Tag: evergreenWNBA

How Michael Porter Jr. is using his Breanna Stewart’s Stewie 2s to help ignite talk around WNBA signature shoes

Michael Porter Jr. is proudly wearing Breanna Stewart’s Stewie 2s and loving them.

The WNBA only has 12 players who have signature shoes. That’s why accessibility and visibility matter, and part of the reason NBA champion Michael Porter Jr. is wearing Breanna Stewart’s signature shoes this season.

The WNBA is growing, and so is the popularity of its stars. It’s not uncommon now to look across the court and see college basketball players or NBA stars wearing Sabrina Ionescu’s signature shoe, the Sabrina 1.

But what about her teammate and 2023 WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart? Stewart also has signature shoes, and the latest version, the Stewie 2s, are being worn by Michael Porter Jr. of the Denver Nuggets. Porter Jr., who has strong family ties to women’s hoops, is rocking his Stewies 2’s after signing an extension with Puma and to show his love for the sport.

Per Nick DePaula of Boardroom, Porter’s mission is to raise more awareness about Breanna Stewart’s shoes and advocate for other great WNBA hoopers to have a signature shoe:

“I’ve always admired Stewie’s game since back at UConn,” he said. “She’s broken tons of records, and ever since her rookie year in the WNBA, she’s done some amazing things. She’s always been a hooper to me.”

“You have guys wearing women’s shoes, and it’s usually the other way around,” he adds. “We want to bring more awareness to the WNBA and give those women the flowers that they deserve. I just think it’s cool for me to be able to represent that.”

 

5 sneaky cool things you didn’t know about Sabrina Ionescu and her Nike signature shoes

Nike and WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu have something special going on. Her Sabrina 1 signature shoes mean more.

Sabrina Ionescu is a WNBA star, but she knows that her legacy off the court has the potential to reach more people. It’s why Ionescu and Nike created her signature shoe, the Sabrina 1s.

Despite being a league that is running towards its 28th season, Ionescu is just one of 12 WNBA players with a signature shoe. It’s a mission that others have approached, like the CEO of Moolah Kicks, Natalie White, to provide more options for basketball athletes because hoopers come in all shapes and sizes. Yet, women often don’t have many choices if they want to find comfort and support while balling.

Ionescu recently sat down with Boardroom to talk about what having a signature shoe has meant to her and those around her.

Here are 5 facts that you might not have known about the Sabrina 1’s:

Every WNBA MVP (including A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart) since 1996

Breanna Stewart might have been 2023’s MVP but she doesn’t get there without other MVPs clearing a path.

The WNBA has been breaking ankles since 1996, and the best shakers and bakers call themselves MVPs.

As the league has grown, so has the amount of talent and the level of competition. In 2023, the battle for MVP was so historically tight that only 13 votes separated first and third place. A slim margin like that isn’t created unless other previous greats like Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes and Lauren Jackson pave the way for current ballers like A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart to shatter the record books.

Here is every WNBA MVP since the league was born in 1996, and we’ll add to this as the years go on: