Target is getting a WNBA makeover, with the retail giant announcing a new merch line of exclusive WNBA-licensed apparel in collaboration with fashion brand The Wild Collective this week.
With pieces "made for those who play by their own rules — on and off the court," the drop features both overall league-branded merch as well as designs highlighting six WNBA teams: the Minnesota Lynx, the Chicago Sky, the New York Liberty, the Indiana Fever, the Golden State Valkyries, and the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces.
The collection includes "statement jackets, reworked jerseys, and everyday streetwear-inspired pieces, all carrying The Wild Collective's signature mix of premium materials, tailored fits, and fashion-forward details," and all in women's or unisex cuts, according to this week's release.
Target is far from the latest retailer buying into the women's basketball game, as growing demand for the WNBA has numerous companies outside of the traditional sportswear realm linking up with the league and its stars.
In just the last two months, for instance, Danish toymaker LEGO snagged four-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson for the company's YouTube Shorts series, while Chicago Sky star Angel Reese teamed up with fashion brands Juicy Couture and Victoria's Secret.
How to purchase from the WNBA x Target collection
All pieces in The Wild Collective's WNBA merch line at Target are now available for purchase both online and in select stores.
WNBA legend Elena Delle Donne is returning to the court, with USA Basketball announcing on Monday that the two-time league MVP will join the 3×3 Women's National Team as its first-ever managing director.
The 36-year-old officially retired in April 2025 after struggling with injuries, capping a career that spanned winning gold at the 2016 Olympics and the 2018 FIBA World Cup with Team USA as well as two WNBA championships.
"Elena has been a member of the USA Basketball family for almost 15 years," USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley said in Monday's press release. "Her wealth of knowledge of the sport of basketball and our organization will be an asset as we continue our journey."
As part of her duties, Delle Donne will be responsible for selecting the USA Basketball 3x3 team's coaching staff and players prior to the 2028 LA Olympics, the FIBA 3x3 World Cup, and other major international competitions.
"USA Basketball was an important part of my on-court career for a decade and a half. To have the opportunity to continue my journey with the organization, and to help shape and grow the 3x3 program, is something that I take very seriously," Delle Donne said. "I'm excited to get started."
Delle Donne's new position is the 3x3 version of fellow WNBA icon Sue Bird's role, as the newly minted Hall of Famer became the managing director of the USA Basketball women's 5x5 arm in May.
"To now think that I'm going to be on the other side of the phone letting someone know that their dream has come true and they've made the team is going to be such a fulfilling, full circle moment for me," Delle Donne said.
After the signature Nike A'One shoe designed by Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson flew off the shelves in May, sneaker site Sole Retriever reported Monday that the sportswear giant plans to drop a second edition with the WNBA star next year.
Dubbed the A'Two, Nike expects to release the next Wilson signature shoe in the summer of 2026.
While the updated design is still under wraps, the retail price will reportedly rise from $115 to $145 to accommodate an overhaul in the sneaker's technology.
The three-time WNBA MVP followed up her original "Pink A'ura" A'One design with 11 additional colorways, including the white "OG Pearl," the blue-hued "Indigo Girl," and a black, gold, red, and orange "All-Star" version that dropped just in time for the 2025 All-Star Weekend.
The initial A'One drop sold out in less than five minutes, underlining the growing market demand for signature apparel in women's sports.
Wilson's signature sneakers have proved popular among fans as well as WNBA players, with the shoes logging the the fifth-most minutes on the league's courts so far this season.
Though the A'Two drop is almost a full year away, Nike will continue releasing additional A'One colorways in the interim.
How to buy the A'ja Wilson signature Nike A'One sneakers
All currently available colorways of the A'One signature shoes can be purchase at Nike.com.
Las Vegas Aces star forward A'ja Wilson is teaming up with Nike and Danish toymaker LEGO as part of the two brands' new multi-year collaboration, the apparel giant announced on Thursday morning.
According to the release, the partnership aims to "inspire kids everywhere to play both on and off the court."
Nike and LEGO's collaboration will include experiential activations in the US, UK, and China this summer in conjunction with the United Nations' International Day of Play on June 11th.
