Latest news with #BeckyHammon
New York Times
3 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
How to watch the Las Vegas Aces in 2025: Broadcast and streaming info for A'ja Wilson's crew
Consider the Las Vegas Aces' past six seasons: semifinalists, finalists, semifinalists, champions, champions, semifinalists. One more banner raising would lock them into dynasty status, especially with future hall-of-famer and three-time MVP A'ja Wilson as the franchise anchor. The ever-competitive Aces should once again be a top team to watch this summer. The current core of Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young and newcomer Jewell Loyd have a combined nine championship rings with 12 All-WNBA honors. Plus, Becky Hammon gives Vegas one of the best in the business along its sideline. Accessing all the games and keeping track of broadcast rotations is far less appealing, though. The W's streaming footprint is still growing, while the media landscape is as sprawling and divided as ever. Advertisement So, here's our best effort to make sense of it all, at least when it comes to the Aces' campaign. Make sure that you're following the team and the WNBA on The Athletic. Senior writer Chantel Jennings is an integral women's basketball reporter. Sabreena Merchant and Ben Pickman each cover the W with passion and dedication. Fubo is a cable-cutting streaming platform that offers local and national channels, along with add-on sports packages. Any regional game on KMCC (channel 34) or KTNV (channel 13) can be streamed with Fubo, along with the national ones on ESPN, ABC, CBS, ION and NBA TV. What you need to watch these games: Fubo. The 'pro' plan is $84.99 per month, with an additional charge for 4K Ultra HD Every team has a regional sports network, or an RSN, that carries local matchups. Aside from the nationally-televised action, all Aces games will be found on KMCC, aka Vegas 34. The Scripps station is paying local rights fees to the Aces for 2025; the only other teams known to receive these fees are New York, Indiana and Dallas. Vegas 34 is also running a season-long program on the team called 'In the Paint.' Four games will additionally be over-the-air on KTNV-TV, aka ABC 13. Krista Blunk is on play-by-play this season. She got her first experience calling Pac-12 games and the WNBA's old Sacramento Monarchs squad, and has since done broadcasts on Oxygen, CBS and Fox Sports. What you need to watch these games: Fubo, DirecTV Stream (starting $80-90 monthly) Vegas 34 is available on the providers DirecTV, Cox and Rio Virgin Telco. What you need to watch these games: a cable provider with Vegas 34; KTNV channel 13 is free with a broadcast antenna From A'ja Wilson appreciators to those that look good in the red, silver and black, WNBA League Pass is the answer for all Aces fans outside of the Las Vegas designated territory. In general, League Pass is a nice option for folks trying to keep up with the league on a nightly basis. A subscription covers every out-of-market regional broadcast for the regular season. However, blackout restrictions are in effect (frustratingly), so folks in the Vegas area won't be able to stream Aces games live on League Pass. Nationally televised games are also blacked out on the app. What you need to watch these games: WNBA League Pass ($12.99/month or $34.99 for the 2025 season) Ryan Ruocco is the primary play-by-play anchor for ESPN's WNBA programming. His call is punchy and controlled, and his love for the game bleeds through the screen. Ruocco has sharpened his product with the MLB's New York Yankees and the NBA's Brooklyn Nets, and he's narrated some of the modern classics in women's March Madness. His signature refrain, 'You bet!' gets Caitlin Clark fired up. Advertisement UConn legend Rebecca Lobo does color commentary. She played center for the Huskies during their first perfect season and 1995 national title crowning. The Hall-of-Famer suited up for the inaugural New York Liberty campaign in 1997 and played for the Connecticut Sun, plus the now-defunct Houston Comets and Springfield Spirit. Holly Rowe is the lead sideline reporter; she talks to players and coaches after the final buzzer. The network's second team features Pam Ward, LaChina Robinson and Angel Gray. Some games will be broadcast on ESPN3, a live streaming platform within ESPN's digital products (the app, the website, etc.). What you need to watch these games: A TV plan with ESPN or an ESPN+ standalone subscription, which includes ABC games (starting at $11.99 per month or $119.99 annually) Aces games on ESPN (and ESPN+): There will be a record 13 regular-season WNBA games on ABC, plus the 2025 All-Star Game. Conference finals and Finals play will be split between ABC and ESPN, which share the same ownership (Disney). The aforementioned ESPN talents are on the mic here, too. The ABC/ESPN pregame programming is called 'WNBA Countdown,' and it's a thoroughly radiant affair. Women's hoops expert Elle Duncan is the host. Alongside her is Chiney Ogwumike, the two-time WNBA All-Star who played for Connecticut