Aces to Valkyries: Grading the WNBA Logos

With WNBA Enlargement chugging alongside steadily with the Golden State Valkyries draft, and the reveal of the Toronto Tempo identify and brand, there’s a whole lot of new within the league. With new groups comes new logos, names, jerseys, and cities to take pleasure in girls’s basketball in. The present groups try to maintain up by constructing new apply amenities, updating designs, and getting extra inventive with the best way their promote their groups.

On this rising stage of the WNBA, the league’s branding is truthfully a bit of all over. Some groups look futuristic, some are deliberately utilizing throwback branding, and a few simply appear caught within the 00s. One factor that’s simple to vary with a whole lot of impression is a brand. Sports activities logos typically change with the developments of tradition and design, and simply tweaking it may refresh a complete franchise.

The WNBA additionally has guidelines on what groups have to incorporate in these logos. For instance, the league requires groups to have three totally different brand choices, and likewise has a rule that the crew’s fundamental brand should someway contain a basketball.

With all of that being mentioned, let’s rating every of the WNBA’s 14 recognized crew logos. The 12 “present” groups, plus the Golden State Valkyries who enter the league in 2025, after which the Toronto Tempo who enter in 2026. The one unknown brand proper now’s Portland’s.

New York Liberty: 9.5/10

The New York Liberty have actually nailed all of their branding, beginning off with their beautiful Seafoam coloration. They had been sort of handed that coloration given it’s the identical because the Statue of Liberty, which the crew is known as after. It’s so distinctive to sports activities although, and appears good irrespective of in case you’re placing it on a court docket, jerseys, or merchandise.

The brand itself is a straightforward crest with a hand holding the Torch, with “NY” within the crew’s signature font. The flame of the torch is the place they’ve integrated the basketball, with the “flames” popping out of the highest. It’s easy, to the purpose, distinctive, and strongly hyperlinks to the crew’s identify and id.

Dallas Wings: 6/10

A part of my confusion round this one is that we aren’t actually instructed what a “wing” is. Is it a pegasus? The horse theme hyperlinks them to the Dallas Mavericks in fact. The brand is a pegasus(?) with the phrases “Wings” and “Dallas” under. The crew’s colors of navy blue and neon inexperienced are an attention-grabbing combo as effectively.

The basketball aspect simply is available in as a result of they put a basketball underneath the horse(?). It’s all high-quality, however doesn’t stand out towards among the stronger logos within the league.

Washington Mystics: 7/10

The Washington Mystics are the “sister” crew of the Washington Wizards, and in my humble opinion, ought to have been named the Washington Witches. Maintain the alliteration, and witches are simply cool. Anyway, additionally they share a colorway with the Wizards, the navy blue, grey, and purple. Very patriotic in fact.

This brand is fairly cool, however to me one thing about it’s giving the vibe of being inside a Restricted Too retailer in 2003. Perhaps it’s the little elaborations, possibly it’s the font, possibly it’s the colors. It’s on theme and isn’t inherently dangerous it’s simply… very 2003.

Indiana Fever: 7/10

Curiously sufficient, the Indiana Fever are the one crew within the league who has by no means modified their brand. For the reason that crew entered the WNBA in 2000, they’ve had the identical brand. It’s merely a round crest with the Indiana Fever of their crew font. The colours are purple, yellow, and blue — they work fairly effectively collectively, however not my private cup of tea. I put on 99% black although so who am I to evaluate.

NOW, if we had been rating jerseys, and the Fever’s Stranger Issues jersey was nonetheless in play… that will get a ten/10 from me, that was sick.

Seattle Storm: 5/10

A typical trope of present design in minimalism… which isn’t that enjoyable? Seattle’s brand is the primary of minimalist WNBA brand’s we are going to discover. Their inexperienced and gold colours are a basic that look enjoyable, however I miss the Storm logos of the 2000s — funky!

This crest options the house needle inside a basketball-esque crest, a lighting bolt, and the Seattle Storm identify of their font. It’s not ugly by any means, it’s simply not the older brand, which is tremendous enjoyable. See under:

Las Vegas Aces: 6/10

Perhaps I’m being harsh on minimalism… I’ll maintain going. The Aces’ brand is extraordinarily on model, which is enjoyable. Sadly they just lately modified their colors to silver and black as an alternative of purple and black. The purple and black went with the Aces identify so effectively, nodding to enjoying playing cards.

