by Shane Sayegh and Sarah Singh of the Arizona State Cronkite PR Lab
Brianna Walsh didn’t always know what she wanted to study in college. She just knew that she had a passion for fashion.
Now a second-year fashion design major in Arizona State University’s FIDM program, Walsh has been given the opportunity to style Arizona State women’s basketball head coach Molly Miller.
Women's sports are experiencing a growth in mainstream culture and media, and fashion plays a pivotal role in this visibility. Pregame fits and courtside outfits have become essential for these athletes and for personal branding, ultimately helping open doors to greater recognition. As fashion becomes a larger part of athletes’ and coaches’ personal brands, especially in women’s sports, the opportunity still feels surreal for Walsh.
“It still doesn’t feel real,” she said. “I’m just so grateful that they saw the vision and wanted to work with me.”
Walsh took a chance when she reached out to Miller, pitching her ideas, and was soon invited to design the outfit Miller wore against Oklahoma State on Feb. 4. While designing Miller’s game-day look, Walsh wanted to tell a story about Miller and her coaching style: confidence and authority.
“When I think of a women’s basketball head coach, my mind goes to suit,” Walsh said. “Something tailored and professional, yet comfortable. She is constantly moving and needs to feel good in what she’s wearing.”
Ultimately, Walsh selected a black suit, keeping power themes in mind. To customize the look, Walsh incorporated subtle sparkle details and finished it with silver jewelry for a polished finish. From the first fitting, Walsh described Coach Miller’s fit.
“It fit her perfectly. I didn’t have to hem it or make any adjustments. It was like it was made for her,” said Walsh.
Originally from Las Vegas, Walsh knew fashion would be an important part of her life long before she knew it could become her career. This fascination with fashion and beauty evolved into something more when she toured Arizona State University’s FIDM campus in downtown Los Angeles during her junior year. She automatically fell in love with the campus and the idea of attending.
By her senior year of high school, she had committed to Arizona State University.
Walsh’s fashion dreams started to take shape while watching the 2024 Women’s Final Four and seeing rising stars, Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers. From that moment on, she knew becoming a WNBA stylist was her ultimate goal.
She grew up loving women’s basketball, spending her childhood on the sidelines cheering and closely following the sport and its players. Being from Las Vegas, her favorite team is the reigning WNBA champions, the Las Vegas Aces, and she hopes one day to pay homage to her hometown and style players like A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young.
WNBA-focused stylists like Brittany Hampton, Courtney Mays, and Sydney Bordonaro have paved the way for Walsh, and she credits them as some of her biggest inspirations in the fashion world.
“Fashion and styling is an art, and it’s storytelling,” Walsh said. “What separates you from the rest is truly knowing your client, understanding their personality, and tying that into their story.”
For Walsh, styling goes beyond just assembling an outfit and rather creates a relationship with her clients. Her long-term goal isn’t just to style athletes but to grow with them and be by their side through all their achievements.
Styling athletes presents its own unique set of challenges; custom tailoring, quick turnarounds, and diverse body types are a few of them, but this is what excites Walsh about working in the WNBA.
“It’s strategic, and there’s a lot of thought that goes into every little detail,” said Walsh.
Walsh hopes one day to style WNBA stars like LA Sparks’ Forward Cameron Brink and Golden State Valkyries’ Guard Kate Martin, but Walsh’s end goal remains constant. Becoming a WNBA stylist who helps athletes feel powerful in their own skin off the court.
“If they feel confident wearing it, then I’ve done my job,” Walsh said.