and Los Angeles. It'll be especially fun when ABC or ESPN gets a Seattle game this summer — Chiney's sister, Nneka, now plays for the Storm after a decorated career with the Sparks. Rounding out the 'big three' is Andraya Carter. She shone during the 2024 NCAA championship broadcast and was among the last players to sign with Tennessee coach Pat Summitt. Other recurring personalities are Malika Andrews (host of 'NBA Today'), Monica McNutt (studio for the NBA's New York Knicks) and Carolyn Peck (Hall-of-Fame coach with a national title at Purdue). Advertisement What you need to watch these games: A broadcast antenna, or a TV or streaming plan (like Fubo) that includes ABC Aces games on ABC (and ESPN+): For the second straight year, CBS will show eight regular-season WNBA matchups. This channel's 2024 rookie duel between Caitlin Clark's Fever and Angel Reese's Sky was the league's most-watched game in 23 years. CBS Sports will have an additional dozen broadcasts. Commentators include Lisa Byington (voice of the Sky and the Milwaukee Bucks) and Jordan Kent (a three-sport collegiate athlete who played in the NFL and used to do play-by-play for the Portland Trail Blazers). What you need to watch these games: a TV or streaming plan with CBS or a Paramount+ standalone subscription (starting at $7.99/month) Aces games on CBS/CBS Sports Network: The Scripps network will have Friday night doubleheaders to jump-start each summer weekend. ION also has a WNBA studio show set in Atlanta. Cable vet Larry Smith is the host, and college basketball insiders Autumn Johnson and Meghan McKeown are in tow for breakdowns. What you need to watch these games: a broadcast antenna, a TV or streaming plan that includes ION through ABC Aces games on ION: Amazon's streaming service will host several WNBA broadcasts this year as it expands into the sports multiverse. Prime Video will also have the final game of the Commissioner's Cup, an in-season tournament that runs throughout the first half of the regular season. What you need to watch these games: an Amazon Prime subscription (which starts at $14.99 per month or $139 annually) Aces games on Prime Video: In a fitting cross-promotion, the NBA's in-house channel will simulcast WNBA showcases throughout 2025. What you need to watch these games: A TV or streaming plan (like Fubo) with NBA TV or WNBA League Pass Aces games on NBA TV: Streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo of A'ja Wilson: Ethan Miller / Getty Images)
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Young scores 25, Loyd hits 3 with 1.9 seconds left as Aces beat Mystics 75-72
Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) and Washington Mystics guard Jade Melbourne, front right, fight for the ball during the first half of a WNBA basketball game Friday, May 23, 2025, in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP) Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon calls to players during the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Washington Mystics, Friday, May 23, 2025, in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP) Washington Mystics forward Kiki Iriafen (44) drives against Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) during the first half of a WNBA basketball game Friday, May 23, 2025, in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP) Washington Mystics forward Kiki Iriafen (44) shoots a layup against Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) during the first half of a WNBA basketball game Friday, May 23, 2025, in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP) Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) and Washington Mystics forward Kiki Iriafen (44) go after a rebound during the first half of a WNBA basketball game Friday, May 23, 2025, in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP) Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) and Washington Mystics forward Kiki Iriafen (44) go after a rebound during the first half of a WNBA basketball game Friday, May 23, 2025, in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP) Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) and Washington Mystics guard Jade Melbourne, front right, fight for the ball during the first half of a WNBA basketball game Friday, May 23, 2025, in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP) Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon calls to players during the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Washington Mystics, Friday, May 23, 2025, in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP) Washington Mystics forward Kiki Iriafen (44) drives against Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) during the first half of a WNBA basketball game Friday, May 23, 2025, in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP) Washington Mystics forward Kiki Iriafen (44) shoots a layup against Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) during the first half of a WNBA basketball game Friday, May 23, 