The Group Chat: How to win that costume contest
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
🏀 A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces: The four-time WNBA MVP goes as hard for Halloween as she does in the paint — one costume just isn’t enough for this hooper who loves a theme. For the past three years, she’s picked classic cartoons — “Recess,” “Codename: Kids Next Door,” and “Scooby Doo” — and dressed up as every character. Can’t wait to see what she does next.
⚽ Alex Morgan, retired USWNT and NWSL: A low-effort “soccer player” costume is not on her Halloween mood board. Morgan particularly loves couples’ and group costumes and pop culture references, dressing up as Olympic gymnasts McKayla Maroney and Gabby Douglas with her BFF and fellow footy pro Sydney Leroux, “Stranger Things” characters with her husband, or homages to “Barbie” or the Spiderman meme with her whole fam.
🏀 LeBron James, LA Lakers: Huge props to the James family’s makeup artist, because the King’s costumes are the real deal — see 2023’s Beetlejuice, 2021’s Freddie Krueger, or 2019’s LeDward Scissorhands. Even when he can’t go all out because of his playing schedule, he uses his tunnel ’fits to stay in the spooky season spirit (and troll Toronto Raptors fans).
🏈 Russell Wilson, NY Giants: What Wilson lacks in on-field success recently, he makes up for in costume commitment. He and his wife, pop artist Ciara, set the standard with this legendary couples’ costume recreating Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s “Apeshit” music video, but he’s also dressed up as some of the game’s most famous coaches (he probably won’t be going as Sean Payton this year, though).
🎃 Want to punch up your sporty Halloween costume? Don’t go as an athlete, but rather as a moment. Think of the biggest, funniest, most iconic sports stories from the past year, and tailor your costume to evoke it. Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing:
- Travis Kelce’s “GQ” shoot: The media tsunami around the Kansas City Chief’s engagement to a certain pop star was overwhelming, but this spread was a highlight. These pics are begging to be turned into a costume (bonus points if your partner goes as a showgirl).
- Joe Burrow twinning with Paige Bueckers: Just as the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback seems to draw inspiration for his looks from the WNBA Rookie of the Year, you can model your joint costume after this trendy duo.
- Naomi Osaka at the US Open: A moment for Billie Jean Bling. Osaka’s kits slayed every match at this summer’s US Open, creating the perfect opportunity for a costume that’s as sporty as it is sparkly.
- Ilona Maher on “Dancing with the Stars”: A Team USA jersey and some red lipstick could do the trick, but if you want to do it big, you can recreate one of her 33 jaw-dropping performances.
