One month before this WNBA season was set to start, the league made an unconventional announcement: Coach, the American fashion house, would become the “official handbag partner” of the WNBA.

The multiyear partnership, a first for both the brand and the league, cemented the already blooming relationship between the players and fashion.

More and more of the WNBA’s elite have branded themselves as fashion savants, thanks to the growing influence of social media and the popularity of “ tunnel fits ” — the “tunnel” being the walkway into the stadium that has become a catwalk for basketball athletes. The ensembles are not athleisure or business casual looks; these are stunts — all leather suits, Louis Vuitton T-shirts and dresses slit up the thighs. The point is to stand out.

Caitlin C

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