The companies are also releasing product collections, beginning with the 1,180-piece LEGO Nike Dunk set, which features an iconic Nike Dunk sneaker, a brick basketball, and the "Dunk" slogan.
Three-time WNBA MVP Wilson will support the project "by helping engage kids through a reimagined world of play that will come to life across digital channels," with more information on her involvement to come.
Fresh off the launch her smash-hit A'One signature shoe, Wilson has become one of Nike's most prominent athletes. Her addition to the Nike x LEGO team comes on the heels of a lucrative six-year contract extension between Wilson and the sportswear brand late last year.
"I have loved playing with LEGO bricks since I was a kid and know that my creativity and play helped me not only in sports but also at school and in life," said Wilson.
How to buy drops from the Nike x LEGO collection
The LEGO Nike Dunk set will hit shelves on July 1st, though it's currently available to preorder online.
The first Nike footwear, apparel, and accessories products from the collaboration will drop in the brand's retail locations and online on August 1st.
From the very first moment she stepped onto the WNBA court, Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier has never taken no for an answer.
She's a pro at tuning out the doubters. Six years into her WNBA career, the UConn product still believes she was the top prospect in the 2019 WNBA Draft. In fact, she went on to win that season's Rookie of the Year award despite the Lynx selecting her No. 6 overall. Secondly, after giving birth to her daughter Mila in May 2022, Collier showcased her ability to be both a mother and an elite professional athlete. She returned the following year, picking up her third WNBA All-Star nod while carrying the Lynx all season long.
And most recently, she reformed the business of women's basketball as the co-founder of Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball. The offseason league debuted to great success this past January.
So when a controversial foul call at the end of Game 5 of the 2024 Finals proved to be the final barrier between Collier and her first WNBA championship, she swore it would never happen to her again.
"To have it end that way, it feels super unjust," Collier told reporters last October, shortly after the Lynx lost to the New York Liberty. "I don't think that is something to get over."
Now, as a new season tips off, Collier is laser-focused on rewriting the narrative for the Lynx. But she's also making moves off the court, announcing today that she's joined the athlete roster at Jordan Brand. The Nike offshoot is building up its women's basketball footprint, currently supporting 12 WNBA players including Atlanta's Rhyne Howard and Las Vegas's Dana Evans.
For the 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, Jordan Brand represents an iconography of excellence. And it's one Michael Jordan himself explained to her this past winter.
"I'm really excited about everything that I saw from the outside," she told Just Women's Sports late last month. "But going through the pitch, learning what Jordan's about, just the way they exemplify greatness. It's something that I've always wanted be a part of."
"[Michael] Jordan, if you're a basketball player, just watching those games — the iconic red and black and white shoes that he wore — he was everywhere," she said of the brand's namesake NBA icon. "He's definitely still my idol."
Joining a basketball legacy at Jordan Brand
It might be too early to draw parallels between one of the greatest players of all time and a 28-year-old still growing into her full potential. But Collier's commitment to greatness does mirror His Airness.
Collier is aiming to win everything this year, from her first WNBA MVP award to her first championship with the Lynx. And it appears that the league is on board.
In this week's anonymous WNBA general manager survey, Minnesota was named most likely to win a title this season. And 67% of respondents tapped Collier for 2025 MVP — towering over three-time MVP A'ja Wilson's 25%.
Of course, it's no surprise. Collier is a wiry power forward with an unstoppable motor on both ends of the court. She has the ability to beat defenders off the dribble and a lethal fadeaway that gives opponents fits in the paint. And her balance only improves with every passing season.
Yet while experts key into Collier's rising form, they're also recognizing the fire that's been lit under Minnesota. After all, they're still convinced they were one foul call away from last year's WNBA title.
The Lynx clearly have a chip on their shoulder. And their job now is to make sure they use that as an asset, and not a liability.
"It's just the worst feeling — you don't want to feel like that again," Collier said of falling just short of the 2024 championship. "So use it to push you every day, where you're getting in the gym more than you were."
"It's just that little voice you hear when you're like, 'Okay, I'm tired,' or 'I don't have to lift today.' Or, you know, 'I shot yesterday. I don't have to shoot today,'" she continued. "It's that voice that's like, 'Well, do you want the same outcome or not?'"
