Source: Sec Defensive Player of The Year and No. 1 Overall Draft Pick Aliyah Boston Joins adidas Family
Under Armour has been doing so much right lately, that it allows one to overlook that the company isn’t really ramping up signing new athletes to its sports rosters. The company did sign a soccer player in Jayde Riviere, but that isn’t exactly the impact expected from a brand reverting to “Protect this House” which featured Aliyah Boston prominently as an athlete at South Carolina. The last few signings by UA were in soccer. Which feels a bit like this post I’m sure, out of place. This post should be discussing Boston’s arrival to adidas. The problem is if I overlook the fact that Boston had such an active role in generating interest in Under Armour’s women’s basketball products, it will leave this discussion short of much needed context.
Boston and Under Armour created youth basketball camps in the Virgin Islands. Their partnership seemed like a logical alignment which would lead to a signature model for the next elite big in the WNBA. Instead adidas takes the talented Boston and expands their women’s roster of basketball stars. It’s a solid signing, but one that won’t resonate beyond the game. This doesn’t mean it’s not an important signing for adidas. Basketball is in a different phase. Unlike any other moment in the history of the sport every athlete has an opportunity to capitalize without the stigma attached to recruitment. The NCAA transfer portal has removed team loyalty and players are becoming a lot like professional players by moving to different teams. This is extremely important as it limits the support of fans and long-term could contribute to the effectiveness of basketball players to connect with the next generation of athletes wearing the gear.
Boston is a throwback. Like Candace Parker playing at Tennessee, Boston played all of her years at South Carolina. She has a loyal following as she enters the WNBA and although this won’t translate to big sales for adidas, it creates a sports narrative that can be told around Aliyah Boston. Interestingly enough the first three picks in this season’s draft have been celebrated for their loyalty to their programs. Diamond Miller fought through a difficult freshman season to become a legend at Maryland and Maddy Siegrist became the Big East’s all-time leading scorer. Why is this important? When an athlete has longevity with a fanbase, they bring that base with them to the brand decide to work with. Boston is a timely pickup for adidas as Candace Parker is on the tail end of an amazing career. The ACE series of sneakers has never felt like a signature model, but even adidas recognizes that a narrative around passing the torch is there.
The accomplished athlete and latest member of the Indiana Fever marks yet another addition to the brand’s no. 1 draft pick signees including long-time partner and powerhouse Candace Parker. Boston could not have predicted that her iconic shout-out to Parker while accepting the NCAA Most Outstanding Player award in 2022 would presage her future, as she now joins Parker as a fellow adidas Basketball athlete partner.
Basketball sales are no longer a part of the fashion aesthetic in the sneaker industry. The sneakers have returned to the functional sport aspect of sneaker sales. Team sales are more important than ever, but utilizing Boston in basketball wear designed as fashion, which can be seen throughout this post, allows for adidas to connect the legacy of women’s basketball from Candace to Boston. Both ladies are from the SEC. Both played for legendary women coaches. Both were players of the year and won national championships. The storytelling here could be amazing, and it could inspire the next generation of girls who will dominate the paint in the future. I hope adidas is creative in the stories here.
Do you know Aliyah Boston took a paycut jumping to the WNBA? Read this article on WNBA Salaries: WNBA salary, contracts: How much money do women’s basketball players make? | Sporting News