From Lisa Leslie’s Pink Sets to Angel Reese’s Ultra-Glam Era

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WNBA fashion has been at the forefront of conversation lately. And yet, “Athletes don’t know how to dress,” is a tale as old as time. While that statement might sound grand, vague, and presumptuous, in other words, just loud and wrong, it’s a narrative that has followed players for years. Think: Joe Burrow’s 2024 cropped pink top tunnel fit, which fell victim to criticism on Instagram and X, the relentless comments under nearly every Kyle Kuzma photo, or even that Complex article bluntly titled, “Why Do Athletes Suck at Dressing Well?”

But with the WNBA, that’s all changed. The league’s favorite pink-haired duo, the StudBudz, recently shot their own feature for Vogue, joined by stars like Paige Bueckers,Angel Reese, and A’ja Wilson, who have had their own magazine covers in the last two years. As the WNBA builds its business on the individuality, personality, and star power of its players, it’s clear that things haven’t always been this way.

<h1 class="title">Orange Carpet Portraits</h1><cite class="credit">Sage East/Getty Images</cite> — Sage East/Getty Images

“Selling the League”

The WNBA was born out of the momentum of the 1996 USA Olympic women’s basketball team, officially launching in 1997 with a mission to prove itself. According to Hall of Famer Sue Bird, the early years of the league were defined by one central thesis: selling it. And from the league’s standpoint, that meant marketing the game through the lens of the male gaze.

Bird, who spent most of her career as one of the faces of the league, recalls how the WNBA didn’t fully embrace all of her. “It was basically told to me that the only way I was going to have success from a marketing standpoint was to really sell this straight, girl-next-door image,” she shared on the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast.

Rebecca Lobo echoed this narrative in the 2022 documentary Dream On, which chronicles the formation of the 1996 U.S. Women’s Basketball team and the birth of the WNBA. At the league’s inception, she said, players weren’t just testing how the game would be played; they were also experiments in how it would be sold. “We had to look and act a certain way,” Lobo recalled. That way: being straight.

In the late ’90s and early 2000s, conversations around queerness were still considered taboo, and as a women’s basketball league, the WNBA largely conformed to those prevailing social norms. At the time, the league didn’t offer its players the same level of individual exposure as their NBA counterparts, so the culture of tunnel fits — the now-iconic fashion moments we gawk over — simply didn’t exist. The rare glimpses fans got of players’ personal style came mostly during media day or league-mandated campaigns.

Take Lisa Leslie, for example. As a star for the L.A. Sparks, she leaned fully into an ultra-feminine SoCal aesthetic in this moment, wearing fur, matching hot-pink sets, and mix-matched animal prints. Over the years, Leslie became known not just for her game, but for her signature red lipstick and pressed hair on the court — an image that aligned with the era’s unspoken expectations, but also helped define her as a style icon in her own right.

In its effort to “sell the league,” the WNBA launched a 2004 campaign titled This Is Who I Am, featuring then-closeted stars Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird styled in silk and chiffon asymmetrical halter tops, low-rise jeans, thong platform heels, red lipstick, and heavy rouge. Even Dawn Staley, now known for her sideline style blending masculine and feminine elements with assertive outerwear, was styled in a gold deep V-neck blouse, a gold upper-arm bangle, pinstriped pants, and Y2K-era makeup: sharp, thin eyebrows, gold eyeshadow, and glossy brown lips.

Outside the basketball court, the image was equally curated. At the 2004 ESPYs, Sue Bird appeared on the red carpet in a lacy black slip dress, open-toed heels, diamond accessories, and hand in hand with pop star Nick Carter.

Looking back at the era between 2002 and 2011, “selling the league” often meant baring skin and adhering to a very narrow and heteronormative standard of femininity and desirability. This was during a time when queerness wasn’t widely accepted, or even openly discussed, in sports or mainstream culture. As a result, individualism was often sidelined in service of a broader league image and marketing strategy.

In an essay for the WNBA’s website, columnist Sally Jenkins reflects on the longstanding tensions in how women’s basketball has been presented and perceived. In “A History of Women’s Basketball,” she points to tropes dating back to the sport’s earliest days in 1892. “Women’s basketball grew out of its infancy, we continued to struggle with somehow balancing our femininity with our athleticism. As the sporting woman gained acceptance, old passive definitions of beauty presented us with a dilemma,” she writes. Jenkins continues, “Men still wanted women to be beautiful, and we cared about our appearances, too. So, while we were seeking athletic acceptance, we also embraced advances in the cosmetic industry, were fascinated by the emergence of film queens, and idolized the winner of the new Miss America Pageant.”