Collier is making the change she wants to see
Growing up in Jefferson City, Missouri — also the hometown of retired Lynx legend and fellow Jordan Brand signee Maya Moore — Collier credits her parents for fostering her drive to create a future for herself that she hasn't always seen around her, both on and off the court.
It's a mentality that dates back to her earliest days in a pair of basketball sneakers. That's when her local youth team said they didn't have room on their roster for a young Collier discovering her love for the game.
"My parents were like, 'We'll make our own team," she recalled. "And that's what they did. They got girls from surrounding cities, and we created our own basketball team. And we ended up playing really well."
Decades later, Collier brought that same ingenuity to founding Unrivaled alongside old friend and fellow WNBA standout Breanna Stewart. And when it debuted in early 2025, the league's resounding impact sent shockwaves across the entire women's sports landscape.
"If you want to see a difference or make a change, why not just do it yourself?" Collier said. She and Stewart were done waiting for the higher-ups to capitalize on the potential they were seeing every day.
Unrivaled's timing couldn't have been better, with the 3×3 upstart riding women's basketball's "Caitlin Clark effect" wave in perfect harmony. But Unrivaled's success wasn't all the Indiana rookie's doing.
"We saw a need for something," she added. "It's something that we've been pushing for and fighting for for so long," she added, urging that women's sports's appeal, when given a platform, is undeniable. "People enjoy what we're doing, and now you see how excited people are over women's sports."
Minnesota's 2025 mantra: If it ain't broke, don't fix it
Today, Collier is leaving Unrivaled's day-to-day operations to her capable staff while she attends to unfinished business in the WNBA. The Lynx had a quieter offseason than many franchises this year, avoiding the many roster shakeups embraced across the league. In other words, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Collier is subsequently all in, noting that having an established core can give Minnesota an advantage. And that rings especially true as other teams scramble to put new puzzle pieces together.
"It's one of my favorite teams I've ever played on. Just the chemistry that we had from day one, the way that we were so there for each other," she said of the Lynx's personality-rich lineup. "It felt like college, honestly, where you create those bonds. You don't see that a lot in professional sports anymore."
The Lynx's training camp performances reflected that assertion. They've moved like a well-oiled machine with the ability to hit the ground running.
"We're doing things in day four of training camp that we were doing halfway through the season last year, just because everyone knows what's going on," Collier said.
That edge could be on full display in tonight's season-opener, as Minnesota takes on a revamped Dallas Wings before facing fresh rebuilds in LA and Connecticut.
Jordan Brand is striking while the WNBA iron is hot
Collier isn't giving herself much time to slow down. After playing with Unrivaled, she's jumping into this year's WNBA slate while also flexing her muscles with Jordan Brand. But she's also making time to appreciate the massive moment women's basketball is currently enjoying.
"I just feel really lucky to be able to say that I am living in this time. And get to play during this time," she said. "To see that change and to be a part of it, usually things like this happen so slowly over time. But when you see it happening in the blink of an eye, you can track the change."
No matter what this season holds, Collier will strive to embody everything that Jordan Brand hopes for in an athlete. That means a shrewd business sense, an understanding of what makes a team great, a competitive prowess, and that unwillingness to accept no for an answer as she pushes for even more progress.
"This partnership feels especially meaningful because it connects my performance on the court with impact that extends far beyond the game itself," Collier stated in Friday's press release, issued just hours before she's scheduled to hit the court in Heir Series sneakers.
"When young girls see that iconic silhouette, I want it to inspire them to aim higher than they thought possible."
Welcome to another episode of Sports Are Fun!
Every week on Sports Are Fun!, co-hosts soccer legend Kelley O'Hara, sports journalist Greydy Diaz, and JWS intern BJ serve up their hottest takes on the biggest women's sports headlines.
This week, the Sports Are Fun! crew is joined by sports reporter, host, and digital creator Aliyah Funschelle. And with a brand new WNBA season tipping off this Friday, the women's pro league and its many basketball superstars naturally dominate the conversation.
"In the sports betting world, Caitlin Clark is a frontrunner for MVP, which I was surprised about," starts O'Hara, referencing the sportsbooks' latest WNBA MVP odds.
