By: Nora Scarbro

The WNBA draft is one of the most important nights in women’s basketball. It welcomes new players and gives teams the opportunity to redefine how their season will go. 

This is an event where it is expected for all those who attend to dress very well. There is no specific dress expectation, but typically it is formal dresses and suits or something tastefully adjacent. The outfits worn this year were nothing but beautiful, but there were some that caught my interest. 

Azzi Fudds was this year’s first pick for the draft, and her outfit choices did not disappoint. She started out with a silver glitter dress with black base that accented the sparkle. It featured a high slit fashioned with a bow and black corset details lined the top. She paired this dress with sleek black heels, simple jewelry, and a coach purse. 

Fudds then had an outfit change for the actual induction part of the draft where she wore a very unique dress. It was a tight, floor length backless dress with a deep V neckline. It featured a psychedelic pattern that mirrored itself creating a flattering shape. The color palette was neutral with a pop of a wine purple. Each of these dresses complimented her brown smokey eye and long wavy hair.  

Another outfit that stuck out was Flau’jae Johnson. Designed by Bentkahina, the most eye-catching part was by far the unique cut-outs and how the structure of the piece framed them. The front part of the dress was a triangle, the neckline being straight edge. This triangle met the start of the skirt to make a cutout on her hips. The back of the dress was a series of thin fabrics that appeared to be holding up the front, creating even more cutouts. 

This year cut-out dresses were fan favorites. “I really like the cutouts,” Bellbrook High School junior Amy Peters said. “They really suit her”

Johnson paired this look with a purple smokey eye, an coincidental nod to the team that would end up drafting her. 

An outfit from the evening that was not particularly my favorite was worn by commissioner of the WNBA Cathy Engelbert. Her dress was a reptilian sparkly green with a silhouette that complimented her well.  She paired this dress with clashing accessories: gold heels and a nude purse. The overall outfit just didn’t mesh together, but the thought was there. 

Some of the most unique outfits of the evening were not dresses but rather calculated power suits, or power suit inspired. 

Centerville alumni Cotie McMahon had elements that I really loved. Her dress was a tailored suit jacket that displayed both class and authenticity, a hard thing to mix. However, the chosen shoes threw me off. She wore basic open-toed black heels, with white tube socks. I created an almost lazy feeling and took away from the class of the dress. 

Madina Okot, in my opinion, did a perfect execution of the power suit. She donned a tailored, red pinstripe suit with black accessories. But her outfit had a unique touch via the tie. It is a red tie with stripes that went the opposite direction of her suit. It created a small detail of juxtaposition. 

There are some who took a different less formal approach to their outfits. Being able to mix casual and sophistication is very difficult and I think many did it perfectly. The person I think of as the epitome of choice is Olivia Miles. She paired tailored pants with a well-fitting wide collar jacket, a white-collared shirt and big boots. The outfit had embellishments of pockets, in meticulous places and accessories that complimented the individual pieces. The entire silhouette of her outfit spoke class, while carefully balancing informal tones.