WNBA turns tunnel into fashion runway for All-Star Game

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The WNBA has taken up the gauntlet in sports fashion, turning the entrance tunnel into a fashion show in itself.

The catwalk begins as the women enter the “tunnel” — aka the entrance to the arenas on match days — and show off their designer looks. Even legendary fashion magazines Fashion has declared the WNBA tunnels as new runways to watch.

On Saturday, July 20, Angel Reese, 22, said she felt “like Barbie” when she arrived in a matching two-piece outfit featuring a crop top, matching gold heels, and a Louis Vuitton Loop bag. She also shared the fashionista look on her Instagram, captioning the series of photos: “all-star barbie💋 pt.1.”

A’ja Wilson, 27, also wore a matching set that paired a green plaid zip-up with a matching pleated mini skirt. The Los Angeles Aces star completed the look with chunky gold Mary Jane-style heels with white lace socks and a green and gold bag.

Matching sets were all the rage as Nneka Ogwumike, 34, rocked a bright orange cropped sweater with a matching skirt. She accessorized her ensemble with a silver body chain around her waist, a shiny silver bag, and black sunglasses. Dearica Hamby, 30, looked chic and sporty in a white jacket with a matching skirt, paired with a pair of stylish sneakers.

Caitlin Clark, 22, changed things up in Gucci, wearing a cream-colored short-sleeved top with sleeve accents and a tan mini skirt. The Indiana Fever pro accessorized with burgundy pointed-toe shoes, a matching bag and trendy sunglasses.

Kelsey Mitchell, 28, and Aliyah Boston, 22, both wore pants, with the former wearing a custom halter top and tailored pants with WNBA logos, and the latter rocking a ruby-red crop top and matching wide-leg pants. Every woman on the All-Star team stepped out in high fashion, from bra tops layered under designer blazers and miniskirts to chic menswear-inspired looks.

The looks have become so iconic, in fact, that Christopher Ruff created an X (formerly known as Twitter) account called WNBA League Fits just to show off all of the looks. The fashions, and all the eyes on them, also help draw more people to the WNBA in general, which is needed considering that women make up a shockingly small portion of what men do in the NBA.

For example, The Washington Post reported that a No. 1 draft pick will earn $76,535, while her NBA counterpart will earn more than $10 million. “Fashion can be used as the first step to get people to watch and put more eyes on the actual product, which is the game,” Ruff told the publication.