2025, in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP) Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) and Washington Mystics forward Kiki Iriafen (44) go after a rebound during the first half of a WNBA basketball game Friday, May 23, 2025, in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP) LAS VEGAS (AP) — Jackie Young scored 25 points, Jewell Loyd hit a corner 3-pointer with 1.9 seconds left, and the Las Vegas Aces scored the final nine points to beat the Washington Mystics 75-72 on Friday night. Chelsea Gray added 17 points and A'ja Wilson finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three blocks for Las Vegas (2-1). Wilson moved past Elizabeth Williams into 10th in WNBA history with 447 career blocked shots. Advertisement Young stole a pass and then made a layup before the Aces forced a shot-clock violation with 15.9 seconds remaining. Wilson hit Young for a wide-open layup to tie it 72-all with 11.1 seconds to go, Kiah Stokes blocked a shot and grabbed the rebound and Wilson fed Loyd for the go-ahead 3-pointer. Loyd finished with nine points on 2-for-9 shooting, including 2 for 7 from 3-point range. Sonia Citron converted a three-point play to give Washington a nine-point lead with 3:49 to play. Jackie Young answered with two free throws and then made a jumper before Dana Evans hit a 3-pointer that made it a two-point game with 2:02 remaining. Citron hit a 3 just 19 seconds later and Jade Melbourne made 1 of 2 from the free-throw line with 1:15 to go gave the Mystics a 72-66 lead. Advertisement Citron hit four 3-pointers and scored 19 points to lead the Mystics (2-2). Kiki Iriafen had 17 points and 13 rebounds. Iraiafen, the No. 4 pick in last month's WNBA draft, has a double-double in three consecutive games, the first rookie to accomplish the feat in franchise history. Iriafen made a layup with a little more than a minute remaining in the first quarter that made it 16-14 and the Mystics led until Loyd's winner. Up next Mystics visit Phoenix on Sunday to wrap up a four-game trip, and Las Vegas plays at Seattle. ___ AP WNBA:
New York Post
16-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Aces motivated to ‘ruin' Liberty's ring night after playoff heartbreak
Each of the past two seasons, the Aces opened at home with a pregame championship celebration. On Saturday, though, they'll experience what it's like to be on the opposing end of a banner-and-ring ceremony. Advertisement For Aces coach Becky Hammon, Saturday's celebration of the Liberty will bring 'mixed emotions.' Hammon spent the first eight years of her playing career with the Liberty and went to three WNBA Finals with the team, but never won. Last season, the Liberty captured their first championship and eliminated the Aces in the WNBA semifinals in the process. 'I have a lot of respect for this organization, a lot of respect for Joe and Clara [Tsai], the Liberty just in general. They gave me my first chance,' Hammon said Friday after practice. 'So I keep my personal opinions out of it. We're about winning the game. And I thought last year, I thought they were the best team. The best team gets rings.' Advertisement 4 Becky Hammon coaches during the Aces' playoff game against the Liberty on Oct. 1. Michelle Farsi for the NY Post Saturday won't be Chelsea Gray's first time trying to play spoiler to a team's ring night. The Aces' veteran guard opened the 2018 season at Minnesota. Advertisement Gray, then with the Sparks, helped Los Angeles put a damper on the Lynx's championship ring night by handing the defending champions a season-opening loss. 4 Chelsea Gray tries to drive with the ball during the Aces' playoff game against the Liberty on Oct. 1. Michelle Farsi for the NY Post 4 Sabrina Ionescu reacts after the Liberty won the championship on Oct. 20. Michelle Farsi for the NY Post 'It's kind of a more incentive that the away team always tries to ruin the ring night,' Gray said Friday after practice. 'That's always the key to everything. That's kind of the mantra of the game.' Advertisement Leonie Fiebich joined the Liberty for her first practice of the season on Friday. Whether she'll play in the season opener remains unclear. Fiebich was listed as 'questionable' on the team's availability report Friday evening, and coach Sandy Brondello said the German wing would be a 'game-time decision.' 4 Leonie Fiebich is pictured during the Liberty's game against the Aces on Sept. 29. Michelle Farsi for the NY Post 'We'll see how she responds tomorrow,' Brondello said. 'But I'm hopeful. It'd be nice to have her.' If Fiebich is unavailable, Kennedy Burke may be promoted to the starting lineup. Advertisement Breanna Stewart, who will add a third WNBA championship ring to her collection Saturday, said she recently brought her award collection to New York from Seattle. Stewart hasn't established a dedicated spot for her rings, medals and trophies yet. But she has made it clear to her young daughter that her rings aren't toys. 'I don't want those things to hit the ground and then crack or something,' Stewart said. 'That's a conversation that I don't want to have with her.'
