Multi-year agreement highlighted by GEM jersey patch and program integration
ARLINGTON, TX (August 6, 2023) – The Dallas Wings of the WNBA and Dallas Mavericks of the NBA have announced a first-of-its-kind sponsorship. The Wings become the first WNBA team to sign a marquee agreement with an NBA franchise operating under a different ownership group.
The GEM (Girls Empowered by Mavericks) program was created by the Dallas Mavericks to engage, inspire and empower young females through the use of physical activity as a backdrop to their development and success. The Dallas Mavericks’ GEM logo will be featured on the abdomen of Wings player jerseys for all home and road games throughout the multi-year agreement. The GEM jersey addition will debut today when the Wings take on the Chicago Sky at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas.
“The Mavericks have worked hard to build the best youth-focused programming in the NBA,” stated Wings President & CEO Greg Bibb. “We are incredibly proud to partner with their organization to extend and expand the GEM program’s reach throughout North Texas. We are grateful to Cynt Marshall, Mark Cuban and the Mavericks leadership for their commitment to this innovative sponsorship and we look forward to working with them to empower girls through the sport of basketball.”
“The Dallas Mavericks are proud to work alongside our local WNBA team, the Dallas Wings, to further the empowerment of young girls in North Texas,” said Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall. “We see GEM participants as the talent pool to represent future women in sports, business and other careers, and we are emboldened to move the needle towards female representation and equality.”
In addition to the GEM logo inclusion on the jerseys, Wings players and coaches will be fully integrated into year-round GEM programming, reaching over 3,000 girls in North Texas annually. Offerings include basketball camps, health and wellness clinics presented by UTSouthwestern, financial empowerment courses presented by TIAA, and workshops focused onhow sports can play a critical role in forming leadership skills, inclusion, and academic success.
GEM will serve as the presenting sponsor of today’s Inspiring Women Game at 3 p.m. vs. the Sky. Included in the festivities will be the presentation of the Nancy Lieberman Women of Inspiration Award to Marshall.
The agreement also includes benefits for fan bases and employees of both teams in an effort to create a year-round basketball experience in North Texas, as well as additional community efforts.
