In the modern world, sports aren’t just about what happens on the court, field, or track. Much of the buzz around athletes actually takes place before their events—that is when they arrive at their respective venues and showcase their latest fashion creations. In basketball, that’s referred to as a tunnel ‘fit; in Formula One, a paddock ‘fit; and so on. What athletes wear when they’re not in uniform matters, especially to fans who might never get to speak to their heroes. Clothes are the perfect form of communication—a window into who your favorite athlete is and what they stand for. That’s what Go Sports is all about. Yes, we care about box scores, the results of Free Practice 1 (even if it is at 3:00 a.m.), and RHOBH-level rivalries, but today, sports fashion matters too. We’re not ashamed to say so.
Following a five-year NCAA women’s basketball career at the University of Tennessee and Mississippi State, Rickea Jackson, a 6’2” small forward from Detroit, Michigan, was drafted by the Los Angeles Sparks as their fourth overall pick in May 2024. Two months later, she made history. In July, Jackson became the first WNBA player to sign with Skechers, joining Olympic gold medalist Joel Embiid—2023 NBA Most Valuable Player and Philadelphia 76ers center—as well as 2021 NBA Most Improved Player Julius Randle, a power forward for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“Joining Skechers was very intentional for me,” Jackson tells me over the phone from Los Angeles, where she’s on set shooting a campaign for the footwear brand’s new SKX Full-Court Press basketball shoes, as well as its lifestyle sneaker called the Hotshot. “Becoming the first WNBA player to be a part of this brand was a powerful statement.” Unlike other sneaker brands involved in the league, Skechers was building a presence from the ground up. “It was kind of like we were rookies together,” she says. For her, the entire partnership clicked. “It just felt like the right partnership for this part of my career,” she adds.
(Image credit: Skechers)
Jackson has become one of the WNBA tunnel’s most talked-about dressers, but when it came time for her to pick sneakers to wear on the court, looks weren’t priority number one. “It’s not all about if the shoe looks good,” she says. Are they comfortable? Do they feel good on her feet? These are the questions she needed answered to make her decision. “[Skechers] is always caring about the things that actually matter for longevity in the league,” Jackson says. “What stood out to me was their commitment to performance and innovation—they truly listen to what athletes want.”
Of course, aesthetics are still important, especially for someone as interested in fashion and style off the court as Jackson is. “I love the confidence they bring me in the looks of the shoe as well,” she says. “You look good; you play good.”
This mentality is one Jackson shares with many members of the W, a league that’s embraced fashion and the tunnel with open arms, especially in recent years. From the brand side, we’ve seen Off-White link up with the New York Liberty and other luxury houses collaborate with individual athletes, like Caitlin Clark and Prada. Coach announced at the 2025 WNBA Draft its new role as the official handbag sponsor of the league, dressing draftees such as Paige Bueckers (who donned both Coach and Louis Vuitton on draft night), Aneesah Morrow, and Hailey Van Lith. In the 2024 season, Angel Reese and Cameron Brink both worked with Revolve to bring their tunnel ‘fits to life. This year, renowned stylist Karla Welch teamed up with Kelsey Plum, Jackson’s teammate on the Sparks. Players have their own brands, are style influencers, and even style each other. Like in the NBA, the NFL, and F1, fashion’s role in the WNBA is growing at a rapid pace.
Rickea Jackson at the 2024 WNBA Draft.
(Image credit: Sarah Stier/Getty Images; Mariel Tyler/NBAE via Getty Images)
“I’m showing up for work, but I might as well get these cute pictures and work with brands off the court,” Jackson says when I ask her about the tunnel ‘fit phenomenon. “Why not kill two birds with one stone?” For her, tapping into the fashion industry, especially given that she lives and plays in a large fashion market like Los Angeles, is part of her job as a professional basketball player. “I can have two jobs in one day and get them both done,” she says, reinforcing the “look good, play good” mantra that so many players swear by.
According to Jackson, fashion wasn’t really something her team in Knoxville focused on. Sure, they tried it here and there, but living in Tennessee meant not having access to many cool, unique brands in stores. As a result, Jackson and her teammates mostly wore hoodies and leggings. “It was very mid,” she says. “‘Fits were not eating.” When she entered the league, it was an entirely different ball game. Most players dress up for games, debuting their best designer bags and standout ensembles. “It was fun for me to play dress-up, figuring out what my style is,” she says. Playing in L.A., where she has access to all kinds of different aesthetics and brands, also allowed Jackson to discover what her style isn’t. “I feel like L.A. is more [into] baggy shorts and baggy jerseys—that’s not me,” she says. “[My style is] very fun, sexy, girly, and whatever it wants to be.” For her, style is subjective: “I don’t want to be put into a box.”
This season, Jackson is teaming up with designer Quieesha Burns, known in the industry as Corii Burns, for home games at the Crypto.com Arena. “She’s worked in Paris. She has her own fashion show, so being able to work with someone as high-end as her has been amazing,” says Jackson. “It’s showcasing what I can do, hopefully opening [the door] for more brand deals and runway [opportunities].” The two went through Burns’s lookbooks and runway collections ahead of the season and had multiple fittings in order to plan Jackson’s home-game tunnel ‘fits for the 2025 season. Last season, Jackson dressed herself for the most part, a difficult task given all the travel involved with a career in the WNBA. “It’s been a blessing because I don’t have to necessarily think,” she says. Now, her looks are all in order, with her manager helping to organize everything ahead of tip-off. “I pretty much have it laid out like the first day of school,” she adds.
Rickea Jackson in the tunnel at Crypto.com Arena, 2025.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Skechers)
Now, with a WNBA season and the inaugural season of Unrivaled—a new three-on-three league that kicked off in Miami in January—under her belt, Jackson knows her style just as well as she knows how to be a pro, and she’s ready to pass down what she’s learned to the next generation of Skechers athletes. In April, ahead of the Draft, Skechers signed Kiki Iriafen, a forward from the University of Southern California, expanding its roster of WNBA players. “Be you,” Jackson says when I ask her if she has any advice for Iriafen about navigating the tunnel. “Fashion isn’t one-dimensional—it’s whatever you’re comfortable in and whatever you feel like your style is.” There’s no room for stressing about clothes on game day.
After all, the WNBA is one of the most difficult leagues to make it into and stay in. The roster sizes are extremely small compared to other professional leagues, making it highly competitive, and the adjustment from the college level to the pros is significant, to say the least. The key is to lean into the benefits of dressing for games, like growing a personal brand and drawing confidence from a well-executed ensemble. “Just have fun with it,” she says.
