{"id":27123,"date":"2025-07-21T22:19:30","date_gmt":"2025-07-21T22:19:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/27123\/"},"modified":"2025-07-21T22:19:30","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T22:19:30","slug":"the-most-unforgettable-fashion-at-wnba-all-star-weekend-from-orange-carpet-to-tunnel-walks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/27123\/","title":{"rendered":"The most unforgettable fashion at WNBA All-Star Weekend, from \u2018orange carpet\u2019 to tunnel walks"},"content":{"rendered":"

INDIANAPOLIS \u2014 The narrative arc of the WNBA\u2019s explosive growth can be traced in many ways: a positive slope of rising ticket sales and prices, merchandise booms, brand partnerships, sportsbook markets, salary conversations<\/a> and expansion teams<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The league\u2019s cultural impact, though, can be felt perhaps nowhere more tangibly than along the seam where fashion and sports fuse. WNBA players are style icons in their own right, with rising stars like Angel Reese gracing the covers of fashion magazines and inking million-dollar partnership deals with brands like Nike, Puma, Adidas, New Balance, Fenty or Coach.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a tunnel walk, even though we\u2019re going to a game, it is work,\u201d Dallas Wings guard DiJonai Carrington told The Athletic at AT&T All-Star Access, one of her brand events. \u201cWhen you have your meeting with your CEO and your bosses, you want to look your best. And that\u2019s how I feel every game day is: These are the CEOs, the bosses. This might be the only thing that somebody sees from you is you walking in through the tunnel, and that might be the way that you get on their radar for a deal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last year in particular, the fashion world sat up and took notice<\/a> of the W, acknowledging that some of the most culturally consequential styles<\/a> were arriving on the nontraditional runways of tunnel walks and WNBA-inspired shoes and streetwear<\/a>. Reese, A\u2019ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark and Sabrina Ionescu aren\u2019t just WNBA All-Stars this year; they\u2019re style icons. These stars aren\u2019t just dressing to play; they\u2019re dressing to build their brands, extend their influence, connect with fans and raise the profile of their league.<\/p>\n

And there\u2019s perhaps no bigger moment this year to experience the tidal wave of style in the league than WNBA All-Star Weekend<\/a>, where the league\u2019s \u201cOrange Carpet\u201d on Thursday night and the tunnel walk on Saturday before the big game flowed with couture, confidence and \u2014 there\u2019s no clearer way to say it \u2014 cool.<\/p>\n

Here are our most unforgettable looks from Thursday\u2019s carpet and Saturday\u2019s tunnel.<\/p>\n

Angel Reese: \u2018Fashion is something I do\u2019\"\"<\/p>\n

Angel Reese called this look \u201cold money-new money.\u201d (Michael Hickey \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Reese is perhaps the first name on people\u2019s lips when it comes to the WNBA and fashion, and she has adroitly leveraged her taste into treasure. Reese is partnered with Reebok, McDonald\u2019s and Reese\u2019s. (At the tunnel walk, sponsored by Nike, Reese positioned herself to hide the giant swoosh behind her.)<\/p>\n

On the orange carpet, the former Vogue cover star cast a gravitational pull as cameras leaned in to get a shot of her ankle-length leopard-print coat-dress and Gianvito Rossi strappy heels in a look that she said\u00a0was inspired by \u201cold money-new money\u201d blends and Hollywood.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not what you wear; it\u2019s how you wear it. My confidence is through the roof,\u201d Reese said. \u201cThat\u2019s what I want to encourage for young women, especially tall women. It\u2019s not easy being a tall woman. It took a long time when I was younger to be myself, but I\u2019m her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her style icons? Rihanna and Teyana Taylor.<\/p>\n

A\u2019ja Wilson: Body tea\"\"<\/p>\n

A\u2019ja Wilson\u2019s tunnel walk was a motorsports-inspired look. (Steph Chambers \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

The three-time WNBA MVP and Las Vegas Aces star debuted a signature shoe<\/a> with Nike earlier this year that sold out in less than five minutes. The superstar has had partnerships with brands like LEGO, Gatorade and AT&T.<\/p>\n

