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Six platers were chosen for the 2024 WNBA Player Marketing Agreement (PMA), the league announced Wednesday. The PMA is an initiative providing the selected athletes with a platform as brand ambassadors. The players include Aliyah Boston of the Fever, Jewell Loyd from the Storm, Shakira Austin of the Mystics, Bri Jones from the Sun, Arike Ogunbowale of the Wings, and Rhyne Howard of the Dream.
This agreement, part to the 2020 collective bargaining, sees the WNBA allocating $1 million annually to the program, with each player potentially earning up to $250,000. This initiative is part of WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert's strategy to enhance the league's business viability and elevate players to household names.
Ogunbowale, a participant from the previous year, has already made strides, featuring in a State Farm commercial with Mark Cuban. The current cohort has engaged with prominent brands like Google, Skims and Mielle during their New York City media day.
Seattle Storm's Jewell Loyd expressed enthusiasm about the opportunity, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and increasing awareness.
“It's a huge opportunity,” Loyd said, via Erica L. Ayala of CBS Sports. “I want to just get more awareness, obviously, more resources, things like that, but I want to be myself. … I think it's a really good experiences for people to understand who I am and what makes me, me.”
Last season's WNBA Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston views the PMA as an avenue to explore interests beyond her basketball career. Her openness has already led her to sports analysis, a field she's keenly interested in.
“The biggest thing for me is just going to continue to have an open mind about everything,” Boston said. ” … I'm gonna be able to experience different brands, different stuff, and different activities. It's like go in there, be happy, enjoy going with an open mind, and see what comes out of it. So, that's my plan!”
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Similarly, Shakira Austin of the Washington Mystics, known for her passion for fashion, sees this as a chance to blend her height and fashion sense, something she started during her time at the University of Mississippi, when she began sewing her own outfits.
“Being a tall girl, ya know [6-foot-5] going on [6-foot-6], it's hard to find jeans and honestly something creative and stylish,” Austin said.
Moreover, the PMA aims to enhance the visibility of their respective WNBA teams. Jones, for instance, is eager to attract more fans to the Connecticut Sun, especially with the upcoming game at TD Garden in Boston.
“It's [going to be] exciting to play in an arena such as with a loyal fanbase,” Jones said. “To be able to take our loyal fanbase and merge those two is going to be something that will help grow Connecticut Sun basketball.”
While the PMA represents a significant opportunity for player empowerment and league growth, it currently encompasses only a small fraction of the player pool. Yet, players like Loyd view it an opportunity for an authentic expression of their identities.
“I just see as part of who I am,” Loyd said. “It's a huge opportunity. I want to just get more awareness, obviously. More resources, things like that. But I want to be myself through-and-through.”
