A’ja Wilson Is OffBall25’s Style MVP

…It’s a love letter to those making an impact in sports and fashion. And it’s a resource designed to spotlight the people truly pushing the culture forward. Here’s our full inaugural list of sports and fashion visionaries. Read more on our latest announcement below. 

There’s a first time for everything. BYU’s Kalani Sitaki was set to leave for Penn State. Until Crumbl Cookie’s CEO caught wind of it. No Hallmark movie, but a cookie company just convinced the hometown guy to turn down a big career opportunity and stay where his heart is. 

NBC is sending 25 content creators to cover the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Games through its “Creator Collective” program. Sorry, traditional media, we’re still in a creator market. However, some of us should be spending more time with one particular creator...kidding, and sorry if you’re atheist. 

In the market for a huge sportswear brand? You could buy Puma. Unless their Chinese competitors, Anta or Li-Ning, beat you to it. Our cousin newsletter, SportsVerse, explores what might be next for the German giant.    

A lot happened (or didn’t happen) with Venus and Serena today. Venus announced her engagement, and Serena came back to tennis…but…didn’t actually come back to tennis. Baseless rumor or marketing stunt? I’ll let you know when I know. Or you let me know when you know. 

Hi friends, it’s Dan here, editor of this newsletter and one of the many OffBall folk who have had the pleasure of bringing OffBall25 to life over the past couple of months. We’re so excited to share our inaugural digital zine with you, and we wanted to take a moment to talk about why this was such an important and exciting project for us. We hope you enjoy. (And if you haven’t already, check it out here and let us know what you think!)

OffBall25 is a celebration of the athletes, creators, and business leaders shaping the contemporary intersection of sports, fashion, and culture. OffBall felt the moment had arrived to shine a light on many of the people who have relentlessly been dedicated to their craft and building this movement from the ground up. No two people in this cohort are the same. Each has their own origin story, their own experiences, challenges, and successes along the way. This list comprises everyone from award-winning stylists to generationally talented athletes to fashion designers to brand executives, even media members. Our intention is, and always has been, for a list like this to be a resource people can look to for guidance and inspiration on those truly pushing the culture forward.

How we got here: The inaugural OffBall25 list was the product of a fruitful collaboration between our internal team and our Style Board, made up of O.G. visionaries whose tireless work over the years — long before the concept of the sports-fashion crossover became popular — has paved the way for sports culture to flourish and intersect with adjacent creative industries such as fashion and the arts.

The OffBall25 Style Board is comprised of veteran stylist Courtney Mays, the godmother of the NBA and WNBA tunnel walk; Don C, the revered designer and multi-hyphenate; Roman King, the creative director of MLS soccer and the former WNBA creative director; and Domo Wells, creative director of the Washington Spirit. Their collective input and nominations helped form the look and feel of the list, as well as its forward-looking nature. 

Our Cultural MVP, the person leading our list who has shaped so much of the culture of sport in the past year, is none other than A'ja Wilson. Who else? OffBall25 is a celebration of her prowess and achievements, and we were excited to collaborate with her on this first iteration of this community. Be sure to check out her cover story, front and center in the digital zine, along with intimate Q&As with Paige Bueckers, Nigel Sylvester, and Brittany Hampton.

We truly enjoyed putting together this digital zine to honor the luminaries at the forefront of this intersection. This was a true collaboration between OffBall, our Style Board, our Cultural MVP, our partner Nike, and the all-star team at Alright Studio.

It’s nearly time to do a Quirked Up White Boy follow-up to my preseason ranking, so expect that soon, but for now, I’m wondering if a new name needs to be added to the fold. As it stands now, I don’t believe Collin Gillespie has the koalafications (he looks like a koala to me, anyone?) just yet, but I do see a path being laid out for the case to be made. One slight left turn and QUWBville is on his horizon. I think the internet agrees. 

He popped off this week against the Lakers and left LeBron, Austin, and all of LA dumbfounded. (No for real, he was there, and I’m not sure what this was, but it’s worth a click). 

And he got Hollywood’s attention in other ways, too. Austin Butler watched on in wonder. And since Austin is just prep school’s Timothée Chalamet, that’s one point for the QUWB case.

Media members are already comparing him to a dynastic duo. 

Dillon Brooks has given him a nickname perfect for a QUWB (though I don’t really understand it): Villain Jr. 

The strongest counterargument to the QUWB allegations is that he is still saying stuff about how he’s humble. 

And listen, I love Jay Wright as much as the next guy, but what would Donte DiVincenzo say about this?? 

Then again, he was allegedly declaring “I’m like that” midgame, which obviously adds a few quirk points. If we get this guy in a Marty Supreme jacket, I’m calling it. 

For what it’s worth, my mind has been changed about Austin Reaves’ quirk levels a few times, and I think the same is possible for Collin.