Dallas Wings center Li Yueru joined the Under Armour athlete list this season. But she’s had to consistently cover the logo of her sneakers to avoid a fine and possible suspension.
That’s because in the WNBA, players must only wear apparel from brands with league partnerships—and Under Armour did not renew its brand partnership with the WNBA this year, a source tells Front Office Sports.
According to the latest CBA, players must wear apparel supplied by their team or league. That means players are restricted to Nike-branded apparel due to its comprehensive partnership with the NBA, WNBA, and G League that runs until 2037.
Players may only wear other sneaker brands in games, practices, and press conferences if the brand is an “Authorized Footwear Supplier” and the player secures a “Qualifying Shoe Deal” with the brand.
A Qualifying Shoe Deal requires at least a $5,000 annual payment to the players. It’s unclear how much each brand must pay the WNBA to become an Authorized Footwear Supplier.
