The W in Designer '23: Flyest Fits of Week Eight
As the WNBA players continue to play out their regular schedule of games, they’ve also retreated from elevated, pre-All-Star Weekend looks to more relaxed summer outfits. During this moment of the season, it becomes easier to notice the most popular pieces among the players this season: big, baggy cargo pants; abstract or tie-dye patterns; and packing simple, monochrome looks while on the road.
To show their support for other women’s sports, Sabrina Ionescu celebrates the start of the FIFA Women’s World Cup by wearing Alex Morgan’s jersey. It’s been popular for the WNBA players to wear basketball jerseys to shout out their on-court inspirations, but this is a notable moment for solidarity between basketball and soccer players. Vintage sports T-shirts are always an easy go-to for pre-game outfits, with Sydney Colson wearing a Houston Rockets T-shirt from the ’90s. Perhaps wearing these sporty relics provides the players with an extra edge to their game: New York Liberty player Betnijah Laney also wore her mom’s college jersey, then scored a season-high 22 points.
Entering the last week of July, this edition of “The W in Designer” highlights players who are combatting the summer weather with ultra-cool pre-game outfits. Unlike previous weeks where more players were wearing sunglasses, this week’s selection of outfits features several players opting for hats as their standout accessory. Instead of wearing shorts or miniskirts, more players are also just reaching for their loosest, baggiest pair of pants to look fly without becoming too overheated before they get on-court.
Walking into a Chicago Sky game, Marina Mabrey gives off a cool, intimidating aura with her all-black outfit. She wears a cropped bomber jacket over a black cropped top and dark cargo pants with subtle tie-dye patterns. Pairing well with the overall swag within the league’s players, Mabrey joins the growing number of players who are also tapping into the big baggy pants trend. Trading her sneakers for a pair of chunky black boots, Mabrey keeps some of her signature gold jewelry for this look.
Phoenix Mercury player Kadi Sissoko brings a touch of her Southern California roots to her pre-game outfit. Matching the middle-of-summer moment, Sissoko wears a mesh top with an abstract pattern, a neon orange skirt, and a pair of studded denim boots. There are levels of color coordination: the colors on her top coordinate with her bright green purse, and the skirt’s shade of orange is similar to the team’s colors. She also went on Instagram to give a shoutout to hair stylist Michelle Anderson, who has also styled hair for teammate Brittney Griner and her wife.
Returning to the Dallas Wings last month, Odyssey Sims flexes her experience with handling Texas’ heat by wearing all the right accessories. She wears a unique, textured bucket hat and a black boxy tote back, then shows the waistband of her light blue Ethika underwear. Her look consists of a cream-colored top from Urban Outfitters with a “Not Your Babe” embroidery and a pair of loose, baggy white cargo pants. Following her outfits this season, Sims creates streetwear-adjacent outfits with a close eye for color coordination and subtle accessory layering.
Entering her Los Angeles Sparks game with an outfit that’s full of downtown energy, Zia Cooke wears a streetwear-inspired outfit that suits her tough on-court vibe. She wears a Figgmunity Lowrider T-shirt from mnml and a pair of sweatpants in the same gray color, which creates a monochrome look. Her “ZIA” blinged-out chain also pops against the T-shirt’s darker color. Switching up the typical sneakers seen in the league, Cooke opts for a pair of rare BAPE STA sneakers from A Bathing Ape in a pastel pink and sky blue colorway.
To survive the summer heat, Las Vegas Aces player Sydney Colson goes for a full outfit in a bright red color. She wears a vintage Houston Rockets T-shirt from the 1994 NBA Finals with a perfectly oversized fit. Colson keeps the Houston-focused flavor consistent throughout this outfit with another Houston Astros New Era Snapback with a tiny heart detail. Bringing her signature smile to this pre-game look, she keeps the rest of her clothing simple with matching red pants and a pair of plain white sneakers.
Showing her support for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, New York Liberty player Sabrina Ionescu wears a new Alex Morgan “#13” Home Jersey from Nike. She pairs this football top with a simple denim miniskirt from GUESS, white square sunglasses, and a cream-colored motorcycle jacket. Staying consistent with her love of sneakers, she also has classic black and white Nike Dunk sneakers instead of a more sporty option. While Ionescu has given shout-outs to several other athletes by wearing their jerseys to her games, this is the first time she’s highlighted soccer.
Representing the Los Angeles Sparks’ colors by dying their hair into deep purple colors, Layshia Clarendon teases fans about the upcoming change by entering the game with bleached hair. Their game-ready look consists of black biker shirts, a neon yellow mesh top, and a pair of the NMD S1 RYAT sneakers, which is a collaboration with Humanrace and Adidas. To match the functional, sporty design of their sneakers, Clarendon also wears a regular, mauve-colored backpack on one shoulder.
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