"I mean, my thing is last season, she was number seven in total points," says Diaz, clearly not convinced. "She averaged about 19. A'ja Wilson averaged 26. That's a big difference."
"I don't know what clientele is setting these odds," says Funschelle. "I don't think she could be in the running. Maybe most improved? Which is crazy to say but I think Caitlin Clark has another level that she hasn't reached yet."
"Just her having the ability to rest during this offseason and build muscle," Funschelle continues. "I think she has an untapped level. She could really take step up to be like A'ja Wilson or Stewie, one of those big names."
"I saw the pictures of her and I was like, 'She's been putting in that work in the offseason.,'" agrees Diaz.
"People said it was AI!" laughs Funschelle, cracking up her co-hosts. "It was crazy."
In addition to the WNBA, the Sports Are Fun! hosts dive into the unpredictable NWSL weekend, Golden State's mascot auditions, and so much more!
'Sports Are Fun!' debates 2025 WNBA MVP award odds
The Sports Are Fun crew wastes no time in getting into the WNBA MVP conversation, with hosts throwing out potential award winners.
"MVP? I feel like Napheesa [Collier] is going to come out for everything this year," asserts Diaz, nominating the Lynx mainstay and Unrivaled 3×3 co-founder. "She wants it all.
"She wants a title, she wants MVP," O'Hara adds.
"Absolutely," says Diaz. "Given the way her season ended last year and given the way she did so well at Unrivaled, I think she has an incredible momentum and she's only building off of it."
"So for me, it's either she's going to win MVP. Or A'ja Wilson's going to get her fourth MVP," Diaz concludes.
"You don't think anyone else is contending?" asks BJ.
"Nope," says Diaz. Period.
About 'Sports Are Fun!' with Kelley O'Hara
'Sports Are Fun!' is a show that’ll remind you why you fell in love with women's sports in the first place.
Join World Cup champ, Olympic gold medalist, and aspiring barista Kelley O'Hara as she sits down with sports journalist Greydy Diaz and a revolving cast of co-hosts and friends. Together, they're talking the biggest, funnest, and most need-to-know stories in the world of women’s sports.
From on-court drama to off-field shenanigans, to candid (and silly) chats with the most important personalities in the space, this show screams "Sports Are Fun!"
Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.
With the 2025 WNBA season around the corner, sportsbooks have already been setting the field for this year's MVP race, with odds heavily slanted toward three early frontrunners.
Last season's Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark leads the 2025 race, with FanDuel currently placing the Indiana Fever guard at +200, followed closely by Las Vegas's three-time league MVP A'ja Wilson (+230), and Minnesota's 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Napheesa Collier (+300).
DraftKings rates Clark similarly at +220, putting Wilson at +225 and Collier at +400.
After a blockbuster rookie season, opinions on Clark's sophomore ceiling vary, with ESPN ranking the 23-year-old as the WNBA's overall fourth-best player entering the 2025 season, trailing just Wilson, Collier, and New York's 2023 MVP and 2024 champion Breanna Stewart.
However, the media giant's own ESPN BET has Clark leading the MVP odds at +200, a likely response to bettor interest rather than analyst predictions.
Dallas's 2025 No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers is the clear favorite for this season's Rookie of the Year award, carrying -255 odds on ESPN BET despite not making the overall preseason Top 25.
There's no such thing as a sure bet, but the market is clearly mirroring fan interest, hyping up these young players before a single team takes the 2025 season's court.
Three-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson officially joined the signature shoe ranks on Tuesday, when the first edition of the Las Vegas Aces star's Nike sneaker hit shelves — only to sell out within minutes.
Wilson is now the 14th WNBA athlete across all brands to receive her own signature shoe, joining current players like Sabrina Ionescu and retired legends including Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, and Candace Parker.
With more colors already in the works, the 28-year-old's debut "A'One" shoe arrived in a bright "Pink A'ura" colorway — a hue also heavily used across Wilson's Nike apparel collection, which dropped at the same time as the sneakers.
The eight-piece collection includes foam slides, T-shirts, shorts, cropped tops, and a single-legged "A'Symmetric" compression tight — a nod to Wilson's on-court uniform.
