett Smith — that spun box-office gold in the raunchy hit *Girls Trip** *(2017). She earned acclaim for her performance in the satirical mockumentary *Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. *(2022) as the wife of a closeted pastor and had a small but impactful role in Paul Thomas Anderson's Oscar-winning film *One Battle After Another** *(2025). She will soon reprise her role as Brenda in the sixth *Scary Movie* film.

Hall is a deeply spiritual woman and tried to become a nun twice — first at age 14 and again at 40. During the second attempt, she discovered she had passed the cutoff age — and nope, it wasn’t a joke!

Gabrielle Union (Shawnee)

Gabrielle Union as Shawnee in 'Love & Basketball'; Gabrielle Union attends the 2025 'Vanity Fair' Oscar party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 2, 2025, in Beverly Hills, Calif.

New Line Cinema; Cindy Ord/VF25/Getty

Gabrielle Union has a small, pivotal role as Shawnee, a would-be romantic rival who takes Q to the spring dance — but doesn’t get what she wants afterward.

The same year, she hit it big with another generational sports movie, *Bring It On** *(2000), as the rival school’s head cheerleader. Union carved out a niche in romantic comedies, starring in *Two Can Play That Game *(2001), *Deliver Us from Eva *(2003), and *Breakin’ All the Rules *(2004), in addition to action flicks like *Cradle 2 the Grave *(2003).

The veteran actress reinforced her romantic bona fides in the starry ensemble movies *Think Like a Man *and *Think Like a Man Too *(2014) while finding a home on TV in *Being Mary Jane*. She later reprised her *Bad Boys II *(2003) character on the cop procedural *L.A.’s Finest* and earned acclaim for her role in the independent 2022 drama *The Inspection*.

The actress, author, and LGBTQ+ activist has been married to real-life basketball star Dwyane Wade since 2014. They share one daughter, and she is a stepmom to Wade’s three other children.

Tyra Banks (Kyra)

Tyra Banks as Kyra in 'Love & Basketball'; Tyra Banks at the ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards held at Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel on Feb. 27, 2025, in Los Angeles, Calif.

New Line Cinema; Christopher Polk/Variety via Getty

The queen of smizing herself, Tyra Banks, lovingly walks through the final quarter of *Love & Basketball *as Quincy’s fiancée, Kyra — before being dumped (off-screen) just two weeks before the big day.

If Kyra’s life turned out even a fraction as well as Tyra’s did, we could stop feeling sorry for her. The legendary supermodel — and the first Black woman to grace the cover of *Sports Illustrated*’s swimsuit issue — was the face of and creative force behind *America’s Next Top Model** *from 2003 to 2018. Banks has also hosted *The Tyra Banks Show*, *America’s Got Talent*, and *Dancing With the Stars*.

Her acting has been intermittent since an early career arc on *The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air*. She did, however, share a screen romance with Omar Epps in *Higher Learning* and was later part of the bar-dancing ensemble in *Coyote Ugly** *(2000).

Banks has one son, born in 2016, with ex-boyfriend Erik Asla.

Kyla Pratt (Young Monica)

Kyla Pratt as young Monica in 'Love & Basketball'; Kyla Pratt attends the 2025 ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on Feb. 27, 2025, in Los Angeles, Calif.

Ronald Grant Archive/Mary Evans/Courtesy Everett; Amy Sussman/Getty

The task of establishing Monica as a young badass from the start fell on Kyla Pratt.

The actress has been a showbiz staple for decades now. Before landing her pivotal *Love & Basketball *role, the L.A. native had been a perpetual guest star on TV, appearing in everything from *ER* and *Living Single *to *Friends *and *Family Matters*. That was a mere prologue to her long-running lead roles on UPN’s *One on One* and *The Proud Family* as the voice of Penny.

She was Eddie Murphy’s daughter in the smash hit *Dr. Dolittle* (1998) — and its four sequels — and has continued to pile up TV work. She guest-starred on Issa Rae’s *Insecure*, booked a regular gig on *Call Me Kat* opposite Mayim Bialik, and joined *Animal Control* in its fourth season.

Pratt was also briefly a reality star on *Black Ink Crew: Compton *(2019), alongside her partner, Danny Kirkpatrick, a tattoo artist and rapper, with whom she shares two children.

Glenndon Chatman (Young Quincy)

Glenndon Chatman as young Quincy in 'Love & Basketball'; Glenndon Chatman attends the 'Love & Basketball' screening during the 2015 Los Angeles Film Festival at Regal Cinemas L.A. Live on June 13, 2015, in Los Angeles, Calif.

New Line Cinema; Alberto E. Rodriguez/WireImage

As young Q, Glenndon Chatman brings a real energy to the film’s first quarter, as *Love & Basketball* establishes Quincy and Monica’s relationship.

Chatman had previously popped up on *Coach*, *7th Heaven*,* The Jamie Foxx Show*,* *and *Moesha*. He was no stranger to basketball movies either — he was cast as Air Jordan’s brother, Larry, in the made-for-TV biopic,* Michael Jordan: An American Hero* (1999).

As years passed, he appeared on *The District*,* Judging Amy*, and in the Disney Channel original movie *The Luck of the Irish** *(2001) before taking a break from the screen as he reached adulthood.

Chatman returned to acting with a handful of small roles in *No Regrets *(2016) and episodes of *Shut Eye*, *For the People*, and *Dirty Cops L.A.*

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