When the WNBA began in 1997, its original moniker was “We Got Next” and it featured the triple threat of Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, and Rebecca Lobo. It marked the beginning of a new era in American sports with women front and center. Fast forward to 2023 and there is another awesome trio of elite talent carrying a similar message of empowerment with the help of an iconic brand.
The new Fast Twitch energy beverage from Gatorade is releasing its “Game Changer Collection” next week on fasttwitchenergy.gatorade.com. It features three current WNBA stars just in time for the WNBA All-Star Game in Las Vegas: Candace Parker, Elena Delle Donne, and North Philadelphia native/Chicago Sky captain Kahleah Copper.
This marks another milestone in Copper’s ascendance into superstardom.
Copper has become a force to be reckoned with. She has been with the Sky since 2017 and after regularly making appearances off the bench, she found herself in the starting role during the 2020 COVID-shortened season in the bubble, when she led the team in scoring with 14.8 points per game.
Her offensive tenaciousness, defensive energy and unquestioned leadership were on full display in 2021, when, along with Parker, she helped carry the Sky to their first-ever WNBA title. Her 17.7 points per game during the postseason and clutch moments earned her the Finals MVP Award.
Copper also became an All-Star in 2021, and is making her third appearance in the ASG this season. In 2023, she is averaging 17 points and 4.9 rebounds.
Her blue-collar style has endeared her to the rest of the league. She was once a young girl growing up in North Philly in the shadow of other feisty guards Maurice Cheeks and Dawn Staley. She loved basketball and now continues to add to her legacy amongst the greats. For her, this endorsement deal with Gatorade constitutes much more than she could imagine, especially considering she is being featured alongside two of her idols.
“It’s special,” Copper said. “It’s humbling. As a little girl looking up to Candace and Elena, for me to be a Game Changer and to be one of the three, I feel special.”
She has memories of going into the store to buy Gatorade and never thinking that her face would be on the bottle of a beverage that has become synonymous with athletic excellence. But when looking at her journey in a short span, it is only fitting for her to be chosen.
With all the changes the Sky have undergone in two years, Copper has had to step up in big ways. It is something she takes very seriously; she has grown enough to where she blazons the title of “Game Changer” with confidence.
“I feel like I am good enough,” she said. “You can look at my story and be inspired.”
When looking at the larger landscape of women’s sports, Copper foresees this endorsement as a means of further exposure.
“I definitely see it as growing the game,” she said. “All women need is the platform.”
Copper has everything an athlete endorsed by Gatorade should have: grit, determination, resolve, desire and the ability to transcend.
Fans have the chance to take home a full collection of Fast Twitch by heading to fasttwitchenergy.gatorade.com next week. A lucky winner and a friend will also be able to win tickets to the 2023 WNBA Finals.