Nike’s commitment to women’s basketball continues this upcoming WNBA season thanks to the addition of four key athletes to its roster. With the addition of Jewell Loyd, Amanda Zahui Basoukou, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, and Elizabeth Williams to the already legendary cast of characters wearing the Swoosh, women’s basketball is due up for a sizable expansion in terms of product made just for women. This Fall, Nike will answer the call by creating basketball apparel designed by women for women based on the insight of the UConn women’s basketball team.
But is it time for Nike to move forward with a women’s signature shoe, the first since the Air Swoopes in 1996? The growing popularity of the game and the overall popularity of basketball shoes among girls could play a role in the next signature shoe or even a women’s-specific Nike Basketball shoe, one that would give players like Diana Taurasi, Elena Delle Donne, Skylar Diggins, and the four new athletes (the top 4 picks of the WNBA draft) its own performance identity. Check out some of Nike’s history in women’s basketball below and if you’re a baller for the ladies, let us know if you’d like to see a women’s basketball shoe.