The days of Sha’Carri Richardson’s flamboyant track fashion may be over. Yes, the 2x Olympic medalist skipping colored wigs and eye-catching styles from her 2024 track lookbook gave quite the indication— the Texas girl has been toning it down lately. But this hardly means she’s not taking her natural hair game seriously. The minute Nike made a practical change for keeping female athletes’ haircare under check, Sha’Carri Richardson chimed in to applaud the mastermind behind the idea!

Do you remember the 2023 US Track and Field Championships when Sha’Carri Richardson was about to race the 100m final when she tossed her wig publically and embraced her natural braids? Right there, at that moment, she set a new fashion statement, “I have learned there is a way that I can carry that [her hair] so much more gracefully,” she said. And now, A’ja Wilson, the WNBA star, is joining her by embracing an equally defining change, aka swapping a practical haircare tool with a classy and more graceful solution. Curious to know what’s that?

As per the February 20 update by ESPN, Nike has recently launched a signature line of hoodies for the Las Vegas Aces’ star A’ja Wilson, which incorporates a rather trendy detail suggested by the athlete’s mother. Yes! Apparently, A’ja Wilson confessed that her mother didn’t want her to wear her bonnet (protective hair cap made of silk/satin) at the airports anymore. Thus, inspired by her mother’s thoughts, Nike included a new detail in Wilson’s collection, which was nothing but a silk-lined hoodie.

This silk-lined hoodie is a trendy switch for wearing a bonnet in public, as the hoodie will act as a moisture lock and keep frizzy and unkempt airport or travel looks at bay for women athletes. Well, what a thoughtful and smart solution by Nike! Thus, as soon as Sha’Carri Richardson stumbled across this post, she couldn’t hold herself back from appreciating this positive change. She shared the ESPN post to her Instagram story and thanked the WNBA player, “@aja22wilson THANK YOUUUUUU.” Especially since women of color in sports have been long criticized for their hair.

Also, as someone who loves to pull off curly, wavy hairstyles quite frequently and loves experimenting with their locks (colors, braids, etc), this appears to be a game-changer for both Sha’Carri Richardson and A’ja Wilson. No wonder Sha’Carri Richardson had that reaction! We’ve been seeing how she is keeping her hair all natural and simple these days. A slicked-back pony or a hair band to keep her hair out of her face, was a go-to for Sha’Carri Richardson in Paris. Even in the recent Nike campaigns (like the one where she launched the Air Superfly sneaker), she’s been pulling off her natural locks.

But that’s not all! There has been so much on her Nike cards even post that!

Sha’Carri Richardson x Nike has been a hit in 2025

Sha’Carri Richardson’s 2025 has started with a bang! Ending a 27-year-long wait, the sprinter got featured in Nike’s new Super Bowl ad recently. It was a black-and-white ad, with an anthem titled “You can’t win. So Win,” and featured an array of women athletes, from A’ja Wilson, Richardson, Jordan Chiles, Caitlin Clark, and even Sabrina Ionescu. Here, she not only got to place herself in the cream of elite female athletes but also sent out a strong message to the world.

Shortly after that, Sha’Carri Richardson was even spotted shooting for Nike’s athlete-wise shopping collection launch. Donning a red tracksuit, she was featured in the new broadcast email that Nike sent out to its users, permitting them to shop by the athlete, a new feature to enhance their shopping experience. Clearly, 2025 is all about Nike bringing in practical solutions for its users, both the public and star athletes alike. What do you think? Let us know below!