Looking at three decades of the cultural impact of WNBA fashion

The WNBA was not the first women’s professional basketball league in the U.S., but it needed to avoid following in the disastrous footsteps of its predecessors. The front office connections and monetary backing of the NBA went a long way, but there’s a lesser-known hero that helped define the W: Tom O’Grady.

• Named the first-ever creative director of the NBA in 1990, O’Grady was an expert on building franchise identities, including two of the 90s’ most iconic teams: the Memphis Grizzlies and Toronto Raptors.

In 1997, O’Grady oversaw the entire brand identity launch for the WNBA. He brought his signature bold style and worked directly with players, consulting with stars like Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, and Rebecca Lobo to check ’fits and take edits on uniform design.

• The results were iconic. While still oversized — it was the 90s, after all — the jerseys were tailored to women’s bodies and offered distinct storytelling opportunities for the founding cities. Even uniforms that complemented the city’s men’s team, like the LA Sparks and Lakers, were still given unique fonts and colorways.

Those design choices helped create the W’s brand identity — and ensured that the soul of the league was stylish and cool, laying the groundwork for it to be the meeting place of fashion and sport that it’s known as today.

• One season after the historic 2026 collective bargaining agreement allowed players to profit more off their own jersey sales, league merchandise licensing revenue is up 12% YoY, and players are finally able to cash in on the action. But that’s just the beginning of how fashion has led to business wins for the W…

We are living in a new age of WNBA merch — not just from sportswear giants, but also from independent designers bringing new life to a sometimes stale sportswear scene with officially licensed WNBA gear. Here are some of our favorites that are inspired by, and in turn bolster, the league’s undeniably cool identity:

🧡 Playa Society was founded in 2018 by former basketball player and coach Esther Wallace, who still hand-draws the designs and typography. Authentic, trendy, and bold, Playa Society is now carried in major retailers like Dick’s Sporting Goods, has collaborated on WNBA All-Star merch, and features player-centric capsule collections that allow Wallace to capitalize on viral moments and big performances.

🖤 Round 21 is on a mission to show that sports have always been an art form. Founder Jasmine Maietta played pro basketball and worked in sports marketing for more than 20 years before founding the brand. She has partnered with over 100 artists and 30 teams and leagues to bring a fresh perspective to sportswear and help fans stand out.

🤍 Peace Collective is a Toronto-based apparel brand founded in 2015 by Lisa Diep and Yanal Dhailieh. Rooted deeply in sustainability and giving back, Peace Collective aims to raise $1M by 2030 for community organizations, with a ticker on their website keeping buyers informed in real time.

• What started with a homemade “Toronto vs. Everybody” shirt has grown into a fan shop covering 12 different leagues in addition to the W, plus music, mental health–focused collections, and more.

The diversity and inclusivity of the WNBA have played a huge role in its cultural success. From the first game all the way through this 30th season, women have been able to see themselves in this league, and fashion has always reflected that, especially a certain bright orange hoodie.

• It reached icon status in 2019 when NBA legend Kobe Bryant wore it courtside at an LA Lakers game, and the following year it was named “Best Fashion Statement” by Sports Business Journal.

• Unlike in other leagues, where fans wear their own team’s gear but rarely rep the league as a whole, it’s common in the W because the league is about more than basketball.

Women fans of men's leagues were often subjected to the dreaded “shrink it and pink it” trope — making smaller versions of men’s shirts and making them pink or adding rhinestones to appeal to women — and didn’t start seeing creative or fashion-forward designs until recent years. The WNBA has always been at the forefront of that change, and it’s being rewarded for it.

• Prior to the 2026 WNBA All-Star break, Fanatics shared that there’s been a 500% YoY increase in league merchandise sales. And it’s not just a North American phenomenon: international sales are up 200% in the past three years according to Reuters, with the WNBA store shipping out to over 50 countries in 2026 alone.

Major players like Nike are now showing their creativity and meeting the unprecedented demand through its new three-tier jersey system, dropping Heroine, Explorer, and Rebel editions for each team. Focused on specific storytelling, collaborations, and empowerment, these jerseys reflect the growth of the league and the fans that helped get it there. The future has never looked better.