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Charles Barkley Doesn't Hold Back on Becky Hammon Becoming NBA Coach
The San Antonio Spurs will enter a new chapter in their storied history next season as Mitch Johnson has officially taken over Gregg Popovich as coach. Popovich recently stepped down after 29 seasons, following the mild stroke he suffered last year, which has limited his mobility. The 76-year-old icon will now focus on his role as the Spurs' president of basketball operations. Advertisement The 38-year-old Johnson called the shots for San Antonio in Popovich's absence, helping the team to a 34-48 record. He first joined the Spurs in 2019 as an assistant coach. Now, he will take the helm of one of the most successful franchises in NBA history. Some camps, however, believe that Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon should've gotten the job. She served as an assistant coach of the Spurs from 2014 to 2021, helping pave the way for other women in the NBA. Currently, there are five female assistant coaches in the league. In an interview with OutKick, NBA legend Charles Barkley offered his opinion about the 48-year-old Hammon possibly calling the shots in the league. NBA legend Charles Barkley at the 2024 NBA Finals at American Airlines Jairaj-Imagn Images "I have no problem with a female head coach," said Barkley. I have no problem with it whatsoever. Advertisement "Hey, listen, that's a really good job because you look at (Stephon) Castle, who just won Rookie of the Year, you got (Victor) Wembanyama, you got De'Aaron Fox, you got two lottery picks, if I'm correct." San Antonio has a 6% chance to land the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft. In 2015, Hammon made NBA history by becoming the first female head coach in the Summer League. She has led the Aces to two championships. When she was hired by the Spurs, Popovich offered a glowing review of the WNBA legend, touting her "basketball IQ, work ethic, and interpersonal skills." Related: Charles Barkley Signals Potential End of Caitlin Clark's Time at the Top Related: The Gregg Popovich Call That Adam Silver Can't Forget: 'He Yelled at Me!'
New York Times
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
The Best Player In the W.N.B.A. Now Has Her Own Shoe. Why Did It Take So Long?
A'ja Wilson, a center for the Las Vegas Aces, is widely acknowledged as the best player in the Women's National Basketball Association. She is something like the league's on-court answer to LeBron James or Michael Jordan. 'I don't shy away from having conversations with her about being the greatest to ever play,' said Becky Hammon, who has coached the Aces since 2022. Ms. Wilson was the W.N.B.A.'s Rookie of the Year in 2018, won its Most Valuable Player Award in 2020 and 2022 and won a championship in 2022. But while she racked up achievement after achievement, one marker of basketball stardom eluded her: the shoe. If Ms. Wilson were playing in the National Basketball Association, she would have long ago gotten a signature shoe, the on-court footwear designed with and for a player. More than two dozen N.B.A. players have them. For years, marketers largely ignored the women's game. But Ms. Wilson's star has risen alongside that of the league she plays in, and in early 2023, Nike finally told her that it planned to create a signature shoe for her. 'I probably cried for a couple of days,' she said. The plan remained secret, and her fans got angry as Ms. Wilson continued to dominate on the court — winning another championship in 2023 — without any news of a shoe. Fans were happy last May, however, when Nike announced that it would release her signature shoe, the A'One, this month, alongside an apparel collection. (The year in between gave them even more reasons to be happy: Ms. Wilson became the first player in W.N.B.A. history to score 1,000 points in a season, won a third M.V.P. Award, was named one of Time magazine's women of the year and had her jersey retired by the University of South Carolina.) The A'One went on sale on Tuesday, with a 'Pink Aura' version, making Ms. Wilson the first Black W.N.B.A. player to have a signature shoe since 2011. 'It's time for people to have a shoe and see a shoe from someone like me, considering it hasn't been done in a long, long time and it comes from a Black female athlete in this world,' she said. 