Call it picky. Call it discerning.
Lauren Ware says she just waited for the right opportunity to come her way. It had to be the right product for her to endorse.
On June 11, the UA womenβs basketball player announced that she signed her first Name, Image and Likeness deal, with Moolah Kicks. Ware will be a brand ambassador for the company that is focused on providing performance gear for womenβs basketball, starting with sneakers. It is billed as βby and for female ballers.β
Moolah Kicks reached out to Ware through Instagram; she checked them out and decided it was the right fit for her.
βItβs obviously a good cause β itβs for women,β Ware said. βIβm really big on women empowerment and equality in sports, especially. I think this was a good organization for me to be a part of for my first NIL deal because it is a little smaller. Itβs not so much of a big corporation, but I think itβs for a good cause. And Iβm happy to be part of it.
βIβve had a couple of other things reach out to me. Iβm not picky on what Iβm doing, but Iβm not going to do something that I donβt necessarily believe in or think itβll be beneficial. I think this is a really good one because obviously itβs for a good cause. Itβs what I stand for and I want to help them out.
βThatβs something for me when I am looking for making an NIL deal, I want it to be something that I stand for and that is going to be good for my reputation and my brand.β
Ware will be just focusing on this endorsement for now, yet is hoping for more in the future.
She wasnβt alone in taking her time to dip her toe on the NIL court. Former Wildcat Sam Thomas starting a clothing line and inked a deal with Eegeeβs towards the end of last season. Cate Reese signed on with Newegg, an online technology retail company, during the NCAA Tournament.
βIn-season I think itβs kind of hard β¦ itβs a lot to deal with,β Ware said. ββ¦ Samβs done multiple deals and it is a lot of work to keep up with like the contracts and everything. I think for our players, at least speaking for them, I think it was more of a timing thing. The summer is a good time for us to do the NIL deals and make the money from that because I think we have more free time.
βI think as athletes our season is our important time to focus. Weβre not so worried about making money off the court. Itβs more like focusing on what weβre doing right now. I think the summer was a good time for us and the other players to take advantage of the NIL stuff.
βMy parents and I were actually talking about it during the season β¦ about opportunities for me to do NIL, but I was like, βThatβs a lot to think about, especially with school. We have so much to think about already.β I think it just wasnβt good timing for me. But now that Iβve had time to kind of settle in and I have all my stuff organized. This was the perfect time for me to start my own stuff.β
Doubling down on basketball
Ware came to Arizona expecting to play both volleyball and basketball. That was the plan, and UA volleyball coach Dave Rubio and Arizona womenβs basketball coach Adia Barnes were working together to make that happen.
Then the pandemic pushed volleyball into the spring in 2021 β same time that basketball was going on. So it was only basketball her freshman year.
Before her sophomore season started, Rubio talked to her about solidifying her starting position for basketball and really making an impact. Ware stuck with hoops. It also helped that she was selected to play with USA Basketball and won a gold medal at the FIBA U19 World Cup.
Lauren Ware, with assistant Salvo Coppa last season, is focusing entirely on basketball, with no hopes of playing volleyball any time soon.
Still, Ware loved volleyball and wondered, what if?
After her basketball season ended, Ware got in some practices and even went to a tournament with Rubioβs squad.
βI think that kind of put me at peace knowing that I was still able to try it (volleyball) because I think that was something in the back of my head,β Ware said. βI didnβt want to have the thought of like, βwhat if?β because I really liked volleyball. I still do.β
After the experience and conversations with Rubio and Barnes, Ware said it, βreally helped me commit to basketball fully and not have that in the back of my mind.β
βObviously, I have a really good relationship with Dave and the team,β Ware said. βI love them. Their program is amazing. I think for me right now basketball is what I want to focus on. Itβs what I want to do in the future. So, focusing on just basketball is whatβs best for me. β¦ I think Iβm really ready for this year (basketball) and I can already tell just with my summer workouts.
βIβve gotten a lot better and coach Salvo (Coppa) and coach Adia have done a really good job preparing me. I think this time in the summer is going to be really good for me.β
New teammates
This is the first summer that Ware is in Tucson for workouts. She is doing group workouts with her post teammates β freshman Maya Nnaji and transfer Esmery Martinez. After working on movements with each hand, rebounding and shooting, they spend time in the weight room.
Ware said of her new teammates, βThey are amazing.β
βI love the group we have,β she said. βFrom what Iβve seen from everybody, I really like them. Off the court, weβre all really close. And then on the court I think everyone has a really good attitude and work ethic, which is something that you want β thatβs not something you can teach. I think them coming in with that attitude obviously helps the coaches and us as players because thatβs not something we have to harp on them or anything.
βTheyβre really good about coming in, working hard, getting up extra shots. Iβm really excited and theyβre obviously really skilled players already, so Iβm just really excited to see what coach Adia and coach Salvo can turn them into and what the season brings.β
Rim shots
Former Wildcat Thomas has signed to play with Dinamo Sassari in Sardina, Italy. She will join the team in the fall after the Phoenix Mercury are finished with the WNBA season. Dinamo Sassari plays in the Serie A1 and EuroCup Women.
Arizona will play Kansas in a non-conference game on Dec. 8 at McKale Center. UAβs full non-conference schedule for this upcoming season has been completed, but itβs not yet known when it will be released to the public.
Shaina Pellington won a championship in the GLOBL Jam U23 event as Team Canada beat France 78-60.
UA 2023 commit Breya Cunningham is with USA Basketball for FIBAβs U17 World Cup team.