She was channeling Greek goddess-core drama on the orange carpet with a draped Di Petsa-designed maroon sleeveless gow<\/a>n and gold Saint Laurent earrings styled by Casey Billingsley. The dress was cut to reveal her leg up to the hip \u2014 for a very specific reason.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see a lot of people may see my leg in a sleeve,\u201d Wilson told The Athletic. \u201cSo now I started to switch it up this year and take my leg out of the sleeve.\u201d<\/p>\n

She switched it up for her tunnel walk, wearing a motorsports-inspired fit, with a loose jersey top and black, white and red knee-high heeled leather boots. But the look was still giving \u2026 leg.<\/p>\n

Sabrina Ionescu: Just do it (wear a swoosh)\"\"<\/p>\n

Sabrina Ionescu\u2019s branding was obvious. (Steph Chambers \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Ionescu stepped out on the orange carpet in a custom Nike dress and tights<\/a> the night before clinching the 3-point contest<\/a>. Ionescu and Paige Bueckers were styled by celebrity designer Brittany Hampton. Sabrina\u2019s shoes and handbag were Jimmy Choo. Her tunnel fit was also Nike, in a tenniscore<\/a> monochrome ensemble emblazoned with another sparkling swoosh.<\/p>\n

Paige Bueckers: Not a fashion rookie\"\"<\/p>\n

The Wings star has made waves with her play and fashion this season. (Michael Hickey \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Bueckers is a massive favorite in the betting markets to win rookie of the year, but hitting fashion buckets is not new territory for the Dallas Wings star. The rookie was named the NIL Store\u2019s top-earning female athlete in 2024 and has partnered with brands like Nike, Verizon, Bose, CeraVe and Gatorade.<\/p>\n

Bueckers hit the orange carpet in a Marni sleeveless sweater top and pants with big, grabby graphics and colors. Her stylist, Hampton, paired the set with Prada shoes and VAVA sunglasses.<\/p>\n

On Saturday\u2019s tunnel walk, Bueckers wore a check-print oversized corduroy-style button-down jacket and pants set with black loafers.<\/p>\n

Breanna Stewart: Power (nap) suit\"\"<\/p>\n

Breanna Stewart pairs comfort with style on the orange carpet. (Michael Hickey \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

The New York Liberty star is no stranger to brand partnerships, having signed a signature shoe deal with Puma and serving as a brand ambassador for the Unrivaled league, which she co-founded with Napheesa Collier. \u201cStewie\u201d wore a silky, oversized double-breasted black Simkhai suit on the orange carpet that looked as comfy as a set of pajamas. She paired it with Prada eyewear and Marc Nolan shoes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just want to be comfortable but look great,\u201d Stewart said.<\/p>\n

Napheesa Collier: MVP\"\"<\/p>\n

Collier has been a star on the court and on the orange carpet. (Michael Hickey \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Napheesa Collier is one of the league\u2019s most influential figures right now. She is the co-founder of Unrivaled, a key voice on players\u2019 current contract negotiations as a member of the Women\u2019s National Basketball Players Association executive committee \u2014 oh, and she\u2019s a huge favorite to win league MVP this year. So you could say she\u2019s good at the game.<\/p>\n

Collier clearly understood the leadership assignment in fashion this week, too. On the orange carpet, she stepped out in a jaw-dropping ensemble of sheer black lace that showed off her physique with long sheer pants under a cropped top. Then, for Saturday\u2019s look, in an elite show of \u201cslideshow dressing,\u201d where ensembles coordinate over various events, she wore a sheer black top over a black bra, menswear-inspired shorts and heels.<\/p>\n

Skylar Diggins: Multifaceted mom\"\"<\/p>\n

Skylar Diggins, shown in her tunnel walk, is considered a fashion inspiration among her peers. (Steph Chambers \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

The Athletic asked players on the carpet to name their WNBA style icon. The most frequent responses were Skylar Diggins and Sydney Colson.<\/p>\n

