Saints correspondent Aileen Hnatiuk wrapped the NFL season in viral fashion.
As New Orleans ended their 2022 campaign with a 10-7 loss to the Panthers in Week 18, Hnatiuk — who serves as a sports reporter for BRProud — signed off Tuesday, posting a photo of herself in front of the team facility on Twitter.
“That’s a wrap #Saints,” Hnatiuk captioned the pic, which featured her wearing a purple sweater.
A post from Saints reporter Aileen Hnatiuk recently went viral on Twitter. Twitter/Aileen Hnatiuk
The post in question from Hnatiuk was viewed more than 6.5 million times as on Jan. 12, 2023. Instagram/Aileen HnatiukThe internet quickly caught on after Hnatiuk posted the shot, with the photo in question garnering 6.5 million views and 40,000 likes as of Thursday. In fact, some fans expressed a willingness to jump on the Saints’ bandwagon because of the East Carolina University alumna.
“The Saints have always been my 2nd favorite team,” one fan wrote on Twitter, while another responded, “Just became a Saints fan all of the sudden.”
With the comments flooding in, Hnatiuk took to Twitter later in the day Tuesday and posted, “Y’all are wild lmao.”
Hnatiuk continued the playful banter with her new fans the following day, quipping about the ensemble that captivated Twitter.
“Didn’t think y’all would like my new turtleneck from Zara this much,” she wrote in an Instagram Story on Wednesday.
Aileen Hnatiuk joined BRProud in August 2021. Instagram/Aileen Hnatiuk
She’s an East Carolina University alumna. Instagram/Aileen HnatiukThe daughter of professional golfer Glen Hnatiuk, Hntaiuk is an athlete herself, having played for ECU’s women’s volleyball team. Upon graduating in 2018, Hnatiuk joined NBC29 WVIR-TV in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she worked as a sports reporter.
She joined the BRProud team in August 2021, according to her network bio.
