When the Atlanta Dream and Cash App announced they were erasing $10 million in debt for 3,500 families, it wasn’t merely a stunt. Athlete-led partnerships are emerging as a force for cultural change — and brand equity.
The initiative, created with the WNBA team and nonprofit ForgiveCo, underscored what panelists at ADWEEK’S Brandweek 2025 called the new playbook for athlete-brand collaborations: one rooted in trust, shared values, and measurable community impact.
For the Atlanta Dream, that meant starting close to home by identifying what Atlantans were struggling with.
“We found out there was a school lunch deficit [in Atlanta], and started to connect some dots, and [realized] there’s a considerable amount of debt in this city that we can help to combat,” said Shayne Odum, director of partnerships and sales at the Atlanta Dream.
“[Cash App] was on the jersey, in the commercials — all of the traditional branding elements were there. But then when you step outside of it and meet us in the community, where people can see it, feel it, touch it, and experience it, then it brings it all together.”
That emphasis on cultural alignment echoed across the panel, which featured Odum; Connor Thompson, Reebok’s senior manager of Energy and U.S wholesale, and Atlanta Dream player Nazahrah “Naz” Hillmon.
Marketers are increasingly recognizing that athlete deals can’t just trade on fame — they have to reflect shared purpose. As brands like Reebok and Cash App take cues from how athletes show up in their communities, the ROI is shifting from impressions to impact. Instead of chasing visibility, companies are focusing on collaborations that build credibility, where athletes act as community partners and cultural amplifiers, not just spokespeople.
“I’m never going to put my name on something that I don’t truly believe in or doesn’t represent me or my brand or my business,” said Hillmon. “When it’s more of a collaboration [with a brand], it feels more long term.”
The WNBA and its players also won ADWEEK’s Brand Genius award this year, recognizing their influence on how brands connect with culture.
