The Hypebae Best: The Top Athletes, Stylists and Biggest Moments in Sports in 2025
Including Angel Reese’s runway debut, the masterminds behind WNBA tunnel fits, Grand Slam winners and more.
2025 is coming to a close, and the time for reflection has arrived as we usher in new beginnings. It’s been another landmark year for sports, and in the latest edition of the annual Hypebae Best series, we’re looking back at some of the players, designers and moments that made 2025 so special.
The biggest names in basketball, tennis and more had their moments on the court, but this year was defined just as much by the things that happened outside of the game. Collaborations from luxury brands like A-COLD-WALL* and AMIRI made soccer the most fashionable sport in the world for another year, and big ballers like Angel Reese and A’ja Wilson ruled the headlines. Stylists gave us some of the best tunnel fits the world has seen in a while, from the WNBA to the NFL, and we’re giving them their flowers before the year runs out.
In addition to the endless fashion moments, we’re highlighting some of the emerging athletes who had breakout years in 2025. Prima ballerinas, future WNBA MVPs and one of the youngest tennis superstars around are featured, from Hannah Hidalgo to Lilly Reale.
Keep scrolling to see the top athletes, memorable moments and biggest crossovers between sports, fashion and music this year.
THE BEST FASHION COLLABORATIONS
Barcelona x AMIRI
When Barcelona announced AMIRI as their new formalwear partner, something special was to be expected. Somehow, the Los Angeles-based luxury brand exceeded even our highest expectations. Sleek, pinstripe suits, golden details and ties in Barça’s signature blaugrana color combo made the Catalonian club one of the best-dressed teams in Europe every week.
Washington Spirit x Dead Dirt
Washington Spirit tapped local designer Domo Wells as their first-ever creative director back in 2024, and after dropping a few capsules in collaboration with her brand Dead Dirt, 2025 was the year this partnership hit the jackpot. Reimagining merch in women’s sports, Washington Spirit x Dead Dirt turns the average matchday experience into a fashion show in the nation’s capital.
NFL x GOLF WANG
The NFL has been in its fashion bag this year, collaborating with more brands and designers than ever before. One of the most unique and fun collabs the league released this year was its second drop with GOLF WANG. A five-team capsule included beautifully-designed varsity jackets, foam fingers and even throw blankets, in case you wanted to redecorate your apartment, too.
Arsenal x A-COLD-WALL*
They don’t call Arsenal “Fashion FC” for no reason. The North London club releases a new lifestyle collection or collaboration seemingly every few weeks, but the drop with A-COLD-WALL* stood out amongst the rest. It was minimalistic and grungy, with an industrial color palette and pops of Arsenal red here and there. Tees remixing old jerseys, tracksuits and even an artfully beaten-up football made this one of the club’s best collaborations in a long time.
THE BEST STYLISTS
Brittany Hampton for Paige Bueckers
Paige Bueckers has been throwing fit after fit this year, and a lot of that is down to Brittany Hampton. The LA-based stylist has a star-studded athlete roster of Russell Westbrook, A’ja Wilson, Nika Mühl, and now the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year. Dressing Bueckers in relaxed silhouettes and tailored suits in every color, this duo is a match made in heaven.
Ella Koe for Hailey Van Lith
Hailey Van Lith is the queen of tunnel fits. Turning Chicago Sky arrivals into her own personal runway, Ella Koe has made Van Lith a WNBA fashion icon in only her second season in the league. The hallmarks of an Ella Koe x HVL look are perfect tailoring, a mix of masculine and feminine elements, and a pair of glasses to top it all off. This duo is bringing office siren style to the court, and we’re not mad at it.
Amadi Brooks for Sydney Colson
There aren’t a lot of ballers-turned-stylists in the world, but Amadi Brooks is changing the narrative. Sydney Colson’s style is criminally underrated in the WNBA, but for the trained eye, it’s hard to ignore the details that go into every look. Ties, cropped blazers and matching sets are her bread and butter, and every look is styled with love and tiny arrows detailing each item on Instagram.
