As the 29th WNBA season draws closer, hype and marketing are in full swing. With record TV ratings and game attendance, the league and its stars are ready to capitalize on last season’s success.
How is A’ja Wilson building on the league’s success?
Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson added to the anticipation Tuesday, May 6, when the release of her Nike signature shoe sold out online in less than 5 minutes. Fear not, Wilson fans; in a social media post, the three-time WNBA MVP said the pink Nike A’Ones will be back in short order, no pun intended.
“If you missed the A’One, don’t worry,” Wilson said. “We’re dropping again Thursday at Nike stores and other spots everywhere. I do this for the real ones, always.”
The 28-year-old superstar has been working with Nike for two years on her signature line. The Aces’ preseason game Tuesday against Phoenix was dubbed “A’One night” in honor of the shoe launch. During the post-game press conference, Wilson talked about the feeling in the arena at tip-off.
“It just kind of felt like a family reunion,” Wilson said. “The shoe’s going to be the shoe, and I’m so grateful for it, and I hope everyone gets every single pair. But it’s so much deeper.”
What are the details on Wilson’s signature shoe?
Wilson’s all-pink shoe sells for $110 for adults and $90 for kids. There will also be Pearl and Indigo editions, along with a clothing line. The launch coincides with a Nike commercial highlighting the two-time champion’s on-court success, and was famously directed by Malia Obama, the oldest daughter of former President Barack Obama. Wilson’s coach, Becky Hammon, was impressed:
“I saw her commercial the other day while watching some other W games. I was like, it’s so A’ja,” Hammon said. “I was so happy with the fact that she had her parents in there. She knows who her people are, and her people come first.”
How many female sports stars have their own shoe?
Wilson is the 13th women’s player to have their own signature shoe. The list includes Diana Taurasi, Rebecca Lobo, Sabrina Ionescu, Candace Parker and Wilson’s former coach at South Carolina, Dawn Staley, who was courtside Tuesday night. During the Aces shootaround prior to the preseason game with the Mercury, Wilson talked about why she got into the shoe game.
“Obviously, I would love to see my shoe sell out and I would love to see people in it, but it’s so much bigger than that,” Wilson said. “It’s about what I stand for, what the people around me stand for, and how much we can uplift each other. So we’re gonna use this night, this game to be happy and love on each other.”
What’s next for the WNBA and Nike?
Aces and Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis sat courtside during the game sporting a pair of the, as yet unavailable, A’One OG Pearl’s inspired by the necklace given to A’ja by her grandmother.
“I’m grateful for it,” Wilson said. “To see someone like Mark wear your shoe and just speak so highly of you, it’s great. And I’m so thankful that we have him on our side because he does a lot of things to help us be a better team.”
Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, the new face of the WNBA entering her second season, is working with Nike on her own signature footwear. No word yet on when that shoe will drop but the anticipation is already building.
The WNBA season tips off May 16. The Aces’ season begins Saturday, May 17, with a playoff rematch against the New York Liberty.
