Every night is girls’ night as WNBA enters Barbie world with Chicago hosting theme night

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CHICAGO (AP) — The Women’s Basketball Association is back in the world of Barbie as Angel Reyes and the Chicago Sky host the first game themed around the doll.

Reese, known as “Bayou Barbie” in college and now “Chicago Town Barbie,” told reporters Friday night before the loss to Indiana that the WNBA teaming up with Barbie was “exciting.”

“Just seeing so many little girls in the crowd already dressed up as Barbies — it’s going to be a great night for women’s basketball,” Reese said.

“To know how much my name has impacted a name that has grown from a small company in Baton Rouge to a global company now is amazing. It’s a blessing. Obviously, I didn’t know when I came to Chicago what my expectations were of just coming here and being a newbie, and being able to enjoy every moment and get better every day.”

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Pink towels were hung on the backs of seats in the arena and songs from the “Barbie” movie were played during intermissions. A pregame panel discussion on women in leadership was held and fans received either a Sherpa belt bag or a Barbie-themed Hawaiian shirt. This was the 65th year since Barbie was first introduced.

“We aim to shine a light on the power of igniting imagination, empathy, confidence and self-expression in the next generation, and continue Barbie’s mission to inspire limitless potential in young girls,” said Christa Berger, senior vice president of Barbie and global head of dolls at Mattel.

Ten-year-old Quinn, who dressed in pink for Barbie night even though she’s from Chicago and doesn’t really like Barbie, said she was excited to watch Reese and Kaitlyn Clark of Indiana play.

The two rookies did not disappoint, with Reese tying her 23rd WNBA record for a first-year player, and Clark scoring 31 points to help her team to the win.

Quinn said she loves basketball because “anyone can win any day”:

Women’s basketball great Sue Bird, in whose honor Barbie was released this year, introduced the company’s new campaign, “Give Unlimited Possibilities.”

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“The beauty of Barbie is that you can make the experience your own,” Beard told The Associated Press in an interview. “You play with Barbies and you use your imagination and creativity in whatever you’re feeling at the time. That’s the beauty of it.”

Bird said she used to play with Barbie dolls when she was younger, and was honored to be the first WNBA player to receive one since Rebecca Lobo in 1998. She also felt the WNBA represented Barbie’s diverse world well.

“There are so many different women in the WNBA,” said Bird, who co-hosts the A Touch More podcast. “It’s a diverse group of different people and I think that can be really inspiring for young people to watch and connect with. It’s the same thing with Barbie as a whole, there are so many different Barbies to play with and inspire creativity in young people.”

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Feinberg reported from New York:

___ Savage is a reporter on the Women in Action team. AP coverage of women in action and local government receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. The Associated Press is solely responsible for all content. AP standards for working with charities, a list of supporters and areas of coverage funded by AP.org.

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