The countdown to the 2023 WNBA season is officially in full effect with the conclusion of March Madness along with the draft taking place next week.
When the WNBA celebrated its 25th anniversary prior to the 2021 season, it debuted three sets of new threads for all 12 teams. They were a massive improvement over whatever those things were that the players were wearing prior to 2021.
Those threads were called the Heroine (white jerseys that Nike has still inexplicably yet to make available for purchase) along with Explorer and Rebel jerseys. Those Rebels were basically the W’s version of the City Edition threads we see NBA teams regularly sport or the City Connect jerseys worn by MLB teams.
When play commences in May, several teams will debut updated Rebel jerseys. Those are the New York Liberty, Washington Mystics, Minnesota Lynx, Indiana Fever and Dallas Wings. Let us have a look at the Libs, Stics, Lynx, Fever and Wings new drip…
For the WNBA’s flagship franchise, how the seafoam blends in with the black almost gives it somewhat of a gradient effect. The speckled pattern, similar to what the Liberty has on its black Explorer uniforms, is an ode to New York City’s rich streetball history.
Also, for the first time, the Liberty are drawing inspiration from other Gotham teams – such as baseball’s Yankees and Mets whose signature logos feature an “interlocking NY.” Except for the Liberty, it has an “interlocking NYL.”
“Equality” still remains adorn on the top of the uniforms as was the case with the previous Rebel uniform. Since the Liberty updated its logo prior to the 2020 COVID bubble season, seafoam, black and copper have been the signature colors for New York’s resident WNBA team. Copper is inexplicably missing from this jersey.
The Mystics’ updated Rebel had many comparing it to the Rebel jersey regularly worn by the defending champion Las Vegas Aces. Similar to Sin City’s team, the franchise that calls our nation’s capital home is also placing plenty of emphasis on black and gold.
According to the Mystics, its colorway draws inspiration from historic civil rights figure Nannie Helen Burroughs. She established the National Training School for Women and Girls. She often wore a heart necklace which is also represented on the front of the jersey.
Washington was even kind enough to reveal when the new jerseys will debut. According to the Mystics own Twitter feed, it will debut its new Rebels on May 23rd. That will be the Mystics’ second home game of the season (following its home debut vs. the Liberty) when Washington hosts the Connecticut Sun.
The Minnesota Lynx will be celebrating its 25th anniversary as a WNBA franchise. Along with unveiling its All-25 team, Minnesota (which slowly, but surely, is transitioning to having Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore as majority owners) is also unveiling updated threads.
This Rebel jersey places more emphasis on the Lynx’s green color as opposed to either the Heroine or Explorer jerseys which emphasize the blue and white more. It also maintains the dominant black color which was a signature of the previous Rebel threads.
On the side of the jersey is a message that reads “Change Starts With Us.” This was a theme when the Lynx led leaguewide protests in 2017 in response to the police murders of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile.
Aliyah Boston knows exactly which Rebel jersey she will be sporting upon her debut in the WNBA when the Indiana Fever select her No. 1 overall in next week’s draft.
“Basketball Chose Me” from the Hall of Fame speech of Fever all-time great Tamika Catchings is a key theme of the design. It also includes nods to important years in women’s basketball and Fever history – including 1999 when the franchise was established and 2012 when Indiana was crowned WNBA champions.
The Fever also revealed in which home games those red threads will be worn – Jun. 11 vs. Phoenix Mercury, Jul. 9 vs. Wings, Aug. 1 also vs. Mercury, Aug. 13 vs. Liberty and Aug. 24 vs. Seattle Storm. From afar, the Fever jersey bears a striking resemblance to the all-red Explorer jerseys of the Atlanta Dream.
Last, but not least is the Dallas Wings. Dallas’ new threads are, for all intents and purposes, essentially an updated design of their previous Rebel jersey.
Black is still the dominant color as the was the case with the previous wears and “Texas” is still adorned at the top of the jersey’s front given the Wings are currently the W’s lone team in the Lone Star State.
A bit more emphasis is placed on the blue and the volt green as opposed to the Wings’ previous Rebel jersey. Not to mention both the “Texas” and the jersey number on the front and back are both in volt green as well as white.
