🏟️ At the 2025 Draft, Bueckers and the WNBA Brought their A Game

Welcome to the first edition of Game Notes! SBV’s special monthly newsletter covers sports business through a cultural lens.

Paige Bueckers and the WNBA Have Officially Arrived

Paige Bueckers, who was drafted No. 1 overall by the Dallas Wings, stepped onto the carpet at the WNBA Draft in a three-piece plaid suit covered in crystals, marking a new era for herself—and for women’s basketball.

The beautiful custom look was by Coach, styled by Brittany Hampton. “We wanted Paige to walk into that room not just as a top draft pick, but as the icon she is,” Hampton shared with Highsnobiety.

The morning of the Draft, the WNBA announced a multiyear partnership with Coach. According to the press release, the partnership is aimed at “championing courageous self-expression through basketball and beyond.” The American luxury fashion house dressed five prospects in custom looks for their big night: Hailey Van Lith, Aneesah Morrow, Kiki Iriafen, Sonia Citron, and Paige Bueckers. In addition, Coach invited each draftee to a gifting suite where they were able to customize their own bags.

Coach Chief Marketing officer Joon Silverstein said in the release that the W is “an organization that uniquely champions individuality,” sharing the excitement the brand has “to support these courageous athletes who are breaking molds both on and off the court,” and to inspire their “audiences to embrace the many possibilities of who they are and who they can be.”

Over the last 5 years, the WNBA has exploded in popularity. Where social media once used to be filled with sexist comments about women belonging in a kitchen, it’s now filled with images of people sporting t-shirts that say “everyone watches women’s sports.”

In January, I went to watch UConn play St. John’s in Jamaica, New York. Unsurprisingly, the eventual national champions handily defeated St. John’s but as I was waiting for my friend to say hi to her former colleagues, I noticed something new: a throng of fans were waiting to get Bueckers’ attention as she left the court post-game. When we left the arena, the scene outside looked like something you’d see at a rock concert. Young girls were lined up all along the side of the road in the parking lot in the brisk cold. I’d never seen anything like it at a women’s basketball game before.

The appeal of the W to the general public hasn’t matched the level of attention that the high level hoops that have always been played in the league deserves—but that’s all in the past now. Luxury brands are beginning to take notice. The WNBA and its players all know: their moment is here.