Nike Basketball Inside Access: The Next Generation of Women’s Basketball

Nike’s commitment to the growth of women’s basketball has been well-established for many years, as they’ve partnered up with the game’s legends in Cynthia Cooper, Lisa Leslie, and Sheryl Swoopes early on and sponsored the WNBA at its debut. A dedicated effort by Nike combined with stellar play and global influence by the “Big Three” of women’s hoops has forged incredible growth in the sport over the years, but a rather energetic boost in 2013 thanks to three young phenoms has brought a new level of excitement to the game. Brittney Griner, Elena Delle Donne, and Skylar Diggins were selected first, second, and third in this year’s WNBA draft, and while we can expect to hear their names throughout the current season, there’s no doubt that the names of Griner, Delle Donne, and Diggins – the new “Big Three” of women’s basketball – will be echoed throughout the next generation of the sport.

Currently, Griner, Delle Donne, and Diggins are letting their names be known with their elite game, but we at Sneaker News have taken extra notice as we’ve covered their various in-game Nike Player Exclusives. Their reputation as the newest “Big Three” in the sport and with Nike has suited them well, with Griner and Delle Donne balling in the Nike Zoom Hyperdisruptor and Diggins rocking the Nike Kobe 8, but we’re left to wonder if any of these future superstars has the potential to be a Nike Basketball signature sneaker – the first since Sheryl Swoopes and the Nike Air Swoopes. Check out some in-game shots of the fresh-faced Big Three below, and let us know if a women’s Nike signature shoe would welcomed in today’s landscape of basketball sneakers.