You've heard the saying and seen it on T-shirts: Everyone watches women's sports. Even the 2025 Met Gala organizers.
This year's Met Gala red carpet was as much a celebration of fashion week regulars like Rihanna and Zendaya as the women who've fused style and sport in their respective arenas. That's partially by design: the "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" event had more than the usual four co-chairs working behind the scenes to curate the evening. Gymnast Simone Biles, runner Sha'Carri Richardson, and WNBA player Angel Reese all served as members of the 2025 Host Committee. And, they all served some of the evening's most memorable fashion moments, from entirely custom ensembles to vintage-inspired looks worthy of the Met exhibit itself.
Serena and Venus Williams were two of the night's first arrivals, each with dresses that took the "Tailored for You" theme in a sporty direction. Serena wore custom Moncler, featuring a draped, blue-green dress with see-through paneling along the thighs, topped with a quilted cape André Leon Talley would certainly have approved. Venus, meanwhile, tapped Lacoste for an evergreen pleated mini skirt and polo shirt—layered beneath a longline pleated coat.
The greatest tennis players of all time were quickly followed by another GOAT, Simone Biles. She walked the Met Gala red carpet with her husband, football player Jonathan Owens, in a vibrant blue Harbison Studio gown. The color and structure could have earned a gold medal to rival Biles's huge collection—a testament to stylist Jessica Paster's work.
The WNBA had some of the strongest Met Gala red carpet representation. Breakout star Angel Reese returned for her second lap of the Met steps in a corseted, custom Thom Browne look. It was a night-and-day departure from last year's feathered sequin dress by 16Arlington—a sign that the player's evolving style has range.
Shortly after, reigning WNBA champions from the New York Liberty—Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, and Jonquel Jones—all debuted at the 2025 Met Gala. The trio took "Tailored for You" in chicly minimal directions, embracing the evening's dress code in black and white blazers and wide-leg trousers.
"Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" is an apt theme for a year centering athletes on the red carpet. Black women have by and large pioneered the connection between high fashion and sports evident at the 2025 Met Gala. See Serena Williams and her tennis fashion—competing in custom looks by Nike and Off-White—or the dozens of WNBA players and stylists turning the tunnel walk into a fashion moment. They've fought the stereotype that sports and fashion can't go hand in hand with every outfit and appearance on the court. That same legacy took over the 2025 Met Gala red carpet, where track stars Sha'Carri Richardson and Gabby Thomas wore adventurous, boldly colorful dresses. (Richardson's is Valentino; Thomas's is Ahluwalia.)
When Angel Reese told a reporter, "You can be cute and go out there and still ball," she was talking about how she approaches her game-day style. It's also a thesis statement for athletes' approach to the 2025 Met Gala: Scoring points with fashion critics only enhanced their game.
