Basketball apparel and sneaker brand AND1’s first and only female signee, Alexis Morris, wants to be a trailblazer in the streetball world. Seeing the NCAA national champion in a streetball environment is new for her fans, but for Morris, she’s right back home.
At the end of May, the Harlem Globetrotter agreed to join AND1 because she was seeking an opportunity to pioneer a path for women with a similar background to hers.
Morris wanted to be a part of a “cultural explosion” that differed from how people thought a brand deal should look, similar to how she stood at the forefront of the tipping point in popularity for women’s basketball after winning a national championship at LSU with her teammate Angel Reese.
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The left-handed guard’s path has been nontraditional from start to finish, but she likes it that way. Morris began her collegiate career with coach Kim Mulkey at Baylor University and transferred to Rutgers University and Texas A&M University. After leaving Texas A&M, she thought she would never play basketball again until Mulkey gave her one more chance at LSU. As a fifth-year senior, she delivered 15.4 points and 4.1 assists as the point guard for the Tigers’ national championship squad.
The Texas native was drafted by the Connecticut Sun as the 22nd overall pick in the 2023 WNBA draft. She was later waived during the preseason and believes that if it had not happened, she would have never gotten the opportunity to sign with AND1.
Andscape caught up with Morris between the guard’s workouts in preparation for AND1’s upcoming Open Run event at Coney Island in New York on Sunday.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
When you first started playing basketball, how did you approach gathering your sneaker collection?
I really started to get into my swag when I was a senior in high school. At first, I was the player that showed up just to hoop. I would come to the gym with Adidas shorts and Nike shoes. It didn’t matter to me. Once I got to college, I got into even more. I based my shoes and swag on the jerseys we wore that day, especially at LSU. We had this one white uniform with purple lettering that I’d always wear purple shoes with. I don’t get to do ‘matchy-matchy,’ but I like to bring the colors out.
Once you pick your shoes out, how do you put together the rest of your outfit?
On the court, I wear an arm sleeve. Sometimes, I want to do all or nothing with my headband, arm sleeve and tights or nothing at all. When I started wearing tights, my teammates would always hype it up, and sometimes they’d tease me and say, ‘I got my legs out today.’ But then there’s ‘Lex Luthor,’ and I’m in that zone. If I put that headband on, just know it’s Lex Luthor, and it’s about to be one of those nights. Most basketball players can relate to that. Once you slide that headband on, I feel like I will have one of the best games of my life.
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What’s so special about you that AND1 wanted to sign you as their first female athlete?
AND1 is a movement powered by Black people, Black culture, inner cities and urban basketball. I am all of those things. I grew up in Beaumont, Texas. There were minimal resources, and it was tough. But I am fortunate to be someone that made it out. I grew up playing streetball, and streetball is what made me great. Being at AND1 is like being back home for me. We’re perfect for each other. Most of the time, I played with boys and had to fight for my spot on the court, but 90% of the things you do in life are about confidence, and I got it.
Alexis Morris was featured in AND1’s promotional campaign for the rerelease of a Retro Mixtape uniform.
AND1
What are you looking forward to the most about creating with AND1?
There is a continuous need for female representation in sports and especially street culture. People try to push out street culture, but it’s the foundation of what started basketball. It’s the swag. I am excited to get to design my collection. Getting a signature collection for me is a dream come true. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do.
I’m in a position to empower Black athletes and Black creators. I bring a more androgynous side, which is also underrepresented. You don’t have to be the girliest of the girls to wear my collection. I want to incorporate some NIL deals under the Alexis Morris brand with AND1. I’m searching for my first female athlete to bring on board.
How does a deal with a streetwear brand help young female athletes see there are nontraditional avenues for endorsements?
Even before I got my deal, I looked up at A’ja Wilson and Nike with her shoes, Angel [Reese] and Reebok, Caitlin [Clark] and Dana Evans. I have the same feeling and excitement they’ve created for me, and I want to create that for other female athletes. I get to offer tangible proof that little young girls, young women, and Black women all across the nation can see what happens when you dream big, different and ambitiously.
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What would it mean to you to be the first WNBA player to integrate the AND1 brand and culture into the league?
I am looking forward to returning to the WNBA. It’s been my goal since I was 8, not just to make a team but to play in a season. There’s a misconception out there that I hate WNBA veterans and expect them to give up the positions they’ve worked for. This is how they get their livelihood. I apologize to the people I offended. Without making those comments, I couldn’t be where I am today.
I’m never going to quit on myself. I think it’ll be so dope to mesh the different audiences together. There’s even more viewership and marketing around the WNBA now that would bring even more eyes to the street culture vibe. I have also gained a lot of streetball moves since being a part of the Harlem Globetrotters, which I can’t wait to implement into organized basketball. I will be able to express all of my experiences. If I return, I’ll definitely be a bit more crafty.
Alexis Davis is a former Rhoden Fellow. She loves styling suits with sneakers and can name any sneaker you show her. She quit basketball to cheer in high school but hopes the women’s basketball coverage she does now makes the sport forgive her for going to the other side of the sideline.
