Nike shares landmark wins from longtime WNBA partnership

The GIST: While there’s been a lot of talk about new WNBA brand partners, there’s something to be said for OG league sponsors — like Nike. The athleticwear giant recently celebrated over 25 years with the W, so let’s take a look at some of Nike’s most recent women’s hoops wins.

The sponsorships: Beyond the league itself, Nike owns the merch game among women’s hoopers. The brand has 20 player-exclusive footwear deals with WBB stars, while 15 Nike-sponsored players participated in the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game. Nike’s also been the WNBA’s uniform partner since 2018, which has translated to astronomical sponsor media value, according to Relo Metrics.

The Sabrina 2: The success of NY Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu’s (pronounced yo-NESS-coo) Sabrina 1 shoes — which Nike dubbed “the most successful signature launch led by a women’s basketball player” — led to the Sabrina 2s, which are already making a mark. The Sabrina 1s saw top continental sales in the U.S. and China and were worn by over 80 NBA players last season.

• As with its first iteration, the Sabrina 2 development relied on women-focused research and insight, including from Ionescu herself, while also cross-checking with non-women wearers to make sure the shoe suits everyone’s game.

The Women in Nike program: In 2019, Nike launched its Women in Nike program to help retired W players apply their pro sports skills to the boardroom. The program has matriculated 72 WNBA athletes and counting, with 58 becoming full-time employees across Nike, Converse, and Jordan Brand. Putting everything back into the business.

Zooming out: Nike may be a major player in the space, but its recent stock performance shows the brand is not immune to taking hits. Although it’s likely the most established athleticwear brand in the WNBA, there are newcomers angling for the crown — take New Balance, for example, or Adidas recently doubling its WNBA roster investment in an 18-month span.

• Still, Nike is able to cover emerging markets in creative ways, such as its investment in Chinese high school girls’ basketball and the Sabrina line’s foray into a lucrative unisex shoe market. Eyes on the prize.