On Monday, the WNBA struck another partnership deal, solidifying a multi-year partnership with Coach.
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
The WNBA continues to make waves, this time agreeing to a partnership with Coach. A global fashion house founded in New York in 1941, the brand will serve as the official handbag partner of the WNBA. In addition, Coach has been named an associate partner of 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend in Indianapolis.
With the WNBA Draft less than 12 hours away, Coach will welcome the WNBA rookies on the orange carpet tonight. In addition to the news, the brand announced their partnership with multiple upcoming rookie draft picks such as UConn’s Paige Bueckers, TCU’s Hailey Van Lith, LSU’s Aneesah Morrow, USC’s Kiki Iriafen, and Notre Dame’s Sonia Citron.
Coach will continue to highlight the rookies and further showcase these women in both fashion and sport. The rise of women’s sports has led to an increased crossover of fashion and sports, which has become influential. WNBA stars such an Angel Reese, Nika Mühl, Breanna Stewart, DiJonai Carrington, A’ja Wilson, and Skylar Diggins-Smith have played a prominent role in bringing fashion and basketball into the spotlight.
This is where Coach comes in, with the “goal of empowering players and fans to courageously express themselves. “A courage to be real,” is the brand’s founding purpose.
“The WNBA sits at the intersection of sport and lifestyle and has always championed players to translatewhat they do on the court into their own personal style off the court,” said WNBA Chief Growth OfficerColie Edison. “We look forward to joining forces with Coach to inspire fans everywhere to embraceindividuality, especially around some of our most anticipated tentpole moments, including the WNBA DraftOrange Carpet and WNBA Pride presented by Coach.”
The list of partnerships continues to grow in the WNBA, and coach joins a long list of join ventures such as Skims and Tissot. The increased growth of the league has brought forth greater visibility to the players’ fashion. In fact, tunnel walks are increasingly popular, where players showcase their top fits before tip-off. The ability to self-express through fashion has become a staple not only within the WNBA, but also in other professional sports leagues.
The WNBA announced their partnership with Coach.
Coach will also partner with and amplify the stories of five WNBA prospects (Hailey Van Lith, Kiki Iriafen, Aneesah Morrow, Sonia Citron, and Paige Bueckers)#wnba
— Sara Jane Gamelli (@SaraJGamelli) April 14, 2025
Coach Is Committed To The LGBTQ+ Community
In fact the newest WNBA Franchise, Golden State Valkyries, has signed a multi-year deal with Sephora.Since the league will be awarded a 14th and 15th team, located in Toronto and Portland, in 2026. Significant growth is expected over the next five years, with Cleveland recently securing the latest bid for a 2028 expansion team.
Given the WNBA is notable for it’s dedication to inclusion, and diversity, the league openly supports and promotes the LGBTQ+ community. With that said, the league remains passionate in supporting the rights and visibility of players. Coach has similar values that align with the WNBA, making the partnership much more meaningful.
Alongside the partnership, Coach will become the presenting partner of WNBA Pride. “WNBA Pride presented by Coach will spotlight the third consecutive season of the Pride Is Love limited content series available on the WNBA App.”
The Draft will take place on Monday, April 14, starting at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Stay tuned for more NCAA and WNBA related articles.
Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Writer, Content Creator, Managing Editor, and Manager for Ballislife Bets. She has a focus on the NBA, WNBA, NCAA Basketball, and the NFL. Sara Jane currently resides in the Connecticut/NYC area with her Cat and Dog. SJ has her undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut in Economics, with a minor in business administration.
