NBA 2K announced Thursday that NBA 2K20 will include the WNBA teams and players. This is the first time in the series’ history that it will showcase entities from the women’s league. The latest version of the NBA 2K series will feature all 12 WNBA teams and athletes in the game.
The announcement is another step in the right direction for women’s representation in mainstream media. The teams will be available in the “Play Now” and “Season” game modes. The developers of NBA 2K20 created the female athletes with specific animations and play styles revolved around the WNBA game today.
https://youtu.be/zGwoK2KNmBI
WNBA player reactions
Not only was it an exciting time for NBA 2K players around the world, but the news was also received with glowing reactions from members of the WNBA community. In a press release from the NBA, Los Angeles Sparks forward Candace Parker shared her thoughts. “Just like my counterparts in the NBA, I grew up playing NBA 2K. After getting myself scanned and integrated into NBA 2K20 earlier this summer, I was amazed at how 2K is able to replicate women’s basketball at such a realistic level,” said Parker. “You can tell they are taking the time to capture the essence of the WNBA and have created an immersive experience that all fans of basketball will love.”
Parker was one of many players in the WNBA to visit the studios and act as models for NBA 2K20. Other players included Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson and one of the top players in the league, Breanna Stewart. Stewart is the star of the WNBA’s Seattle Storm.
As part of the announcement, Stewart was the first WNBA player to receive her NBA 2K20 rating. These announcements have been a popular marketing tool for the game over the past two weeks. In late July, NBA 2K announced an exclusive deal with Zion Williamson and released his overall rating of 81. It was announced that Stewart carries a 95 overall rating in the 2020 version. Despite confusion among NBA 2K fans, the rating is comparative to other WNBA players.
#TheBoardroom’s exclusive first look at @BreannaStewart’s @NBA2K rating & image 💪
Watch the full video + Breanna’s reaction: https://t.co/KNjNL2r21F
#NBA2K20 #WNBA pic.twitter.com/cRuoNNW9ZO— Boardroom (@boardroom) August 8, 2019
NBA 2K20 release
The announcement of WNBA players is part of a series of major announcements the game has made over the last month and a half. 2K has started allowing major influencers and NBA 2K League players test out the latest version of the game. Gameplay feedback from the community has been positive so far. Most of the glowing remarks from players have been about the revamped dribbling system.
NBA 2K20 is set to be released across the world on Sept 6. Stay tuned to Daily Esports for more NBA 2K news.
