Tunnel fits have arrived in the WNBA

The WNBA is at the peak of its popularity. This does not necessarily mean that everything is going smoothly, especially when you focus on salaries and revenue sharings compared to the NBA. The salary cap for this season has been set at $1,4 million, the NBA’s salary cap was $136 million for this season. As per the revenue sharings, WNBA’s players only receive 10% of the amount while the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NBPA and the NBA set a 50/50 split. On top of that, even the President of the United States Joe Biden was surprised by how little the WNBA players earned in salaries. Nevertheless, this is only one side of the medal, the darker one. The brighter side emphasizes an exponential growth in popularity. For example: for the first time in the league's history, three different franchises have sold out their annual tickets. In 2025 there will be a new franchise based in the Bay Area and in 2026 the WNBA will land in Canada with a brand-new franchise in Toronto.

What’s the reason behind this success? Well, essentially for the arrival of three new players who managed to drive women’s college basketball in recent years: Caitlin Clark, Cameron Brink and Angel Reese are the new WNBA’s rising stars, athletes who managed to create a worldwide fanbase before they turned pro. Part of their success, obviously, is connected to their skills. Caitlin Clark for example is the all-time leading scorer, male or female, in NCAA Division I hoops history. To be fair she has struggled in her first games in the league, more than expected but after a period of adaptation she is now second in the league in number of triples made and she is averaging 6 assists per game. Nevertheless, she has not be called up for the upcoming Olympics in Paris and the news became a national case, on one side the faction of those who agreed with the decision as it is justified by her numbers and on the other side those who strongly believe that it is a revenge from the veterans of the US national team towards the rookie. Then there is another major factor in the rise of these young players, namely communication. More specifically, an inner ability to create contents that can be easily shared on social media. A case to make the point: in 2023 Angel Reese became THE most important news in sports during the NCAA Final Four when she recreated the famous John Cena’s “You can’t see me” gimmick while referring to Caitlin Clark and her unsuccessful attempts to guard her. Skills, bigger than life persona and youthfulness: a perfect combination that helped WNBA to take it to the next step and become the most important league in women’s professional sports.

An important factor to track WNBA’s popularity is represented by the amount of off the field contents that can be intercepted on social media. The major source is represented by tunnel fits, the hottest runway of the year as it is now known. Just like NBA’s stars, WNBA’s players are escorted towards the dressing room by dozens of reporters and photographers. The attention is at the highest level possible, and the outcome has lived up to the expectations. Cameron Brink, the night she made her league’s debut, wore a denim skirt combined with black leather boots and a sleeveless black asymmetric shirt upon which appeared a simple and effective question: “Got league pass?”. In the following weeks, Brink raised the bar further by showing off a white New Balance outfit inspired by the uniform used on the court by tennis player Coco Gauff as well as a series of garments designed by Sydney Bordonaro. Bypassing for a moment style and fashion, this is where the great strength of WNBA’s tunnel fits lies. Players have full awareness of their femininity, of their beauty. They play with it, and they’re not scared to provoke, if necessary, aware that they will be judged only for their performances on the court. And we’re not exclusively talking about rookies, as some experienced players even managed to raise the bar. Kelsey Plum during the opening night of the season rocked a total black look with leather trousers and a tiny gilet to exalt her statuesque body while her teammate A'ja Wilson wore a Heaven Jarrett’s outfit composed by denim skirt and jacket with red leather elements.

This media scrutiny has launched WNBA on another level, then the league has become legit to the eyes of the jet set. Kim Kardashian was courtside when the Los Angeles Sparks played their first home game of the season and then she reached out to Cameron Brink in the dressing room for a photo. The exact same scene was repeated a few weeks later when Miami Heat player Jimmy Butler showed up at a Sparks home game wearing a Brink jersey before hugging her and posed for a photo. Angel Reese stole the spotlight at the latest edition of the Met Gala by wearing a 16Arlington’s dress. Caitlin Clark has proven its communicative versatility being a guest both at Saturday Night Live and on The Pat McAfee Show. To all of that you must add the endorsement from NBA players, cover magazines, multi million contracts with sportswear and how much fashion brands are exploiting the players’ popularity, as proved by the outfits worn during the Draft last April. In essence, the WNBA is setting the trend and serving as a model for all other women's leagues to strive towards.