On the orange carpet, Diggins wore a Cucculelli Shaheen jet-black jacket with intricate beaded embroidery and a long lace train with Nickho Rey jewelry. She followed it up in Saturday\u2019s tunnel with another monochrome workwear-inspired ensemble in the tunnel. (For the uninitiated, monochrome is one of the best ways in fashion to make sure you stand out in a crowd.) The light-colored trench coat and slacks were embellished with dripping pearls. Underneath, the most traditional workwear staple: a button-down.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I had to describe my style in three words, it\u2019d be: What I like,\u201d Diggins said. \u201cI got two little ones, so I\u2019m always moving around. I love silhouettes, textures, layering. And then I wanted to be shiny. It\u2019s like levels to it, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nneka Ogwumike: Madam President\"\"<\/p>\n

Nneka Ogwumike showcases her confidence in her tunnel style. (Steph Chambers \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

The Seattle Storm forward and president of the WNBPA wears her confident leadership in the way she styles herself, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy style is like my music, it\u2019s like my food,\u201d Ogwumike said. \u201cI choose based off of what I feel like eating, what I feel like listening to, what I feel like consuming when it comes to shows, movies, reading books and podcasts. That\u2019s how I feel with my style. I\u2019m very comfortable in my body. I love my body, and I just try my best to be versatile in how I wear my things.\u201d<\/p>\n

She wore a bright print dress on the orange carpet that mirrored many traditional Nigerian styles and then mixed it up two days later with animal-print patterns in the tunnel.<\/p>\n

Rae Burrell: Thrift queen!\"\"<\/p>\n

Rae Burrell showcased a throwback Hollywood look. (Michael Hickey \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

The Los Angeles Sparks\u2019 Burrell brought a serrated take on Hollywood glam in a shiny maroon trench with a faux fur collar and cuffs. A perfectly matching leather imitation bralette and woven print slacks completed the look with white heels.<\/p>\n

The real scene-stealer? Thrifting.<\/p>\n

\u201cI actually thrifted these pants a few years ago,\u201d Burrell said. \u201cI put it on with the coat, and I was like, \u2018Oh, perfect.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Sydney Colson: Standup style\"\"<\/p>\n

Sydney Colson provides comedy and fashion for the W. (Michael Hickey \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Colson is a style icon to her peers and a comedy icon on the internet. \u201cThe Syd + TP Show\u201d with Colson and Theresa Plaisance is a buddy comedy with hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube. Colson performed a standup comedy act during the WNBA All-Star events. She was also one of the most-mentioned style icons by her peers on the orange carpet.<\/p>\n

Colson wore a leather ensemble over a green snakeskin zip-up and white collared shirt, and she kept everyone on the orange carpet laughing through a long night.<\/p>\n

Rhyne Howard: Fire suit\"\"<\/p>\n

Rhyne Howard wore a \u201cstraight off the runway\u201d look on the orange carpet. (Michael Hickey \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

The Atlanta Dream guard wore a loose leather black suit with an outline of scarlet flames curling up the sides. It was somewhat reminiscent of a race car driver\u2019s fire suit, just oversized. Howard is an outspoken LEGO fan and has TikToks of unboxing<\/a> LEGO Speed Champions series cars. WNBA celebrity stylist Golden put the look together.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe piece is one-of-one,\u201d Howard said, \u201cstraight off the runway. It\u2019s really comfortable, and you\u2019re not gonna see this from anybody else, I can comfortably say.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alyssa Thomas: Trash-talk, smooth walk\"\"<\/p>\n

Alyssa Thomas\u2019 orange-lensed frames were fitting for the WNBA events. (Michael Hickey \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Thomas isn\u2019t just a forward for the Phoenix Mercury; she was also voted the league\u2019s best trash-talker in The Athletic\u2019s anonymous player poll<\/a>. But when it comes to fashion? Smooth is the name of the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like smooth,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cOld-school smooth.\u201d She wore a gray wool menswear suit with matching sneakers, her hair pulled back and a set of orange-lensed frames.<\/p>\n

The Athletic\u2019s Bre\u2019ana Singleton contributed to this story.<\/p>\n

(Top photo of Angel Reese: Steph Chambers \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n