Infamis Missy for Jaquan Brisker
Another go-to for athletes, Infamis Missy plies her trade in the NFL and the NBA. Dressing some of the biggest male athletes, her work with the Chicago Bears’ Jaquan Brisker has created some of the league’s best fashion moments this year. Monochromatic fits, Louis Vuitton duffel bags and accessories galore made Brisker one of 2025’s best-dressed.
THE TOP EMERGING ATHLETES
Lilly Reale
Lilly Reale has had one of the best years a soccer player could ask for. 2025 marked her first professional season, switching coasts after joining Gotham FC from her college career at UCLA. Already one of the biggest names in collegiate soccer, the NWSL wasn’t ready for Reale. Finishing the season with a Championship ring, a place in the national team and the Rookie of the Year title, her stocks are only getting higher.
Maya Schonbrun
TikTok’s favorite ballerina is a darling of the dance world. Initially going viral for her graceful turns, ability to learn a variation on the spot and her lack of toe pads, Maya Schonbrun has gone from pre-professional dancer to a Royal Swedish Ballet principal in a little over two years. At only 21, her career is just beginning. The world’s next great prima ballerina is loading.
Mirra Andreeva
At 18 years old, tennis star Mirra Andreeva is an Olympic medalist, ranked No. 5 in the world for singles and No. 13 for doubles. In 2025, she became the youngest Women’s Tennis Association 1000 champion since 2007, and the youngest to enter the top five since Maria Sharapova. This is the definition of a wonderkid. With so many stars across the world, tennis is a tricky sport to make a name for yourself in, but Andreeva is doing just fine.
Hannah Hidalgo
Hannah Hidalgo is one of one. Playing college basketball at the University of Notre Dame, she is one of four players to be named a first-team All-American in both their freshman and sophomore seasons. She’s a small, skillful point guard with a big personality on the court, and as she finishes up her third college season, the WNBA is bound to come knocking soon.
THE BIGGEST MOMENTS
Angel Reese Walking For Victoria’s Secret
Very few athletes can break the internet the way Angel Reese does, and when Victoria’s Secret announced her runway debut, she did exactly that. Reese is one of the most marketable, charismatic and recognizable players in the WNBA right now, so her being the first basketball player to walk the VS runway makes perfect sense. This Angel got her wings this year, and they were pretty in pink.
Lionesses Back-to-Back Euros Wins
The 2025 Women’s European Cup had big shoes to fill after the record-breaking tournament in 2022. Sold-out venues and one of the biggest years for European women’s football meant high expectations, not just for UEFA, but for one team in particular: the Lionesses. Still riding the high of their first-ever international trophy in 2022 and their first World Cup final a year later, England’s women’s team fought their way to the 2025 final through extra time and penalty shootouts. Playing against Spain – arguably the best national team in the world – the Lionesses emerged victorious for the second time, building a dynasty for a team that has been overlooked for far too long.
Doechii x MLS “Game On” Campaign
The 2025 MLS season kicked off in style after the league called upon Grammy Award-winning artist Doechii to lead its “Game On” campaign. Doechii and soccer may not seem like they go together, but the Florida rapper has her own roots in the game. Playing as a kid and well into her teenage years, this was a match better than Messi and Miami. Drawing a new generation and demographic of fans to the game, it’s fair to say this was a game-winning goal for the MLS.
Coco Gauff’s First French Open
Coco Gauff’s win over No. 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka at the French Open felt like a long time coming. It was only her second singles Grand Slam win, following her 2023 US Open victory, and you could tell from the emotion on her face how much that trophy meant to her. At only 21, she’s ranked No. 2 in the world, holding a top-three spot since she was 19. She’s still a youngster, but it feels like she’s been in the game forever. Another big year is in the works for Gauff, and she has her sights set on Australia and Wimbledon.
