Wearable medtech company Forme signs expansive WNBPA partnership as it prioritizes brand alignment and usage among athletes

The GIST: Last week, the WNBPA announced a partnership with Forme, a unique sports apparel company with patented wearable tech that improves posture (just ask Taylor Swift). We spoke with WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike, WNBPA executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson, and Forme founder Dr. Stephen Liu about the deal and the opportunities for medtech start-ups in sports. Loving the alignment.

The details: Forme allows players to monitor and maintain posture alignment as they sleep, travel, and train throughout the season. Each player will have access to Forme’s wearable tech and receive a Posture Score based on their data. It all tips off with a pilot activation at WNBA All-Star Weekend, and next year, the Forme Fitting Room will assess WNBA rookies early on.

• Plus, Forme is going above and beyond by establishing a platform for WNBPA members that features educational content on improving posture and alignment.

The why: Dr. Liu’s reasoning is twofold: He believes “elite athletes are often the first to recognize what truly matters for human performance.” And it means something that many WNBA partners are already using Forme: “When elite athletes trust Forme as part of their daily routine, it creates a level of credibility no marketing campaign can manufacture.”

• And according to the WNBPA’s Jackson, athletes’ bodies “are their greatest professional asset,” so “anything that helps them recover better, move more efficiently, and prioritize their overall well-being is worth exploring.” She called it a thoughtful addition to the union’s massive portfolio, noting that they don’t bank agreements just because they’re “commercially attractive,” they back products that “provide real value to [WNBPA] members.”

Zooming out: Both Jackson and Liu underscore how athletes need this tech, and they make sense as natural brand ambassadors. And that’s something different than a lot of other partnerships: Recovery tech is essential for athletes. More general wearable trackers (like Whoop) have been involved in the space, but few specialized medtech trackers like Forme have a presence yet.

• The partnership with Forme “reflects how much the conversation around players has evolved,” said Ogwumike. “We're seeing more brands look beyond what happens on the court and ask, 'How can we actually help athletes?'” She’s hoping this deal inspires other brands to consider how they can support athletes and keep them on the court. Playing the long game.