Paige Bueckers, the number-one draft pick for the Women’s National Basketball Association, is among the players to star in Coach’s newest advertising campaign.
Bueckers, who was a standout star guard for the University of Connecticut, was selected by the Dallas Wings at the draft last month. She will be joined in the Coach ads by Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen of the Washington Mystics, Aneesah Morrow of the Connecticut Sun and Hailey Van Lith of the Chicago Sky.
The campaign is part of Coach’s partnership with the WNBA. In April, the brand signed a multiyear collaboration to become the official luxury handbag of the league and will participate in a number of high-profile events during the season. At the time the deal was announced, Coach also said it would highlight the stories of these five draftees, and now the images are being released.
Kiki Iriafen in her Coach ad.
Courtesy of Coach
The campaign was directed by Vivian Kim and photographed by Heather Hazza at the Jersey City Armory and includes live interviews, moving images and stills. In the films, Bueckers, Citron, Iriafen, Morrow and Van Lith speak to how self-expression is integral to their identities as players and as people, and the ways their style also helps build confidence as they embark on their new professional sports careers.
“This new chapter is a continuation of our partnership with the WNBA and these boundary-breaking athletes who embody our ethos of courageous self-expression,” said Joon Silverstein, Coach’s chief marketing officer. “We’re proud to platform their stories to inspire a broader audience to express their full selves, to challenge what’s expected — and to collectively redefine what’s possible.”
The five new WNBA players in the Coach campaign.
Courtesy of Coach
In the photos, the players sport pieces from the Coach fall collection mixed with classics from the line. The brand’s Tabby, Empire and Brooklyn bags are also featured.