Athletes from WNBA have been making big moves on and off the court, especially when it comes to fashion. Whether it’s Caitlin Clark wearing all Prada, Angel Reese doing her professional ad in Vogue or Kelsey Plum It is Cameron Brink Showing off their pre-game looks, players from every team are making the world their personal catwalk.
Known as the WNBA tunnel, the walkway that connects the arena to the players’ locker rooms has become the scene of memorable fashion moments, like Sydney Colson’s black hair magazine look by designer Sheila Rashid or plum elegant season opener courtesy of Alexander Wang.
But behind every well-dressed WNBA athlete is their modern stylist. Amadi Brooks, Sydney Bordonaro, and Mary Gonsalves Kinney are no strangers to creating these standout tunnel looks.
Brooks, stylist for Las Vegas Aces guard Colson and forward A’ja Wilson, told Yahoo Entertainment that it’s about time people paid as much attention to the WNBA as they do the NBA, from both an athletic and sartorial standpoint.
“I think the intersectionality of sport and fashion has always existed,” she said. “Now that the [WNBA] There’s more of an eye on it, I think people are stepping up their game, feeling confident and putting a little more effort into it.”
Bordonaro, a former Division I basketball player turned fashion designer, also spoke about the influence WNBA players have on young athletes on and off the court.
“You have these Angel Reeses, Cameron Brinks and Kelsey Plums…players that people are attached to. And then they follow them on social media and not only follow their games, but they also follow them as people,” she told Yahoo. “So when you see players in these pieces, people are like, ‘Oh, you can really make these girls look amazing.’ Like, these become the idols that people look up to.”
The WNBA tunnel is where most of the magic happens. Before each game, each athlete embarks on a 30-second walk down the concrete hallway in an artfully curated look that reflects their personal style. With the sheer amount of sartorial prowess on display, the tunnel could well be a clue.
“We’re willing to have more fun,” Brooks said of putting together the looks for the tunnel. “We can use something they don’t normally use. Or we can have pieces that will last [that] right now, but I’m not waiting [them] stay at it all day.”
A vibe they can call their own
While designers take risks when dressing these athletes, they say it’s important that the clothes reflect their personalities.
“I’m stylizing who they are,” Bordonaro said. His client list includes Plum, a point guard for the Las Vegas Aces, and Los Angeles Sparks small forwards Brink and Rae Burrell. “I never try to put them in things that make them uncomfortable… the emphasis is on portraying who they are and what they do.”
Kinney, a longtime celebrity stylist who has worked with Brink for the past few years, told Yahoo that the look of a player’s tunnel should also convey what he’s feeling that day.
“I think it’s because of the energy they were bringing to the game that day,” she said. “Depending on who they’re playing, how competitive the team is… I think it’s a really fun way to [them] be like, ‘I’m feeling really good about myself right now and this is what I look like. Take my picture and let’s go, you know?”
Of course, a stylist’s approach to dressing a WNBA client isn’t exactly unique. Several factors are at play, such as whether the client prefers to be more hands-on in the process or whether they prefer to outsource this creative control.
“I have a really good relationship with all three of them,” Bordonaro said of Plum, Burrell and Brink. “Especially with Kelsey and Rae, I was able to really build [their images] over the last few years. It was really cool because they were almost like blank canvases. Kelsey is very basketball-focused…she really doesn’t give a shit about that kind of stuff. Rae likes it a little more, Cam too.”
A lot has changed for these designers in the last two years. Although Bordonaro, for example, previously had to contact designers “round the clock” to lend pieces to his players, the league’s sudden rise in popularity changed everything. Now the designers of her dreams are reaching out to her.
“You have to get out there, you have to showcase the clothes well, you have to promote them… and share them on your social media,” Kinney added. “Once you do that, brands really start to get into it, you know?”
With a wide selection of designers and luxury houses at her fingertips, Bordonaro said deciding which athlete to use is what she describes as “matchmaking.”
“Kelsey, right now, is at the point in her career where she is [this] kind of upper echelon vibe,” she said. “We want to work with high-end brands, while [with] Rae, I can place you in LA brands that are super stylish and sexy. [For] Cam, we’re looking at brands like Alexander Wang and Coach. These high fashion brands want to put their pieces [her].”
Colson and Wilson, on the other hand, are more focused on highlighting designers of color, according to Brooks.
“They are both individuals with unique personalities and don’t always want to go with the flow or trends,” she said. “Sydney is very interested in highlighting black designers, minority-owned brands and women-owned brands. She loves using her platform to highlight these businesses. Same with A’ja. She loves supporting people and nurturing those around her.”
Women, fashion and basketball
With WNBA players receiving more recognition than ever, their stylists couldn’t be happier.
“To some extent, we live in a misogynistic world. [People] find out who all the male players are, mostly. But when it comes to women, they are not necessarily educated [about them],” Kinney said. “I think as designers we work really hard to make sure people [know] who are these women [are].”
Bordonaro added: “It’s unbelievable just to see it because I love my girls and [they’re] having the opportunity to wear these incredible designers and understand more about the world of fashion.”
