Renaissance. And no, we’re not talking about Beyoncé’s flawless 2022 dancehall-inspired album. We’re talking about the WNBA. Established legends, future stars and newcomers with rock star followings. This season brought a whole new level of intrigue, even though the real ones know that this league has always been filled with hype since its inception in ’96.
The game is growing at an exceptional rate, and sneaker brands like Nike and Jordan Brand have certainly taken notice. Athlete rosters quickly expanded and multi-million dollar endorsement deals were obtained. Women are now the first to debut basketball premiere silhouettes, like Jordan NIL athlete and UCLA point guard Kiki Rice, who debuted the Air Jordan 38 during the 2022 Sweet Sixteen. The signature shoe is back, and Sabrina Ionescu has become the eighth female signature athlete in the brand’s history and 30th all-time.
Just this month, Aja Wilson and Nike revealed that they were working on her first signature in over a year, the A’One, making her the first black women to sign with the brand since the Nike Air Swoopes. I.
As we celebrate the start of the 2024 WNBA season, let’s walk through the Nike archives together and celebrate the pioneers of today and yesterday who laid the foundation for the draft.
