The WNBA is red-hot, and New Balance has just increased its investment in women’s basketball.
With WNBA All-Star 2024 just days away, the athletic brand and the league announced on Tuesday a multiyear agreement aimed “at elevating women’s sports and inspiring the next generation of fans and athletes alike.”
The partnership will establish New Balance as an official partner of the WNBA, and together, they plan to “continue to push the boundaries of sport and transform the game through grassroots initiatives aimed at growing youth basketball and authentic community engagement.”
“The partnership with New Balance is yet another positive step in our efforts to grow women’s sports across new audiences, incentivize youth participation and positively influence communities,” WNBA chief growth officer Colie Edison said in a statement. “By aligning ourselves with a global brand like New Balance, we continue to push the envelope of what’s possible when we tap into the unifying power of sport.”
New Balance confirmed it will create broadcast, digital and retail content as part of the deal that features Cameron Brink, one of the stars of the 2024 WNBA draft class. Brink is the first women’s basketball player to sign with the brand, inking a name, image and likeness (NIL) deal in 2023. The statement further explained that the partnership allows for Brink to “continue empowering young athletes to fearlessly overcome obstacles and pursue their dreams, both in basketball and in life.”
“This relationship with the WNBA is another example of New Balance encouraging all young athletes, particularly women and girls, to pursue their athletic goals and ignite a new era of female empowerment through sport,” New Balance head of global partnerships Jess Vassall said in a statement.
Although this New Balance deal is new, the brand isn’t the only athletic powerhouse aligned with the WNBA. As part of a 2022 deal that saw the WNBA raise $75 million from investors, Nike deepened its 25-year partnership with the league by becoming an equity investor.
Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He oversees coverage of the two fast-paced and ultracompetitive markets, which includes conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders and writing stories on sneakers and outdoor shoes. He is a lifelong sneaker addict (and shares his newest purchases via @peterverry on Instagram) and spends most of his free time on a trail. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be reached at peter.verry@footwearnews.com.
