There has been a lot of overdue growth in the women’s basketball sneaker game. In the 2020s, multiple WNBA players have gotten their own signature, highlighted by A’ja Wilson’s tremendously successful Nike A’Ones.
It was past time for the M’VP to get her own shoe, but who should be next? Here are five WNBA players who need their own signature shoe:
Caitlin Clark
Okay, this one is kind
of cheating as it’s already been announced that a Clark signature is in the works, but everyone has eyes on what Clark and Nike are going to cook up. Nike officially shared her own signature logo, but details on her sneaker are still unknown.
As with anything Clark-related, the hype, hysteria and too-often unnecessary noise will be all over the reveal of her shoe.
If it’s a hit, it could quickly become the best-selling women’s basketball sneaker of all time. Regardless of its look, price point and launch date, I can’t wait to see what she and Nike put together.
Kelsey Plum
Plum is a star in Los Angeles, a perfect match of player and place for a signature.
Brands looking to make a splash should look to pluck Plum, who has been an UnderAmour athlete since 2022. Reebok recently released a shoe with Angel Reese, and Skechers also has started to sign more WNBA players, including Plum’s teammate Rickea Jackson, to its roster.
With Plum’s star power, personality, stellar play and the Southern California market, all shoe companies should be looking at partnering with the point guard.
Kahleah Copper
Copper not only is a star for the Mercury, as well as for Team USA, but her electrifying play also screams for a sneaker. She has close ties with adidas and often gets player-exclusives. So, why not her own shoe?
A signature sneaker would be a well-earned honor for Copper and, with Candace Parker retired, give adidas its own big player to help bolster its women’s basketball efforts.
Paige Bueckers
While still at UConn, Bueckers was the first college athlete get a player edition sneaker from Nike. As a rookie, she took the WNBA by storm and won Rookie of the Year. Where is her sneaker?
She already has the accolades and popularity needed to carry a franchise, and even a brand as big as Nike isn’t too much for Bueckers to handle. If Nike gives her a signature line, they could have an unbeatable big three with Wilson, Clark and Bueckers that no other company could top.
Flau’Jae Johnson
Flau’Jae is such a character. She has a style you can’t replicate, she also is a rapper and, most importantly, she is an elite player for LSU.
Johnson isn’t a WNBA player just yet, but once she declares, she’ll be at the top WNBA draft boards and will have the opportunity to be a franchise player from the jump. Puma is set up to take advantage of Flau’Jae’s success. She’s already rocking Puma player exclusives, so they can certainly take things to the next level with her own shoe as soon as her W career begins.
All five players—and many more—are worthy of their own sneakers. The NBA has countless players who have their own signature shoe, and the same can and should be possible for the WNBA players.
It’s been a gradual increase, but if companies are smart, they’ll take advantage of the many magnetic women’s basketball stars by expanding their rosters of signature W stars.
