Troy Schooley, CEO of P3R. (Jim Harris/PBT)

By Riley Dunn, Pittsburgh Business Times

With a shared commitment to growing the game of women’s basketball, Dick’s Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS) and the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) will be extending their partnership through the 2028 season. 

Through this agreement, which began in 2021, Dick’s will continue as both the official sporting goods retailer and the official marketing partner of the WNBA. The company will also continue on as the official sporting goods retailer of two of the thirteen teams — the Chicago Sky and the Minnesota Lynx. 

“We’re proud to have been a WNBA partner for the last three years and are so thrilled to extend our partnership with the league for another four seasons,” Emily Silver, chief marketing and athlete experience officer at Dick’s Sporting Goods said in a statement. “For a long time, we’ve known that investing in women’s sports is smart business, and we look forward to continuing to find ways to show-up for fans, new and old, and build powerful moments that support the league and its players for years to come.”

As part of the new agreement, Dick’s will also become a partner of the Jr. WNBA program. All Jr. programming is curated directly from the NBA and WNBA and is dedicated to helping young basketball players form a foundation to build upon when improving their game. 

Dick’s will have access to host youth programming events onsite at all Jr. WNBA events. 

GameChanger, a Dick’s company and youth sports mobile platform, is another organization geared toward expanding children’s knowledge and participation in youth basketball. Through GameChanger, youth players, coaches and families will be able to benefit from enhanced access to live streaming, scheduling communications and scorekeeping. 

Additionally, Dick’s will continue to work with Nike to promote the It’s Her Shot initiative. The free program is offered to girls ages 8-18 and offers them skills clinics, pickup games and mentorship with current WNBA players.

“This partnership renewal with Dick’s Sporting Goods reflects our shared commitment to growing the game at every level,” WNBA Chief Growth Officer Colie Edison said in a release. “Dick’s plays an essential role in advancing our league’s value of community by giving fans everywhere greater access to express their fandom. From investing in our franchises to empowering young athletes, Dick’s continues to be a vital partner in our efforts to elevate women’s basketball and inspire the next generation.”

It is not just young players that will reap the benefits of this agreement, however. Dick’s plans to do all it can to support fans of the league as well. 

Fans will be able to shop through a wide variety of authentic WNBA apparel, including at all 13 WNBA markets, 300 Dick’s locations and online.

They will also be given immediate access to the jerseys of top draft picks, which will be available across all markets.

Riley Dunn is a student at the University of Iowa and one of 10 Pittsburgh Media Partnership summer interns.