In case you didn’t know it, a good number of WNBA stars have already sported their own signature shoes. Here are some of them.
In basketball, or any sport for that matter, a signature line by a reputable brand will always be special for athletes. For the players, this is one of many recognitions for all the work they’ve put in and all the accolades they’ve earned over the years.
Over the weekend, it was announced that Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson will finally be getting her first signature shoe, the Nike A’One, sometime in 2025 — a deserved recognition for a two-time WNBA champ and Finals MVP.
Given this, A’ja now joins the list of WNBA players who have received a signature line over the years. Need an idea of the company she joins? Well, this humble list should be enough to show the caliber of female hoopers who have previously sported a signature sneaker or two.
Sheryl Swoopes
As it is, Sheryl Swoopes is a women’s basketball pioneer, being the first player to be signed by the WNBA in 1996. Just a year before, she also became the first female athlete to have a signature shoe with her Air Swoopes line with Nike.
From that point, six more Air Swoopes models followed, with the Air Swoopes Premier being the final pair in 2001. By that time, Swoopes already had the longest-running women’s signature shoe line, a distinction she still holds today.
Sabrina Ionescu
Sabrina Ionescu’s Sabrina 1 is arguably the hottest WNBA signature shoe right now which is completely understandable. After all, there’s the low-top silhouette, along with the simple, straightforward design that’s easy to appreciate aesthetically.
Given the hype behind Sabrina (which she has lived up to, by the way), it’s just right that Nike nailed the design for her first signature shoe for them. Now, here’s to hoping that this partnership will continue to give us memorable pairs in the future.
Lisa Leslie
Way before sports and luxury ever intertwined, there was already Lisa Leslie’s Nike Total Air 9 in 1998. Per Lisa herself, design cues were lifted from Chanel bags, which came in black and puffy details as seen in the sneaker’s upper.
Even the silver Nike Swoosh was an intentional choice, which was inspired by the former LA Sparks great’s preference for silver jewelry.
While this was the first and last model for Lisa Leslie, it’s hard not to acknowledge her being ahead of the curve. Way before luxury brands ever recognized the universal appeal of pro athletes, we have a women’s hoops icon here taking cues from these very brands themselves.
Breanna Stewart
After jumping ship to Puma in 2021, Breanna Stewart finally received her first signature shoe, the Puma Stewie, in 2022. Besides that, her Stewie 1 was also the first women’s hoops signature shoe on the market since Candace Parker’s Adidas Ace Versatility in 2011.
Since then, Stewart and Puma have proceeded to drop a total of three Stewie models, with the Stewie 3 dropping just last April. And who knows, maybe in a few years’ time, we’ll see one of the WNBA’s modern-day elites go closer to Sheryl Swoopes’ record, too, right?
Candace Parker
Only three years into her career, modern-day WNBA icon Candace Parker already received a pair of signature shoes from Adidas: The Ace Commander in 2010, and the Ace Versatility as mentioned.
However, the pair would also be Parker’s last signature models, with succeeding releases being “player exclusive” colorways for team models like the Exhibit A in 2021.
Despite that, Parker remains with the Three Stripes and was recently appointed as president of Adidas’ women’s basketball division just weeks after her WNBA retirement.
Banner Image from Sabrina Ionescu on Instagram.
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