Nike and Michael Jordan release portrait series spotlighting WNBA players

CNN — Last summer, during an unprecedented sports season that left many stadiums empty during the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in the US, public interest in WNBA appeared to be on the rise. Now, during the 25th anniversary of the WNBA, Nike’s Jordan Brand has released a new creative project seeking to give even more visibility to the game and the women who play it. Ming Smith/Jordan Brand Photographed by Ming Smith – the first Black female photographer to have her work acquired by the Museum of Modern Art in New York – and styled by i-D magazine’s global fashion director Carlos Nazario, the black-and-white images feature nine WNBA players and former NBA superstar Michael Jordan, all dressed in formal attire. “We’ve seen our entire culture shift these past few years and we are entering a new era for the game,” said Jordan Brand president Craig Williams over email. Ming Smith/Jordan Brand “The world needs female voices, and we can’t ignore that or else we’re not growing,” Jordan said in a press statement, signaling his intent to “giv women a platform to amplify their voices, which influence, inspire and push culture forward.” ‘On the verge’ of the mainstream Jordan’s partnership with Nike in 1984 introduced the first Air Jordan sneaker to the world and became an athletics brand worth billions.