'I'm grateful.' The 28-year-old was speaking in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood of Paris, at a hotel suite overlooking Le Bon Marché, the famous department store. Her 6-foot-4 frame was dressed in the athletes' off-court uniform of sweats, with jewelry in her ears and on both sides of her nose. She was there on behalf of Nike. It was men's fashion week, so outside the hotel, photographers waited behind a rope in case celebrities emerged. The Rise of the W.N.B.A. W.N.B.A. players are bigger stars now than they ever were before, arguably with more cultural impact than they had even in the league's heady early days in the 1990s, when players like Lisa Leslie and Sheryl Swoopes became household names. Last season, interest in the league spiked, buoyed by the popularity of the rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. Brands rushed to play catch-up. That resurgence has happened in the shoe industry, too, where brands have struggled to monetize products connected to female athletes. The first W.N.B.A. player to have a signature shoe made for her was Ms. Swoopes in 1995. Nike's Air Swoopes had a tab on the back that made it easy to put on with the long fingernails she liked to sport. Nike made seven editions of it, the most it has made for any female player to date. Eight other W.N.B.A. players released signature shoes between 1995 and 2001, according to a database kept by ESPN. In 2005 and 2006, Nike made shoes for Diana Taurasi, who starred at the University of Connecticut, for the U.S. women's national team and for the Phoenix Mercury. After her shoe, Nike didn't make another signature shoe with a women's basketball player until 2023. Nike wasn't alone in its hiatus. Between 2011, when Adidas released a product with Candace Parker, and 2022, there were no W.N.B.A. signature shoes, according to ESPN's database. There just wasn't much of a market, industry observers say. Women's models make up a small portion of the basketball shoe business, said Matt Powell, a retail analyst with BCE Consulting, in part because many female basketball players prefer wearing a men's shoe. 'It costs a tremendous amount of money to develop a shoe and then to build that shoe,' Mr. Powell said. 'If sales are not going to be huge, and that is the history of what we've seen, any brand is like, 'How much of an investment can we make here?'' That all started to change when women's college basketball became more popular. Social media allowed players to create personal brands, and in 2021 the National Collegiate Athletic Association shifted its rules to allow athletes to capitalize on name, image and likeness (N.I.L.) deals, increasing their visibility with commercials and other advertisements. Broadcast channels helped, too: ESPN began televising the N.C.A.A. women's tournament in 1996 but did not air the championship game on its broadcast network, ABC, until 2023. Ms. Reese's Louisiana State team defeated Ms. Clark's Iowa for that title, drawing nearly 10 million viewers. The 2024 championship game drew 18.9 million viewers, beating the men's championship game by about four million, according to Nielsen. That interest has trickled up into the W.N.B.A. as the players moved there, too. In July 2023, Nielsen reported a rise in interest generally in women's sports. It also said surveyed viewers were frustrated by a lack of access to live women's sports and a lack of media coverage. 'Sneaker companies are always reactive to the public, and they're always responsive to what they perceive as popular at a given time,' said Brandon Wallace, an assistant professor at Indiana University who has studied the industry. Sabrina Ionescu's shoe came out in 2023, her fourth W.N.B.A. season, all with the New York Liberty. It was Nike's first unisex shoe and is one of the most popular shoes for N.B.A. players to wear during games. Players have said they like its look, which includes intricate embroidery and customizable colors, and how it feels on their feet. The structure is similar to Kobe Bryant's shoe, which revolutionized the industry. Nick Depaula, a journalist who covers the sneaker industry, said he expected Ms. Wilson's to be popular among the men as well. In part because of its design — he cited 'the grip and the support and the lightweight element' — and in part out of solidarity. 'She's worn LeBrons for years and supported his line,' Mr. Depaula said, referring to the Los Angeles Lakers superstar, who also has a deal with Nike. 'There's an element of players excited for her personally.' Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat, who has been romantically connected to Ms. Wilson, has already worn her shoe in a game, before its release. Mr. Powell, the industry analyst, also said he believed that Ms. Wilson's shoe would do well among women's basketball shoes, in part because of the heightened interest in the W.N.B.A. and in part because of its relatively low price. Adult sizes are $110 and children's $90, compared with $190 for Mr. James's signature shoes or $130 for the Sabrina 2. The Caitlin Clark Comparison Game The launch of Ms. Wilson's shoe has not come without controversy. In April 2024, when news broke that Nike was planning a signature shoe for Ms. Clark, then heading into her rookie season with the Indiana Fever, it set off a firestorm. The news of Ms. Wilson's shoe wasn't public yet. Her fans wondered if racism played a part in giving Ms. Clark, who is white, a shoe before the much more professionally accomplished Ms. Wilson, especially since the only other active players with signature shoes — Ms. Ionescu and Breanna Stewart, a two-time M.V.P. — are both white. Others noted Ms. Clark's exceptional popularity: She was selling out arenas and causing opponents to move their games to bigger venues. Games she played in set viewership records. Strangers debated Ms. Wilson's merits. Some said that her personality wasn't charming enough, or that her style of play lacked charisma. Frontcourt players are sometimes thought to be less marketable because their style of play is often less flashy. 