Fenty’s partnership is the latest between a major brand and a women’s professional sports team. Other deals include CoverGirl as the official sponsor of the Chicago Sky and Sephora’s investment in the WNBA’s newest expansion team, the Golden State Valkyries. In 2020, Glossier became the WNBA’s first beauty partner and remains a key sponsor for the league today.
“I think it’s pretty cool now that both sides are kind of meeting in the middle,” said Isabelle Harrison, a forward for the New York Liberty. “I finally found a perfect space for me to represent all of who I am, not just being an athlete, not just being a beauty junkie. So Fenty, with this partnership with the Liberty, it’s truly brought both of my worlds together.”
Harrison said she’s noticed that her team and league mates are embracing the new marketing opportunities. One example is Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, who signed with Mielle Organics, a Black-owned hair care brand. She’s part of a new generation of sports influencers who blend performance, personality and personal style.
Meanwhile, brands like Essie and Pinterest are making their first sports sponsorships with the WNBA — not the men’s leagues.
“There’s something special about the uniqueness of redefining what a sports sponsorship looks like in the name of women, in the name of sports, in the name of culture,” said Clarke.
She recalled the day the players came in for their head shots and other media for the season, and saw how excited they got when they saw the Fenty makeup artists and products for the shoot.
“There was a familiarity that made them feel special and made them feel seen,” Clarke said.
The tunnel moment has become a staple throughout professional sports — WNBA, NFL and NBA players have been using their arrivals as catwalks to showcase their style. Harrison counts getting ready for her tunnel moment as part of her game day prep.
She said women have reached out to her not about basketball, but about her skin care routine, and in turn they have become basketball fans.
“I’m not just a basketball player. I’m a beauty girl, I’m a health girl, I’m a girl’s girl,” she said. “Partnerships like this with Fenty, it just shows that you can invest and you can show that we hold value, and we’re always going to make return on our value. We’ve shown that. We’ve proven that every year. So I hope most other companies catch up to what Fenty is doing, because it’s huge.”
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