DJ Shawna: Return of Bucks' fans to Fiserv Form 'breath of fresh air'

MILWAUKEE - If you've ever been to a Milwaukee Bucks game, all that music you hear inside Fiserv Forum is pumped out by one Milwaukee native. DJ Shawna is relishing the opportunity to spin her tunes in front of fans once again.

She's dropping beats and making some sweet tunes at Fiserv Forum. Shawna Nicols, AKA DJ Shawnais the Bucks official disc jockey and producer -- the woman behind the music.

"The type of person and DJ that I am, I love to make people happy," said DJ Shawna.

The basketball landscape changed because of the coronavirus pandemic, but DJ Shawna has remained a constant.

"I think this pandemic has really re-lit a fire in me that I had from a passion standpoint, and I was so grateful for that because it really just lit this fire in me and it was a sign for me that like, yes, this is what you're supposed to be doing," said DJ Shawna.

That realization is even more justified after she was one of the four DJs allowed inside the NBA Bubble in Orlando last season.

"Yeah, it was like summer camp in a professional level," said DJ Shawna. "Thinking about it makes me smile. This is genuine. It was such an incredible experience."

At Fiserv Forum, DJ Shawna is perched up in her new spot with a bird's eye view of everything.

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"I'm upstairs in what is the Tower Lounge so I get to see the whole court -- literally," said DJ Shawna.

The players have gotten to enjoy her jams all season long. Now, she gets to spread that same joy to the fans who were allowed back inside Fiserv Forum for the first time in almost a year.

"Going from no fans and then slowly integrating them over the last week, it's kind of just been a breath of fresh air and a glimpse of hope I think," said DJ Shawna.

With 1,800 fans allowed to attend games, their presence has made a big difference.

"The Bucks lost the tip to the Kings last night and I immediately played a very simple basic defensive prompt, very basic and I could hear fans saying, 'Defense' like, in the first possession," said DJ Shawna.

More willing ears means more fan feedback, so DJ Shawna has to maximize that energy even when those fans can't stand up in their seats to cheer because of Fiserv's current COVID-19 protocols.

"I've challenged myself to try to find songs that don't entice people to stand up out of their chairs and jump around," said DJ Shawna. "A lot of wave your hands in the air or clap your hands, that type of stuff."

FOX6's Lily Zhao: "How have you been able to kind of 'create your own juice' as a DJ? What has that experience been like for you?

"In the big picture, we're still in the middle of the pandemic," said DJ Shawna. "We're still in the middle of one of the biggest social justice movements that I think we'll ever see in our lifetime and this is a reprieve to some of that. That's been the inspiration for me is like, just trying to make one person's day better."