'It was very hard for me to navigate, only because in the back of my mind I'm like, 'Yes, I know a shoe's coming, but I really have nothing to share,'' Ms. Wilson said. 'And to constantly be in those conversations and constantly having my name dragged through the mud and having my résumé dragged through the mud is really hard.' When the shoe was announced, Nike leaned into the controversy: Ms. Wilson wore a sweatshirt that had 'Of Course I Have A Shoe Dot Com' written on it. Now some writers and fans are wondering why Ms. Clark isn't getting her shoe alongside Ms. Wilson. A prominent Substack sports columnist, Ethan Strauss, suggested that Nike was delaying Ms. Clark's shoe because of Ms. Wilson's coming product, calling it 'corporate malpractice' to not cash in on Ms. Clark's popularity. Tanya Hvizdak, Nike's vice president of global sports marketing, said Nike was not delaying Ms. Clark's shoe for Ms. Wilson. She said creating a signature shoe took time and disagreed with the characterization that it had taken too long for Ms. Wilson to be awarded a shoe. 'What I would say is we've been supporting our women's basketball athletes for 40 years,' Ms. Hvizdak said. Mr. Powell, the analyst, said Nike's recent struggles as a business and its overhaul last year were instructive as well. With Nike's stock price falling and cultural relevance slipping, its board announced the abrupt retirement of its chief executive, John Donahue, in September and said Elliott Hill would replace him. Mr. Hill had spent 32 years with the company before retiring in 2020. 'I think we would have seen the Caitlin shoe a lot faster if Elliott had been at the helm,' Mr. Powell said. 'His predecessor just did not appreciate product and the value of endorsement.' Nike is expected to announce a shoe soon with Paige Bueckers, the first pick in this year's W.N.B.A. draft. Ms. Reese, who plays for the Chicago Sky, has a shoe in the works with Reebok and has already released lifestyle shoes for day-to-day wear. A Move Into Fashion It confuses the people close to Ms. Wilson that marketing opportunities have come more slowly than her basketball accolades. 'She's a supportive person,' said Sydney Colson, a teammate for the last three seasons and one of Ms. Wilson's closest friends. 'And not even just superstars, but people like that are just rare to come by.' Ms. Wilson decorates the lockers of her teammates for their birthdays and buys a cake celebrating Pride for her gay teammates each year. Last year's Pride cake was pink with disco balls, rainbow frosting and lettering that spelled, cheekily, 'Hooray you gay.' Ms. Wilson is also outspoken. When Mr. James signed a $154 million contract with the Lakers during her rookie year, she posted a tweet saying the W.N.B.A.'s best were hoping just to reach $1 million. At the time, the league's top players made salaries of $115,500. Ms. Wilson will make $200,000 this season, which opens on May 16. Nike and Ms. Wilson declined to comment on the size of their overall deal, but The Wall Street Journal and The Athletic have reported that Ms. Clark's Nike deal is worth $28 million over eight years. Ms. Wilson has not shied away from discussing the impact of race on why she is sometimes called not marketable. 'It's 100 percent about race,' she said. 'And it's one of those things where we can sit there and say that all the time, but there's going to always be someone that's like, 'Well, no you're just making it about race.'' As new opportunities have come her way Ms. Wilson has used them to cultivate her image. She has especially leaned into the fashion world's recent embrace of her; Vogue and GQ, for instance, featured her last month in a spread related to the Met Gala. The collection with Nike includes single-leg leggings like the ones that Ms. Wilson popularized in the W.N.B.A., made in hot pink, and a hot pink sweatshirt with satin-lined hood (because her mother got tired of seeing her wearing a bonnet at the airport, Ms. Wilson said). When she went on tour last year for her book, 'Dear Black Girls,' her team approached the designer Sergio Hudson, who has dressed Michelle Obama, former Vice President Kamala Harris, Beyoncé, Rihanna and Jennifer Lopez, to outfit her. He knew Ms. Wilson was stylish, and he liked the idea of supporting a W.N.B.A. player, especially one from his home state, South Carolina. 'When I saw her walk out in the first outfit we made for her, I was like, 'This girl is a star,'' Mr. Hudson said. 'At that time it wasn't how it is now,' he said. 'It wasn't that long ago, but it's like overnight things have shifted and the W.N.B.A. girls are prime celebrities, and everybody wants to dress them.'
