All the features NBA 2K has added to WNBA through the years
NBA 2K is one of the most distinguished, hence anticipated basketball video game franchises, having released a title every year for the last two decades.
Naturally, there was a lot of tittle-tattle around the title this year as well. Interestingly, 2K22 will feature three covers this year to honor the 75th anniversary of the NBA.
The base edition cover features Dallas Mavericks’ star Luka Doncic and the 75th Anniversary edition features Kevin Durant, Kareem-Abdul Jabbar and Dirk Nowitzki.
With all the news that has made headlines thus far, the most staggering piece of information has to be 2K making history by having WNBA superstar Candace Parker on the cover of the third release for the WNBA 25th Anniversary Edition.
Changes 2K has made to WNBA in the last couple of years
Parker has become the first WNBA player to don the NBA 2K cover, and reiterates the growth WNBA has witnessed over the last two decades.
The WNBA was introduced to the first NBA 2K game via NBA 2K20. While it initiated a process that has spread its wings in the last couple of years, players could only play the 5v5 mode offline games with all teams.
NBA 2K announced "The W", which was the first-ever single-player career/franchise mode to be available for any women's professional league. It also boasted the presence of a MyWNBA feature, which enabled players to lead a team in the league.
In other words, "The W" gave birth to three features: MyPlayer experience, 3v3 mode and the MyWNBA franchise mode.
However, this was just the beginning. NBA 2K22 not only features a female athlete for the first time, but several mind-bending tweaks have also been made it to "The W", which will enhance gameplay to provide an unexampled experience.
Here's what Felicia Steenhouse, Senior Producer at Visual Concepts, had to say in a recent NBA 2K22 press release:
Since introducing The W to NBA2K, we’ve set out to develop one of the most comprehensive sets of game modes and features focused on a women’s professional league. It’s grounded in authenticity and delivers an experience that honors and elevates some of the best ballers in the world: the women of the WNBA.
The W has been upgraded to closely mimic the NBA and MyCareer experience, but exclusively with female players.
It's safe to say that 2K has paved the path for future iterations of the franchise. Candace Parker has become the first female athlete to be on the cover of NBA 2K, which will do away with minimal female representation in the world of sports and gaming.
Also Read: Who is Dirk Nowitzki's Wife, Jessica Olsson?