The W in Designer: Flyest Fits of the Off-Season
Staying active in the off-season, the WNBA players incorporate styles inspired by their stints abroad.
Leading up to the exciting start of the 2023 WNBA season on May 19, players are returning from their respective overseas leagues and getting ready for preseason games. While recent batches of players have expressed desires to rest or pursue off-court goals in the off-season, 67 of the league’s 144 players have chosen to compete abroad. Gaining out-of-the-ordinary in-game experience in countries like Australia, Turkey, Italy, and more, these players also get a rare chance to live as a traveler in a new city while discovering new style inspiration.
Surveying the players’ best social media content throughout the spring, the flyest outfits have been highlighted in this off-season edition of “The W in Designer.” While some players are still opting for on-the-go, iPhone photos of their outfits, other players have taken their content creation to the next level by working with local photographers and stylists. This week’s players also express a city-inspired flair to their outfits before focusing their energy on the upcoming season.
Before Azurá Stevens joins the Los Angeles Sparks for the upcoming season, she’s been staying busy in the off-season with the Galatasaray S.K. Throughout the spring, Stevens has brought her big smile to some of Istanbul’s most iconic locations. As part of her off-season discoveries, Stevens wears a black jacket with a futuristic cut from Nu Official, a Turkish brand founded in 2002. Paired with classic blue denim and a pair of reflective cat eye sunglasses, Stevens brings a minimalist approach to classic spring styling.
This season, Natisha Hiedeman returns to the Connecticut Sun after a stint in Israel with the Maccabi Bnot Ashdod team. During her free time in the off-season, Hiedeman has been taking her social media presence to the next level by collaborating on stylish photoshoots with local photographers, stylists and make-up artists. Dressing to channel her inner rockstar, Hiedeman wears a graphic black and white button up with a pair of perfectly faded jeans. Showing off her tattoos with a black sports bra and a pair of Calvin Klein’s, Hiedeman explores more casual looks than her typical, sporty tunnel fits.
As Finnish basketball player Awak Kuier gets ready to play with the Dallas Wings for another season, she’s riding off of the energy from competing in the prestigious Eurocup with the Venezia team. While staying in Italy, Kuier has been incorporating the latest trends into her simple approach to daily dressing. Holding a new 1dr purse from Diesel, Kuier wears a classic white-button up shirt under a retro style Nike crewneck. Adding details like a cropped puffer jacket and a pair of metallic, chunky Balenciaga-style sneakers, perhaps Kuier will bring more influencer-esque styling to the upcoming season.
After playing seven seasons with the Indiana Fever, Tiffany Mitchell is kicking off this season by bringing her energy to the Minnesota Lynx. During the off-season, Mitchell has traveled to play with the Melbourne Boomers and has filmed lots of new workout-related content on Instagram. When she’s not focusing on her game, Mitchell brings a cosmopolitan flair to her daily outfits– she wears a cropped white long sleeve, cinched camo pants and black heels in this look. Finished with a Monogramme Clutch from Saint Laurent and a simple chain, Mitchell shines in a low-key way.
Power forward Jessica Shepard will be returning to the Minnesota Lynx after a busy off-season playing with the Venezia team. While exploring Italy, Shepard has been incorporating lighter colors into her spring wardrobe. Wearing a light blue jacket with an abstract pattern, a classic white t-shirt and cream pants, Shepard still manages to look tough as hell. Maintaining her affinity for the coolest kicks, she finishes her look with a highly coveted pair of Air Jordan 3’s in a True Blue colorway.
Originally from the East Coast, Brittney Sykes will be returning back home to play with the Washington Mystics for the upcoming season. Sykes has spent her off-season with the Uni Girona team in Spain, where she’s added a laidback element to her ultra-cool, natural style. In this off-duty photo at a coffee shop, Sykes wears a pair of Vans Old Skool’s in a suede material. She also wears green pants, an oversized black graphic t-shirt with an open black vest, and a beige trucker hat from Los Angeles-based brand, Homme + Femme®.
Preparing for another season with the Chicago Sky, guard Dana Evans has spent her off-season with the Besiktas JK Istanbul. As a Jordan Brand athlete, it comes as no surprise that Evans has been wearing some of its flyest releases this spring. Rocking a brown Jordan Brand sweatsuit with an Air Jordan x Union Bucket Hat, Evans continues with her signature color-coordinated looks. To match her light blue Prada Nylon Shoulder Bag, Evans wears an Ice Blue pair of Air Jordan 1 Zoom CMFT 2.
As a proud German-American player, Satou Sabally has competed in her home country with the Fenerbahce in the off-season. Displaying her versatile set of on-court skills, Sabally prepares to play with the Dallas Wings for another season. As another Jordan Brand athlete, Sabally has been sharing the brand’s latest releases for women across her social media accounts. Wearing a pair of Jordan 23 Engineered woven shorts with a matching brown sleeveless top, Sabally looks effortlessly cool, even when she’s off-court.
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.
