With the Women’s Professional Basketball Association (WPBA) poised to start their season this coming May, the league is quickly setting the tone for development and growth by featuring teams like the Philadelphia Reign, who were outfitted in custom-made Wooter Apparel jerseys and uniforms last season.
A new season, with new goals, new teams, new faces, and brand new customized jerseys and uniforms will hit the floor across 11 major cities this Spring in the WPBA. It’s the first step in a long journey of providing the chance for aspiring pro women basketball players the platform to stand out and make a name for themselves.
For the 2020 season Wooter Apparel became the official uniform and apparel partner of the Women’s Professional Basketball Association (WPBA) and its teams — the Atlanta Monarchs, Georgia Soul, Greensboro Kaos, Memphis Shakers, Tennessee Conductors, Toledo Threat, Richmond Road Runners, Philadelphia Reign, Mississippi Eagles, Detroit Queens, and the Milwaukee Aces — with the regular season officially scheduled to tip-off in May and a postseason tournament scheduled for August.
A sneak peak of the home and away jerseys from Wooter Apparel features the Toledo Threat, Georgia Soul, and Richmond Road Runners and includes their own individual detailed sublimation design with WPBA and Wooter logos. While players will no doubt fall in love with the unique look and feel of the sublimation printed jerseys and uniforms from Wooter Apparel, the WPBA has its own affinity for carving out a niche in the game.
“Leading the industry as a viable and competitive alternative to the WNBA with markets all across the East Coast, the WPBA is an avenue for high caliber professional athletes to continue to advance their careers or even restart their careers, while giving back to the community that supports them,” the WPBA announced with their re-launch of the league and teams.
“The WPBA is fostering economic development in various communities around the country by becoming a leading and premier avenue for women to display their talents, lead the industry in girls’ youth sports and provide quality entertainment to communities and fans.”
With team owners present, this past November the WPBA met to announce that Toledo, Ohio would serve as the home office for the league with WPBA Deputy Commissioner Saundra Brown sharing how, “each team has the same goal…to provide opportunities for our players, and we focus on life after basketball.”
Part of making their own mark on women’s professional basketball not only includes the jersey and apparel partnership with Wooter Apparel this season, but also the additions WPBA are making to their front office also sends a clear message of how the league wants to develop and grow in a professional setting. It was recently announced by the WPBA that former WNBA star and Basketball Hall of Famer, Ruthie Bolton, has joined the WPBA and will serve as Directive of Community Relations and Initiatives.
Women’s basketball legend and former WNBA star, Ruthie Bolton, is the latest addition to the WPBA and has joined the league as Directive of Community Relations and Initiatives for the upcoming 2020 season.
Bolton’s resume and ability to inspire others speaks volumes on and off of the court. One of the most decorated female basketball players and athletes in the world, Bolton remains highly influential in the sport as a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, former standout at Auburn University, and one of the pioneers on the court in the early days of the WNBA with the Sacramento Monarchs from 1997-2004. Along with having her jersey retired by the Monarchs (and the first Lady Tiger to have her jersey retired at Auburn), Bolton amassed 2000 points scored in her career, ranks among the all-time leaders in three-pointers in the WNBA, and left a lasting legacy on the game as a 2-time WNBA All-Star selection. After her playing career commenced, Bolton moved into the Monarchs front office in a public relations role in 2005 and utilized her experience to work with young players as coach at William Jessup University and Vacaville Christian High School, while remaining a global ambassador of the game (Ruthie is a 1st Lieutenant in the Army) by helping conduct basketball camps and clinics with the U.S. Department of State in China, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, and Papua New Guinea.
Along with the addition of Ruthie Bolton to the WPBA front office, the Toledo Threat now have their own WNBA experience on staff by naming Toledo native and former Connecticut Sun forward, Kamesha Hairston, as their Director of Player Development.
Throughout her time in basketball and traveling the world, Bolton has felt led to empower players striving to get better on the court and in life by sharing her own story of overcoming each step of the way. It’s what makes adding Bolton to the league front office a natural fit as the WPBA remains dedicated to changing the perception of a league outside of the WNBA (the Toledo Threat also recently named Toledo native and former WNBA/Connecticut Sun forward, Kamesha Hairston their Director of Player Development). With the WPBA cementing a strong foundation with basketball experience, the league is wasting no time in ensuring their players are set up for success this first season with the Greensboro Kaos and Georgia Soul hosting tryout camps in January and the Richmond Road Runners announcing February 16th and the 23rd as their tryout camp dates.
The hard work on the hardwood starts now for those players aiming to take and make their shot in professional basketball with the WPBA.