WNBA releases new jersey designs for 25th anniversary
The WNBA just released new jersey designs in partnership with Nike to celebrate the league's 25th anniversary. The 12 teams debuted three new jerseys — Heroine, Explorer and Rebel editions — to represent the stories of each team.
"The basketball uniform is an important representation of the brand of WNBA players and teams and a point of pride for fans," Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement Thursday.
The Indiana Fever's Rebel jersey is inspired by the Netflix show "Stranger Things," while both the New York Liberty's and Chicago Sky's Rebel uniforms are inspired by past and present fights for social justice and women's equality.
Jersey numbers are also returning to the front of each uniform. In recent years, excessive branding on the front of jerseys without numbers made it difficult to identify players.
"We have uniforms that are uniquely ours," Seattle Storm star Sue Bird said in a statement. "Every single jersey shares a story that represents our city, and the distinction allows us to express our own creativity and individual style."
So we heard y'all wanted to see some new uniforms 👀 We got ya covered. Stay tuned. @nikebasketball pic.twitter.com/Ko9aOQ8YFr
— WNBA (@WNBA) April 8, 2021
Nike said it created the jersey line to be a better fit for players and incorporated more inclusive sizing options for the teams, so players would no longer have to roll up their shorts for a better fit or secure their jerseys to their bra straps.
"When our team met with our athletes, their feedback was very clear," Tania Flynn, Nike vice president of women's apparel design, said in a statement. "They wanted a uniform that fits them, not one they have to fit into. They wanted a connection to their team and fans but also wanted to express their personal style. The new uniforms obsess all of those details for the world's best players, technically and creatively."
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