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No matter where Kahleah Copper<\/a>\u2019s basketball journey takes her, she continues to carry North Philadelphia<\/a> with her \u2014 even on her shoes. <\/p>\n The Phoenix Mercury guard and four-time All-Star debuted a custom \u201cNorf Philly\u201d Adidas Harden Vol. 10 player-exclusive sneaker during Wednesday night\u2019s game against the reigning WNBA champions Las Vegas Aces. <\/p>\n The black-and-white shoe features \u201cJust a kid from\u201d on the left heel and \u201cNorf Philly\u201d on the right heel. Copper has adopted the phrase \u201cjust a kid from Norf Philly\u201d throughout her time in the WNBA<\/a>. It\u2019s a nod to the neighborhood that helped shape her. <\/p>\n Her love for basketball started on the streets of North Philadelphia. She practiced shooting by attaching a crate to a one-way sign on 32nd & Berks Streets. <\/p>\n \u201cThere wasn\u2019t a lot of opportunities for young girls to play in different leagues, so I played in a league with a bunch of guys,\u201d she said in an interview in 2025<\/a>. \u201cThe things those guys instilled in me, whether it was that toughness or that grit or just always having that chip on my shoulder because I wasn\u2019t as strong as them \u2026 shout out the guys.\u201d <\/p>\n \u00bb READ MORE: Kahleah Copper shares North Philly with Unrivaled teammates<\/a><\/p>\n In 2021, Copper was named WNBA Finals MVP<\/a> after leading the Chicago Sky to their first championship. After winning the championship, she paid it back to her Philly roots. <\/p>\n \u201cNorth Philly is different,\u201d she said in a 2021 article in the Players\u2019 Tribune<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s a place I love, the place where I learned how to play tough.\u201d <\/p>\n The Aces won Wednesday\u2019s game, 86-76, and Copper, who finished with 26 points, is averaging a team-best 19.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists for the Mercury (4-12), who are 13th in the WNBA standings.<\/p>\n Copper has joined the tradition of Philadelphia basketball stars using sneakers to show where they\u2019ve come from. The Nike Kobe 4 Philly dropped on Jan. 1, 2009, with a color scheme of red, white, and blue to pay homage to his hometown and the 76ers<\/a>. A \u201cPhilly\u201d Nike Kobe 4 Protro was released in 2024. <\/p>\n Official Look at the ‘Philly’ Nike Kobe 4 Protro<\/p>\n This “Philly” colorway pays homage to Kobe Bryant’s connection to the Philadelphia area, as his father, Joe, played for the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1970s.<\/p>\n Full Details HERE: https:\/\/t.co\/BcXURhtIaa<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/eDXZ9oR8Cq<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Complex Sneakers (@ComplexSneakers) April 2, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n Rasheed Wallace, a 2004 NBA champion with the Detroit Pistons, was known for wearing high-top Nike Air Force 1s. <\/p>\n \u201cThe strap was a Philly thing,\u201d Wallace told the All the Smoke podcast in May 2025. \u201cIn Philly when we wear the high-top Air Force 1s, you keep the strap on the back.\u201d<\/p>\n