Over the past few months, conversations on the WNBA, its players, and its operations have taken over the media. The 2024 season has become one of the league’s most important as corporate sponsorships pour in, star players are established, and the faces of the league are debated. Today, we will look at the history of the league that’s brought stars such as Angel Reese, A’ja Wilson, and Layshia Clarendon into our homes, highlight their big business moves, and celebrate the multitude of black women firsts in the league.

Women’s National Basketball Association History

The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) was established in 1996, and its inaugural season was the following year. The league kicked off with eight teams, including the Charlotte Sting, Cleveland Rockers, Houston Comets, New York Liberty, Los Angeles Sparks, Phoenix Mercury, Sacramento Monarchs, and Utah Starzz, each connected to an active NBA team. Since then, the league has expanded to twelve teams, with a thirteenth joining in 2025 based in San Francisco and another joining in 2026 based in Toronto. The WNBA is the longest-running professional women’s basketball league in U.S. history and kicked off its 28th season at the beginning of May.

Black WNBA Firsts

Black women currently compose 60% of the WNBA’s players. Here are some of their historic accomplishments.

• • • First Player Signed: Sheryl Swoopes
    • First Triple-Double: Sheryl Swoopes
    • First Nike Signature Shoe: Sheryl Swoopes
    • First MVP: Cynthia Cooper-Dyke
    • First Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee: Cynthia Cooper-Dyke
    • First Dunk: Lisa Leslie
    • First Drafted College Pick: Tina Thompson
    • First Buzzer Beater in a Finals Game: Teresa Weatherspoon
    • First Player to Bear U.S. Flag at the Olympics: Dawn Staley
    • First (and only) MVP and Rookie of the Year in The Same Year: Candace Parker
    • First MVP to Preside Over WNBPA: Tamika Catchings
    • First Player to be a Team Owner and Executive: Renee Montgomery
    • First Player to Play Their College Coach in a Game: Candice Dupree (against Dawn Staley)
    • First Player with Kids in the WNBA and NBA: Pam McGee
    • First (and only) Player to Win Five Titles: Rebekkah Brunson
    • First WNBA President to Negotiate Six-Figure Average Earnings: Nneka Ogwumike
    • First Openly Trans, Non-Binary Player: Layshia Clarendon

WNBA Business Stars

On and off the court, WNBA players are handling big business. From brand deals and team ownership to founding businesses and organizations, these three active stars are making big moves.

Angel Reese: The “Chi Barbie” took the world by storm her senior year at Louisiana State University, nabbing NIL deal after NIL deal with major companies such as Goldman Sachs, Beats by Dre, Tampax, Airbnb, and Topps. Since leaving the collegiate world this spring and joining the WNBA’s Chicago Sky, Reese has added Reebok to her portfolio and continued her partnership with Beats by Dre. Reese is also making moves outside of basketball, including becoming part owner of the DC Power Football Club.

A’ja Wilson: A’ja Wilson is an undeniable talent on the court (she was chosen first overall in the 2018 draft by the Las Vegas Aces, after all), but her impact outside of basketball is equally impressive. On May 11th, Nike announced A’ja Wilson’s upcoming shoe, making her the only active black WNBA player with a Nike shoe deal. Wilson is also the founder of Burnt Wax Candle, a candle company born of her shared passion for scents with her mother. In 2019, Wilson and her parents started the A’ja Wilson Foundation to “serve as a resource for children and their families who struggle with dyslexia to empower them to reach their full potential through educational programming, workshops, and camps,” per the organization’s website. Lastly, Wilson co-hosted the ‘Tea with A & Phee’ podcast with fellow WNBA player Napheesa Collier, discussing basketball, pop culture, and their lives.

Layshia Clarendon: We mentioned Layshia Clarendon (he/she/they) earlier as the league’s first openly trans, non-binary player. In 2022, Clarendon co-launched the Layshia Clarendon Foundation with the non-profit Athletes for Impact (A4I), which “grants access to life-affirming healthcare and wellness services for the trans community through education, advocacy, and direct financial assistance,” states the organization’s website. The foundation recently granted $40,000 to the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center.

Get in the Game

You can support the WNBA this season by tuning into games (schedule here), purchasing the WNBA League Pass, and rocking your favorite player’s merch. This season will be one for the books, so get in the game!