Fenty Beauty Teams Up with New York Liberty in First WNBA Partnership

Rihanna's Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin are officially teaming up with the New York Liberty, signaling a major move in the intersection of beauty, fashion, and women's sports. The announcement came just ahead of the Liberty's preseason game at Brooklyn's Barclays Center on May 9. The team will officially tip off its WNBA season on May 17 against the Las Vegas Aces.

"There is no energy and spirit like New York City's. And the women of the New York Liberty exemplify such beauty, power, and strength, so to have Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin become a part of their journey this season is incredible," said Rihanna, founder and CEO, in a statement to Vogue Business. "We're excited to partner with them to get their game faces on."

The partnership involves Fenty Beauty branding on Liberty team apparel and is visible during a full slate of game day experiences, which also features promotional engagement with the team's mascot, Ellie.  The partnership also reinforces Fenty's ongoing involvement with sports, as they have been involved with the 2024 WNBA All-Star weekend as well as supporting athletes partaking in the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics.

"I've always said that makeup is there to have fun with, to express yourself with," Rihanna tells Allure exclusively. "It should be reflective of a vibe, of a moment, of a personality—whatever you want it to be. I'm excited to see how these incredible women of the New York Liberty put their game faces on and am proud to have Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin be a part of their story this season."

The Liberty's 2025 campaign also features another beauty-focused partnership with L'Oréal-owned nail brand Essie, naming mascot Ellie its first celebrity spokesperson. These deals mark a growing trend of beauty brands investing in women's sports, a space that's seeing rapid expansion. The WNBA recorded an average viewership of 1.19 million across ESPN platforms in 2024, a 170% jump from the previous year, with forecasts projecting a 32% increase by 2027.

Coming just days after Rihanna's headline-making appearance at the Met Gala, the Fenty-Liberty alliance amplifies women's basketball's cultural and commercial momentum.