When the first girls’ basketball team started at my high school, we wore the volleyball team’s uniforms. For our second year, the varsity got new uniforms, but they weren’t very practical for an active sport. The very short shorts could quickly creep up on us and patterned underwear could be seen through the white shorts we wore for home games. Well before any of us owned a sports bra, our bra straps kept sliding out of the sleeveless top.

We felt more comfortable in our practice gear. We didn’t have practice uniforms and certainly didn’t want to wear our gym suits, so we wore shorts and shirts from our personal closet.

For my senior year we got another set of new uniforms and the junior varsity inherited the ones we all hated. Our new ones were more comfortable, with wider tops across the shoulders and shorts we didn’t have to tug down to cover our rear ends.

When I see an article about uniforms I remember what it was like to play in something ill-fitting. I wonder how the women who played in the late 1800s and early 1900s could play sports wearing long skirts and billowy sleeves.  

Today there is special clothing for just about every sport. We all perform better when our clothing works with us instead of against us.

Clothing can be functional, but it can also make us feel strong and confident. The colors and design can also send a message.

When I saw the Minnesota Lynx play the Los Angeles Sparks in 2015 two things stood out to me, beyond the fact that I got to see some highly skilled women play the game:

• The arena was full. Sold out. To a roaring supportive home crowd. It was amazing.

• The uniforms, unlike men’s NBA uniforms, more prominently displayed their sponsors than their team names.

The uniforms looked like the advertisements that they were.

The Lynx promoted their sponsor and medical provider, Mayo Clinic; the Sparks promoted their sponsor, Farmers Insurance Group. The team logos were so small, I couldn’t see them from my seat. I am sure the sponsors provided (and still do) much needed monetary support for the WNBA teams, but it seemed a little sad to me that instead of building their brand with their team name, they looked like a youth soccer league wearing jerseys of their local sponsors.

But professional uniforms change frequently—and they evolve. I was happy to see the WNBA players will have a third uniform this year to celebrate their 25th season. They still have sponsor information, but it’s smaller and the jerseys will highlight their hometown city.

More importantly, Nike has redesigned the fit of the uniforms:

“Players in the WNBA range in height from 5-foot-6 to 6-foot-9, and there is a variety of body types. In seasons past, many players have resorted to rolling their shorts and tucking their jerseys underneath the shoulder straps of their athletic bras to get their uniforms to fit right. With the new uniforms, players can choose between three necklines -- round neck, V-neck and the new hybrid Victory neckline that is exclusive to the WNBA. The shorts have been redesigned with more room through the thighs and glutes, and the jersey has wider arm holes and a wider body to allow for more room in the abdomen and chest.”

Why on earth did it take so long to design a basketball uniform for women’s bodies?

I can only hope that the trend will trickle down to college and high school uniforms and across all sports.

The WNBA’s 25th season starts May 14. Not sure who to cheer for? Don’t know any of the players? Maybe you’ll be drawn to one of these new uniforms and start by watching that team. 

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