PHOENIX – As the WNBA continues to evolve, so has its stance on pregame dress codes.
In a league where personality and creativity were once muted and players leaned toward wearing mostly formal, business-like attire, the WNBA’s stars are making a simple walk into the arena into a fashion showcase that displays the variety, character and daring of their clothing choices.
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“We used to get fined if we had ripped jeans on,” former Mercury superstar Diana Taurasi told the Ringer. “On road trips you had to, you know, be dressed in slacks, and penny loafers and a button up.”
With freedom of expression now encouraged, WNBA pregame tunnel walks have essentially become the WNBA’s red carpet, allowing the league’s players, including the Mercury, to shine on and off the court.
Those fashion statement will take center stage on social media Sunday when the Mercury open postseason play.
Fueled by the arrival of young stars such as Indiana’s Caitlin Clark, Chicago’s Angel Reese, Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers and Cameron Brink of the Los Angeles Sparks, the WNBA has enjoyed unprecedented growth in popularity the past few seasons.
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The increased exposure has drawn more attention to what the league’s players wear. However, some of the unique outfits on display now would not have seen the light of day just a decade ago.
Although rules surrounding formal dress became less strict through the years, fashion-filled runways took a while to gradually infiltrate WNBA arena tunnels. Slacks and dress shirts inevitably faded out of many players’ pregame rotations, but the league still maintained a firm grip on off-the-court attire.
“When I first got in the league, it really wasn’t a thing,” said Mercury center Kalani Brown. “People still wore their warmups to the game, but I definitely think as the years progressed, the tunnel looks have become a thing.”
The intersection of basketball and fashion allows players to connect with their fanbase, often through their personal social media accounts, and has even become somewhat of a cottage industry.
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Platforms such as LeagueFits, a division of SLAM Magazine, operate for the sole purpose of highlighting outfits of NBA/WNBA players before games.
The evolution is not without critics. A recent editorial in the Sports Business Journal wondered if “tunnel fashion shows become so big that the games will become secondary,” suggesting style could minimize competition on the court.
Increased coverage of pregame attire has drawn supporters closer to their favorite teams, and even has attracted the attention of some non-basketball fans hoping to stay in tune with fashion trends, which are often set by celebrities and athletes.
“It’s fun. It’s a part of the game,” said Mercury forward Kathryn Westbeld. “I feel like it’s evolved so much the last few years … mixing basketball and fashion, it’s a great way for each individual to kind of show who they are.”
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The tunnel walks are not just anxiously awaited by the WNBA’s fans. They are something players have embraced. Even those who were never that interested in making a fashion statement have joined the fun.
In Phoenix, Brown has become a LeagueFits fan favorite, consistently garnering praise for her stylish outfits despite never caring much for that part of her pregame regimen.
“It’s just something I do to feel good and take pictures. … It’s a good little energy vibe,” Brown said. “Never really been a fashion girlie. Even the stuff that I wear, sometimes I feel it’s not really fashionable.”
However, some others — fashionistas to their core — are making pregame outfits an essential aspect of their game-day routine. Stars across the league often plan their outfits well in advance or receive help from stylists to take their look to another level. For many, pregame outfits provide a boost of confidence, and they save their best combinations for the biggest games.
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“It’s almost stressful sometimes just because you want to look your best, you want to make sure you’re well prepared and everything,” Westbeld said. “It’s fully a part of my routine now. I pretty much have it down to a tee.
“Makeup, hair, outfit, like, it’s all very important … you look good, you feel good and hopefully you play good.”
Many players who have experience overseas are now also using the WNBA’s platform to showcase their personalities in ways other international leagues never allowed. While “The W” now highlights fashion and encourages players to express themselves, outside of the WNBA that sentiment is rare.
“I feel like it was less, you know, fashiony,” said Westbeld, whose lengthy basketball career has included stops in Australia, Hungary, Puerto Rico, Italy, Israel and Spain. “(It was) kind of more so just showing up in team gear. I think they prefer that overseas.”
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With a good portion of the league having played overseas, players have been introduced to new styles and cultures from around the globe. Due to the league’s newly relaxed pregame dress codes, the world’s haute couture has made its way to WNBA runways.
Westbeld’s world travels have allowed her to incorporate aspects of fashion from around the planet into her pregame attire.
“It is interesting, because the European style is so different,” she said. “Outside of basketball, I’ve always enjoyed, you know, people watching and finding different styles … kind of creating it into my own. A lot of my wardrobe now is stuff I got overseas.”
The WNBA’s new era of tunnel walks has also brought teammates closer together, as players have been able to build comradery and chemistry through off-the-court fashion. In Phoenix, it’s another way for the Mercury to connect and grow the game beyond a basketball court.
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“It’s great. I think that, you know, from day one we’ve been spending a lot of time together,” Mercury forward Kahleah Copper said. “Whether it’s on the court, on the road, here doing some team stuff … it’s been pretty cool, you know, getting to know everybody.”
For more stories from Cronkite News, visit cronkitenews.azpbs.org.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Tunnel fits: Mercury, WNBA at intersection of basketball, fashion