"My first A'One Collection reflects both my vision for the future of the game and the inspirations that fuel my performance and style every day," said Wilson in the February announcement detailing her Nike collaboration.
Wilson honors family in A'One Nike ads
Both the design details in the A'One shoes and Nike's series of commercials celebrating the collection boast nods to those inspirations.
The sneakers include symbols representing Wilson's parents, plus a quote from her grandmother: "As a matter of fact, the best is yet to come."
Photos of Wilson's paternal grandparents, which hang in her childhood church, make an appearance in director Jenn Nkiru's Nike ad, which also featured cameos from her parents and former college coach, South Carolina boss Dawn Staley.
The WNBA icon herself took a star turn in a second Nike ad, collaborating with Malia Obama in a vignette directed by the 26-year-old former US First Daughter.
How to buy A'ja Wilson's signature Nike A'One shoe
While Nike has temporarily removed Wilson's "Pink A'ura" A'One sneaker from the sportswear giant's online store, more inventory will be released in the coming days.
In the meantime, Wilson's apparel collection is now available directly from Nike, with purchase options both online and at select retail locations.
Her sneaker's second colorway, entitled "Blue Fury," will drop in the same locations on May 15th.
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced this year’s inductees on Saturday, with WNBA legends Sue Bird, Sylvia Fowles, and Maya Moore headlining a star-studded Class of 2025.
The Hall of Fame mandates a two-year post-retirement waiting period for eligibility, with both Bird and Fowles qualifying for the shortlist following their 2022 retirements from the WNBA.
Moore officially retired from the WNBA in early 2023, despite stepping away from professional basketball in 2018.
2025 Hall of Fame class highlights WNBA accolades
This year's class is the first to ever feature three WNBA players, proving the iconic trio's monumental contributions to the sport.
All three players won multiple Olympic gold medals with Team USA in addition to competing in at least three NCAA Final Fours, with UConn alums Bird and Moore counting two national championships among their accolades.
Moore is a four-time WNBA champion with the Minnesota Lynx, earning her last two titles with Fowles as her teammate, while Bird won four WNBA titles with the Seattle Storm.
Both Moore and Fowles have picked up WNBA MVP awards, while Bird retired as the league’s career assists leader.
How to attend the Hall of Fame's 2025 Enshrinement Weekend
The Naismith Hall of Fame’s 2025 Enshrinement Weekend tips off on September 5th, with both weekend packages and single event tickets currently available for purchase online.
Two-time WNBA MVP and seven-time All-Star Elena Delle Donne is officially retiring from pro basketball, with the 2016 Olympic gold medalist calling the decision "one of the hardest parts of my career" in a Friday announcement.
After the Chicago Sky chose Delle Donne as the overall No. 2 pick in the 2013 WNBA Draft, she quickly established herself as a force on the court, winning her first MVP title with the Sky in 2015 before a trade sent her to the Washington Mystics in 2017.
Delle Donne thrived with Washington, earning her second MVP honor while leading the Mystics to their first-ever WNBA championship in 2019 — and recording the only 50-40-90 season (shooting over 50% from the field, over 40% from beyond the arc, and over 90% from the foul line) in league history along the way.
"She put us over the top," former Mystics head coach Mike Thibault told reporters on Friday. "We were trying to build to where we could have a team that somebody like her would want to play with and we could win the championship that she was seeking and that we were seeking."
Injuries and illness fueled Delle Donne's decision
At the same time, however, Delle Donne struggled with injuries, later undergoing back surgery after competing in that 2019 title run with three herniated disks. Those injuries, plus a chronic Lyme disease diagnosis, eventually led Delle Donne to sit out the 2024 season — despite earning a core tag from the Mystics.
Taking last season off gave Delle Donne the space to come to terms with retirement, with the 35-year-old stating "my body seemed to make this decision before my mind accepted it."
Despite exiting the competitive court, however, Delle Donne will remain close to the game, with the Mystics announcing that the star will serve as a special advisor to the WNBA team's ownership group, Monumental Sports.
"This game has been my life, and I am grateful for the memories and how much it’s given me," Delle Donne said on social media. "It feels good to close this chapter knowing I gave it my all and I can’t wait for what’s next!"