There has been a lot of expected growth in the women’s basketball sneaker sector. In the 2020s, several WNBA players got their own signatures, highlighted by A’ja Wilson’s Nike A’Ones, which were a huge success.
It’s about time for M’VP to get her own shoe, but who should be next? Here are five WNBA players who need their own signature shoe:
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Caitlin Clark
Okay, this one is kind of a cheat because it’s already been reported that a Clark signing is in the works, but everyone’s eyes are on what Clark and Nike will cook up. Nike has officially shared its own signature logobut details about his sneaker are still unknown.
As with all things Clark, hype, hysteria and all-too-often unnecessary noise will be omnipresent in his shoe reveal.
If successful, it could quickly become the best-selling women’s basketball sneaker of all time. Regardless of its look, price, and launch date, I can’t wait to see what she and Nike come up with.
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Kelsey Plum
Plum is a star in Los Angeles, a perfect combination of player and location for a signing.
Brands looking to make a splash should look to Plum, who has been an UnderAmour athlete since 2022. Reebok recently released a shoe featuring Angel Reese, and Skechers has also begun recruiting more WNBA players, including Plum’s teammate Rickea Jackson, to its roster.
With Plum’s star power, personality, stellar play and Southern California market, all shoe companies should consider partnering with the point guard.
Kahleah Copper
Copper is not only a star for the Mercury, as well as Team USA, but his electrifying play also begs for a sneaker. It has close ties with adidas and often obtains exclusives for players. So why not your own shoe?
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An iconic sneaker would be a well-deserved honor for Copper and, with Candace Parker retiring, would 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 to receive a player edition sneaker from Nike. As a rookie, she took the WNBA by storm and won Rookie of the Year. Where is his sneaker?
She already has the accolades and popularity to carry a franchise, and even a brand as big as Nike isn’t too difficult for Bueckers to handle. If Nike gives him a signature line, they could have an unbeatable trio with Wilson, Clark and Bueckers that no other company could top.
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Flau’Jae Johnson
Flau’Jae is such a character. She has a style you can’t duplicate, she’s also a rapper, and most importantly, she’s an elite player for LSU.
Johnson is not a WNBA player yet, but once she declares, she will be on the top WNBA selection committees and have the opportunity to become a franchise player right off the bat. Puma was created to take advantage of the success of Flau’Jae. She already has exclusives for Puma players, so they can definitely take it to the next level with her own shoe from the start of her W career.
All five players – and many more – deserve their own sneakers. The NBA has countless players who own their own signature shoe, and the same can and should be possible for WNBA players.
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It’s a gradual increase, but if companies are smart, they’ll take advantage of women’s basketball’s many magnetic stars by expanding their roster of iconic W stars.
