Blades Brown's Mom Trends for WNBA Past, Name Explanation

Getty

AUSTIN, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 12: Blades Brown of the United States acknowledges the crowd on the 18th green during the first round of the Austin Championship presented by Compliance Solutions at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa on November 12, 2026 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)

Blades Brown continues to grow in name recognition.

Still just 19, he already has a win on the PGA Tour, and this week he’s playing in the Austin Championship and near the top of the leaderboard after the first round. And all sorts of things catch attention when it comes to Brown — his age, his first name itself, and even his mother’s athletic background.

The fun part about Brown’s story is that his mom and his name actually go hand in hand.

We’ll explain, because it’s worth knowing the fun backstory on Brown as he attempts to build an impressive golf career.

Who is Blades Brown’s Mom?

Getty21 Jun 1997: Rhonda Blades of the New York Liberty stands on the court during a game against the Los Angeles Sparks at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. The Liberty won the game 67-57.

Blades Browns‘ mother is named Rhonda, maiden name Blades, and now Rhonda Brown.

Rhonda was a four-year starting point guard for the women’s college basketball team at Vanderbilt. She led them to two SEC titles and to the 1993 Final Four.

After that, Rhonda played in the inaugural WNBA season in 1997 for the New York Liberty, and later she was the first overall pick in the expansion draft when the Detroit Shock joined the league.

Rhonda went on to coach girls high school basketball in Tennessee, winning five state titles with Brentwood Academy while also working in nursing.

Clearly, the athletic genes are good for her son Blades.

Where Blades Brown Gets His Name

GettyAUSTIN, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 12: Blades Brown of the United States lines up a putt on the 18th green during the first round of the Austin Championship presented by Compliance Solutions at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa on November 12, 2026 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)

You’ve probably deduced this from the above blurb.

Brown’s first name is his mother’s maiden name, Blades.

It’s certainly unique, but it achieves a couple things in addition to the shoutout to his mom’s side of the family.

Blades itself can be a word used to describe certain types of irons.

Blades Brown as a full offering also brings the great alliteration that many sports stars seem to have in their name.

And going forward into his career, Brown will certainly provide commentators the opportunity to give him the first name treatment. When the guy at the top of the leaderboard is named Blades, are you going to call him Brown? Blades is way cooler.

When you consider that it means Blades Brown always has his whole family lineage out there with him through his name at all times, it makes it that much more of a special name.