Britney Griner’s 2013 Draft Suit

This tension between femininity and athleticism persisted for years, but as the league moved into its third decade, a noticeable shift began. A major turning point came in 2013, when Brittney Griner was drafted. She arrived at the draft, as the #1 pick, in an all-white suit and masculine-cut attire. The league fully embraced her not only as a dominant player, but also as someone who challenged gender norms, later identifying with interchanging pronouns. Soon after, in 2014, the WNBA launched its own Pride initiative, WNBA Pride, creating space for more players to come out and openly express where they fell on the spectrum of gender presentation. Diana Taurasi, who had once been styled in halter tops and lipstick, imagery that clashed with her genuine style, began leaning into a more masculine look, becoming known for her signature slicked-back bun and clean-cut style.

Other standout style figures of the mid-2010s included Skylar Diggins. On the court, she was recognized for her headbands, which became part of her brand. Off the court, she mixed patterns like camo and florals, and made headlines when she appeared onstage with Drake at the ESPYs in a heavily decorated and emblazoned slip dress and red lipstick—leaving a mark, literally, with a kiss all over Drake’s face.

Around this same time, the “power suit” emerged as a go-to look for media days, press conferences, and award shows. In beauty, teams like the Seattle Storm and New York Liberty helped normalize long hairstyles, extensions, and wigs among Black players, another sign of evolving self-expression and cultural ownership within the league.

2020 Bubble and Black Lives Matter

The WNBA’s 2020 “bubble season” marked a major turning point, not just for the league, but for the world. Amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, the racial justice uprising following the murder of George Floyd, and the broader Black Lives Matter movement, WNBA players entered a quarantined, fanless playing environment known as “the bubble.” Rather than retreat from the moment, players used the unique setting to amplify their voices and demand systemic change, not only in racial justice but also in player empowerment and labor rights.

The most visible fashion statement to emerge from this era was the players’ protest uniforms: T-shirts reading “Say Her Name” in honor of Breonna Taylor and “Black Lives Matter.” These shirts, worn in place of official warm-ups and jerseys, defied league dress code policies at the time and became a symbol of the WNBA’s activist identity.

This wasn’t the first time players used fashion as a form of protest. In 2016, members of the Minnesota Lynx wore unauthorized warm-up shirts denouncing the police killings of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling, making their stand weeks before Colin Kaepernick famously sat during the national anthem.

“As many WNBA players, past and present, have said and, more importantly, consistently demonstrated, the reason why you see us engaging and leading the charge when it comes to social advocacy is because it is in our DNA,” said WNBPA President and Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike in a statement.

Tunnel Fits Era

Today, the WNBA is growing not only in viewership but also in cultural influence, especially through the lens of fashion. The league has partnered with major fashion houses like Fenty, Nike, and Coach,and tunnel fits have become one of the biggest spectacles in the sport.

In the post-2020 era, standout players are using style as a powerful tool for self-expression and brand-building. Olivia Nelson-Ododa, for instance, has become known for launching her own fashion line, Kayelise. Players like Angel Reese, Rickea Jackson, Dijonai Carrington and Cameron Brink have landed brand deals tied directly to their hyper-feminine tunnel style, often seen in ultra mini-skirts, heels, and full face-beats on court.

Streetwear is also a trending look amongst both masculine and feminine presenting players, like Nalyssa Smith and Tiffany Hayes, who are often seen wearing oversized pieces, decorated sneakers, and layered, athletic-inspired fits. Paige Bueckers, who works with stylist Brittany Hampton, has described her look as a mix of “masculine and feminine” and a blend of “uncle and auntie—unctie—style.” Her tunnel fits often include jorts, colorful sneakers, and plaid button-up tops.

On the other end of the spectrum, players like Caitlin Clark, Maddie Westbeld, and Nneka Ogwumike often gravitate toward a polished, business-casual aesthetic, favoring blazers, tailored pants, and loafers, because at the end of the day, it is their job.

The league has gone all-in on fashion. The Golden State Valkyries recently hosted their own Fashion Week, while players like Paige Bueckers, Sonia Citron, and Kiki Iriafen have become official Coach ambassadors. Others, such as Deja Kelly and Nika Mühl, have even walked in runway shows, further solidifying the WNBA’s presence in the fashion world.

While the evolution of the WNBA hasn’t been linear, we’ve arrived at a point where personal style and identity are not only welcomed but accepted as a turning point in the league’s history.

Check out some of our favorite WNBA looks throughout time.