WNBA teams to wear retro jerseys to celebrate league’s 30th anniversary

In honor of the WNBA’s 30th season, the three original franchises that remained in their first cities — the New York Liberty, Los Angeles Sparks and Phoenix Mercury — are releasing throwback uniforms for special games throughout the season, starting opening night when the Liberty host the Connecticut Sun at Barclays Center. The original WNBA logo and crest will also appear on the uniforms.

The uniforms will be highlighted during “WNBA Court Origins Nights” matchups — New York at Los Angeles on June 21, New York at Phoenix on Aug. 1, Las Vegas at New York on Aug. 9 and Los Angeles at Las Vegas on Sept. 22 — as well as other games throughout the season. The Court Origins games also will feature throwback elements both in the arena and on broadcast.

“They’re amazing,” Liberty guard-forward Betnijah Laney-Hamiltion said of the jerseys. “I love that we’re going back to those colors for some games.”

Laney-Hamilton alluded to a distinct court the Liberty will debut this season as well, telling media members after practice Friday, “You’re in for a treat, I’ll say that.” The Sparks and Mercury also will introduce new court designs this season.

Liberty CEO Keia Clarke said the uniforms are “a tribute to the moments and people that built this franchise and a reflection of the momentum that continues to drive us forward. As we begin our celebration of 30 seasons, we are proud to be an organization that has helped shape the trajectory of women’s basketball. This uniform connects our beginnings to our future and reinforces the role this team plays in the game, in culture, and in the next generation.”

The Mercury debuted their uniform, featuring the retro “watermelon colorway,” to some of its iconic players and coaches ahead of the release. Cheryl Miller, who coached the Mercury from 1997-2000, called the uniforms “sensational,” and former Mercury star Diana Taurasi was excited to see a vintage uniform look authentic.

“That was always the point, right? We were always saying, ‘When are we going to get there?’ ” Taurasi said.

Wilson, the WNBA’s official game ball brand, has also released a 30th anniversary special edition basketball to commemorate the season. That retro game ball can already be purchased for $124.95 on the Wilson website.

However, for eager fans who want to buy these uniforms — of which there were already many on social media after the release of the jersey photos and hype videos — they’ll have to wait as the new jerseys and accompanying apparel won’t be available for purchase until May 21, nearly two weeks into the season.

The original plan was for the Court Origin’s collection to launch in May, Nike told The Athletic via email. The WNBA elected to unveil the collection before the retail launch to give fans an early look at the product and tie it to the anniversary of the inception of the league as marked by the NBA Board of Governors vote 30 years ago.

Products with the Court Origins logos and 30th season items (beyond the retro jerseys) will be available for purchase as well.

The Liberty will premier their retro uniforms at their season opener on May 8 against the Sun. The Mercury are currently slated to debut theirs at home on May 21 against L.A. The Sparks did not specify when they will debut the uniforms in the team’s press release.

The delay between promoting these uniforms and having them available for purchase could be a potential missed opportunity for the WNBA, which has historically struggled at times to keep up with fan’s merchandise demands, specifically for jerseys.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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