The W in Designer '23: Flyest Fits of Week 11
In anticipation of the Commissioner’s Cup, which took place earlier this week, the WNBA players raised the energy through their pre-game outfits. While the league’s fans saw more simple combinations at the beginning of the summer, this week featured players opting for bolder, brighter colors in outfits with unconventional choices.
Zooming into the players’ footwear, Jasmine Thomas makes a strong case for oversized cowboy boots and NaLyssa Smith continues her affinity for streetwear with some designer kicks. There were fewer heels spotted in these pre-game outfits, which hints at the cooling temperatures at this point of the season. While certain players kept their outfits limited to a few apparel pieces, they brought a heightened sense of style through their highly intentional selections.
There isn’t a singular theme that defines this edition of “The W in Designer,” as this group of players expresses themselves in a wide range of aesthetics. The excitement around the Commissioner’s Cup creates a subconscious style division between the players in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference– East Coast players wear more serious, outwardly tough outfits while West Coast players explore colorful and soft silhouettes. While previous weeks of this season included players in less colorful outfits, this week also includes two players in a rainbow array of clothing.
This isn’t the first time the league has seen Los Angeles Sparks player Jasmine Thomas wear a pair of bold cowboy boots to a game, and it probably won’t be the last. In this outfit, she matches her shiny, white boots to a slim, white leather purse. Thomas also wears a pale mint-colored dress with a thin pair of gold hoops and a small gold heart-shaped necklace. Going for an ultra-sweet pre-game look, Thomas creates an interesting contrast to her fierce on-court presence.
Dallas Wings player Crystal Dangerfield has waited until this moment in the season to channel her inner Michael Jordan energy. She pays tribute to the extraordinary player through a black Jordan Brand graphic T-shirt, which is coordinated with her red and black Jordan Brand sneakers. Adding a streetwear-inspired edge to her athletic outfit, she wears a pair of denim pants with large, stacked cargo pockets. Dangerfield also carries a super rare pair of Air Jordan Luka 1 basketball sneakers in a pink colorway.
At first glance, it might be tricky to spot the skills that it takes to wear Indiana Fever player Kelsey Mitchell’s pregame outfit. All eyes are drawn to an oversized Bob Marley zip-up hoodie, which is skillfully paired with a Jumbo GG Belt Bag from Gucci. To match the red and white colors of her outfit, she also wears a pair of Air Jordan sneakers and Nike socks with a repeating logo pattern. Mitchell proves that the most simple outfits can be the most visually impactful.
Las Vegas Aces player Kierstan Bell takes style notes from other top athletes in this colorful, streetwear-heavy outfit. She wears a Marni striped button-up cardigan in a bold assortment of rainbow colors that matches the gradient distressing on her Who Decides War jeans. Keeping the rest of her look simple, she accessorizes with a simple, blinged-out necklace and a pair of coordinating yellow-tinted sunglasses.
Washington Mystics player Brittney Sykes is approaching the end of the season by elevating her signature, streetwear-inspired style. Working with stylist Lex, Sykes wears a grungy, distressed sweater vest with a skeleton print. She pairs her top with a pair of washed gray cargo pants from Vale Forever and a pair of Nike SB Dunk Low sneakers in a Raygun Tie-Dye colorway. While hats have become a pregame staple for Sykes, this week she wears a simple trucker with a “LOVE” message from Sykes Serenity.
Bringing a chic style to her games with the Connecticut Sun, Olivia Nelson-Ododa ends the summer with this dreamy outfit. Working with stylist and player Kristine Anigwe on other looks during the season, this outfit interprets a neutral color palette into a brown bustier top with a gold, charmed chain detail and a pair of cropped khaki pants. For retro-inspired flair, Nelson-Ododa finishes this look with a pair of cat-eye-shaped sunglasses and simple, pointed black heels.
NaLyssa Smith
Bringing another colorful gradient outfit to her game with the Indiana Fever, NaLyssa Smith makes bright colors look badass. She wears a Brushed Gradient Sweater from mnml, which has been popular with players this season, and a pair of distressed denim shorts with an “ICE CREAM” logo application. The PUMA basketball athlete completes her look with a pair of Out of Office Low Top Sneakers in a yellow and white colorway from Off-White and a Chrome Hearts trucker hat.
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
