Publication Date: 01-24-2026

Juwanna Mann (2002) review

Dir. Jesse Vaughan

By: Steve Pulaski

Rating: ★★½

Not to parrot Carrie Bradshaw, but when watching Juwanna Mann, I couldn’t help but wonder… How would this movie be received if it were to come out in 2026? Granted, the film was released to scathing reviews 24 years ago, but the criticism was mostly reserved for the film, rather than any external politics. For starters, would the increased popularity of the WNBA make it more topical? Or would the presence of a crossdressing leading man make countless decry it as woke Hollywood at it again? Look back at the early aughts and you’ll see a litany of strange movies involving cross-dressing male leads, including Big Momma’s House, Sorority Boys, and later, Diary of a Mad Black Woman. Remember when bad movies could be bad movies and the culture was more offended by having their time wasted than the presence of someone who didn’t look like anyone they ever met in real life?

Forgive me for getting lost in the sauce. Of all movies to work me up, Juwanna Mann wouldn’t have been my first guess either. Taking the outline of Mrs. Doubtfire and Tootsie and inserting a sports movie formula, the one-time staple on Comedy Central and BET alike revolves around a narcissistic, malcontent NBA star named Jamal Jeffries (Miguel A. Núñez Jr.). A Dennis Rodman-esque loose cannon, who gets passes thanks to his gifted skillset, Jamal finally crosses the line when he strips completely naked at a game in front of fans and TV cameras (could this have inspired Antonio Brown’s ignominious NFL exit?). The NBA blackballs him, his agent (Kevin Pollak) drops him, and the only way he believes he can get a chance to get back on the court is to transform into “Juwanna Mann” and join a women’s basketball team. He cons his agent into signing him as a woman, and the ruse lands him a contract with the Charlotte Banshees. Right off the bat, Juwanna clashes with the incendiary team captain (Vivica A. Fox), but also realizes the kind of torment female athletes receive from handsy male fans, including a caricatured rapper played by Tommy Davidson.

As goofy as Juwanna Mann is, it’s essentially a parable about a caustic egomaniac who gets a taste of his own medicine once he puts on a dress and learns how the other sex lives in the world of sports. Miguel A. Núñez Jr. shoulders much of the load, including a middling script from Bradley Allenstein, and makes a personality out of Jamal/Juwanna. His livewire personality is the yin to Kevin Pollak’s yang. The veteran “that guy” actor has always been great at playing straight while everyone else is running in circles, and yet again he shines in a role that highlights his deadpan comic abilities.

A swath of cameos pepper the film, including Lil’ Kim as one of Jamal’s flings, R&B singer Ginuwine as Vivica A. Fox’s two-timing rapper boyfriend, and the great Muggsy Bogues, the shortest player ever to play in the NBA, who appears in the opening basketball game. Fox is worth highlighting as a performer who makes her athlete more than a dynamic hothead. She’s a female basketball player in an era where one needs to be generational in order to gain attention. Her animosity towards Juwanna slowly blossoms into a mutual respect; something Jamal needed to value more all along.

Juwanna Mann‘s comedy is hit and miss, but it’s consistently amusing and bolstered by some well-directed basketball scenes and a banging hip-hop soundtrack. Juwanna good way to kill 90 minutes? Jugot it.

Starring: Miguel A. Núñez Jr, Vivica A. Fox, Kevin Pollak, Tommy Davidson, Kim Wayans, Ginuwine, Lil’ Kim, Rasheed Wallace, Vlade Divac, Dikembe Mutombo, and Muggsy Bogues. Directed by: Jesse Vaughan.