The W in Designer '23: Flyest Fits of Week 10
As the summer temperatures start cooling down, the WNBA players are still traveling to games and igniting on the court for the last month of the season. There’s a laid-back approach to this week’s pre-game outfits, with cozy silhouettes, comfortable pieces, and fun combinations that reference other sports or the player’s signature style.
Studying the bags in this week’s assortment of outfits, it feels like players are introducing more imaginative options than the more popular options. While the most popular bags include TELFAR Shopping Totes and oversized, rectangular leather options from Louis Vuitton, some players are opting for more unexpected brands like Goyard and playful shapes, like a dice-shaped mini bag. The bag choices of the players are more important than most fans may realize; bags, of any style or size, are an essential detail that’s definitely defined by female athletes.
Kicking off August, this week’s installment of “The W in Designer” includes a selection of players bringing bold colors to the end of the summer season and classic sporty vibes. From varsity jackets, cropped jersey collaborations, or actual sports jerseys, it’s fun to see the players channel classic athlete style in this week’s looks. There are also expert-level approaches to accessorizing across these pre-game looks, which provide storytelling details around each player’s personality and background.
Proudly claiming pink as her favorite color, New York Liberty player Betnijah Laney wears an outfit that captures all the vibes of the summer season in the city. She wears a shirt from Drake’s It’s All a Blur Tour, with an airbrushed-inspired graphic, with pink and white oversized pants from The Attico– she presents a fresh option outside of the cargo pants style that’s been dominating this season. Apart from clear heels, Laney accessories with a large TELFAR Shopping bag in pink and thin silver bracelets.
Indiana Fever player Victoria Vivians takes an ice-cold approach to this week’s pre-game outfit. Continuing the trend of players repping jerseys from other sports, her outfit starts with an eye-catching, oversized New Jersey Devils Ice Hockey jersey. She pairs them with a simple pair of black cargo pants, rectangular sunglasses, and a large black Louis Vuitton tote. For accessories, Vivians opts for an original stack of necklaces with two iced-out chains with small crosses that are layered on top of one another.
After undergoing surgery earlier this summer, Chicago Sky player Rebekah Gardner has become a pro at building outfits around her foot brace. This week, she wears a cropped jersey top from tennis player Naomi Osaka‘s collection with Nike and a pair of baggy, white cargo pants. Still smiling as she enters the game to support her team, Gardner matches the light colors with a silver quilted tote bag, a simple white leather sneaker, and waist beads.
Dallas Wings player Teaira McCowan has simply been killing it all season by sending bold messages with her summer outfits. This week, she wears a cropped tank top with a “DUMP HIM” slogan, a longer black skirt, and a pair of Jordan 11s with screen-printed animal-print details. Apart from black waist beads, McCowan accessorizes with a fun Black Dice Clutch Bag, which looks like it could be from Lulu Guinness. The intentionally fun details of this outfit make fans curious about what this player’s style inspiration was for this week.
It’s hard to say if moving to the Chicago Sky has impacted Erica Wheeler’s iconic style. This week, the Adidas athlete wears an extremely chunky pair of Adidas Originals Adimatic sneakers in a bright yellow and blue colorway. She also layers a washed black short-sleeve T-shirt over a coordinating long-sleeve T-shirt and matches her top with a pair of slim black denim shorts. Applying her personal taste to designer brands, Wheeler wears a brown and black Goyard messenger bag, which isn’t currently too popular within the league.
Chicago Sky player Isabelle Harrison has embraced the aftermath of her meniscus surgery, showing up to her games with her signature smile. Keeping things simple for her courtside appearance, she wears a black bodysuit with a Jordan Brand x Teyana Taylor Women’s Varsity Jacket and a pair of matching Teyana Taylor x Wmns Air Jordan 1 in the “A Rose From Harlem” colorway. Adding to her off-duty swag, she accessorizes with big gold earrings and a chunky pair of tortoiseshell glasses.
Since entering her rookie season, the Seattle Storm’s Jordan Horston has always flexed her ability to build streetwear-heavy, coordinating outfits. She wears a pair of slim brown cargo pants with an oversized snap button detail that matches with a pair of Air Jordan 1’s in a “Dark Mocha” colorway. Horston also wears a tapestry-looking shirt with a horse graphic, which might be a cheeky reference to her last name. Picking a combination of pearl necklaces and tons of colorful rubber bracelets, the unusual details feel like a throwback to a style generation before this player’s time.
WNBA reporter Kirsten Chen writes a lifestyle & fashion column on WNBA.com throughout the season and can be reached on Twitter through @hotgothwriter. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the WNBA or its clubs