Their diamond formed brand is one other nod to enjoying playing cards. Being named the Aces as a Las Vegas crew is simply so sensible, and their brand conveys that nevertheless it’s additionally… simply that.

Phoenix Mercury: 8/10

The Mercury are one other crew affiliated with an NBA crew, on this case the Phoenix Suns. On account of that, their branding could be very cohesive, and so they share the orange, purple, black colours. The Mercury’s brand to me is giving 70’s diner vibes, which is fairly cool. Their “basketball” is merely an orange circle, however once more it seems very diner-esque.

It will get greater factors as a result of it strays from minimalism, in fact. The font doesn’t resemble some other crew’s and so they’ve actually leaned into the classic vibes.

Los Angeles Sparks: 7/10

This one is what I’ll name borderline minimalism. They save themselves with a palm tree, and so they may save themselves extra by incorporating extra of their third coloration, teal, into the combo. Whereas the Sparks don’t share express affiliation to the Lakers, they do share the long-lasting purple and gold.

The Sparks present brand is a circle that includes a palm tree, a basketball, and the Los Angeles Sparks identify in an outer circle. The palm tree is cool, and this brand would get greater factors from me if there was extra teal.

Minnesota Lynx: 8.5/10

The Lynx featured in Minnesota’s brand could be very cute, and the relation to the Timberwolves NBA crew is apparent however totally different sufficient. It will get excessive factors from me as a result of it a number of delicate selections make the emblem LOOK distinctive with out going too far. The off heart identify, the lovable Lynx.

Is it innovative? Not essentially, nevertheless it delivers the message. We aren’t breaking into a brand new frontier with this one, nevertheless it does the job.

Connecticut Solar: 8/10

This one is enjoyable as a result of they use the basketball to appear like the earth and the “C” for Connecticut to appear like… effectively, the solar. It will get additional factors for a enjoyable distinctive form that resembles the solar’s rays.

Total it’s quirky, on theme, and delivers the message. Is it essentially the most jaw-dropping factor to ever exist? No. Does it have enjoyable particulars? Sure.

Chicago Sky: 9/10

The Chicago Sky have a enjoyable colorway of sky blue and yellow — sky and solar. Fairly sensible, and really cute. Their brand seems like a basketball going right into a web, but in addition includes a “skyline-esque” constructing element.

Total it’s tremendous distinctive, nods to the well-known Chicago skyline, and appears like a basketball brand with out being too cookie-cuter. I believe the Sky did a terrific job of creating one thing recent and distinctive.

Atlanta Dream: 8.75/10

Okay, possibly I’m getting a bit of too particular…

The Dream’s brand has a whole lot of historical past, which is sensible because the crew was named after the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. I like a lot about this brand — the star, the font, the symbolism. It’s highly effective and the form of the crest is sharp and distinctive.

For me the one downfall is making a brand primarily gray. It virtually dulls it a bit of. It’s clear nevertheless it’s not flashy. Perhaps that was the purpose. Total, nonetheless excessive in rating.

Golden State Valkyries: 9.9/10

This will get a 9.9 as a result of perfection is inconceivable, however Golden State’s branding is as shut as you may get. Initially, they nailed the colours with that beautiful lavender. The Valkyries are related to the Golden State Warriors, and Valkyries are Norse feminine warriors… once more, actual good things.

The brand itself is easy however distinctive. The V-shape is apparent but in addition distinctive, the “basketball” aspect is the strains throughout the crest. Even the crew’s font is exclusive but easy. It’s simply… cool.

Toronto Tempo: 4/10

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The one you’ve all been ready for? This one is difficult as a result of 1) it’s the most recent crew brand within the league and a pair of) it’s actually my house market. This brand was additionally leaked six weeks earlier than the crew was planning to drop the identify and brand.

Right here’s what I like about it: The colours are very nice, with an icy blue and plum (don’t even attempt to inform me that’s imagined to be maroon/purple/the rest). While you have a look at it a sure means, it seems like a piano, which is enjoyable.

Listed below are the criticisms which were circulating because the crew confirmed the emblem: It resembles the Indiana Pacers brand, the New Stability Brand, and the Ontario Hockey League brand. It’s additionally a bit of one dimensional. So most of the logos above have dimension, layers, and appear like they’re leaping off the web page.

It simply… missed the mark a bit of.