Elyse Slayton: Beyond Star Power – Building the WBNA’s Dallas Wings Brand

From helping build the Dallas Wings’ brand during a period of growth to navigating the rapidly evolving landscape of women’s professional sports, CMO of the Wings Elyse Slayton shares her perspective on marketing, storytelling, and building lasting connections with basketball fans. In this episode of Reputation Matters, she discusses the importance of making the Wings a recognizable brand in their own right, using players’ stories to drive engagement, and what it takes to turn a women’s basketball team into a brand fans can’t stop talking about.

What does it take to build a lasting women’s sports brand when the spotlight is bigger than ever and the expectations are constantly changing?

In this episode of @Reputation Matters, Elyse Slayton, Chief Marketing Officer of the Dallas Wings, shares her perspective on building a powerful sports brand during one of the most transformative periods in the history of women’s professional basketball. With the WNBA experiencing unprecedented growth and the Dallas Wings entering a new era of the franchise, Slayton discusses what it takes to build meaningful connections with fans, strengthen brand reputation and turn growing attention into long-term loyalty.

The conversation explores the intersection of marketing, reputation and professional sports, including how the Wings are positioning themselves within the rapidly evolving women’s sports landscape. Slayton discusses the importance of authenticity, storytelling and fan engagement, as well as the challenge of building a brand that stands on its own while featuring some of the biggest names in women’s basketball.

The episode also looks beyond the Dallas Wings to the broader reputation of the Dallas-Fort Worth sports market. As an established destination for major sporting events and world-class athletic organizations, Slayton shares her perspective on the opportunities and responsibilities that come with being part of this prominent sports community.

Drawing from her previous experience in consumer marketing at @Pizza Hut, @TJ Maxx and her leadership role with the Dallas Wings, Slayton offers insights into brand strategy, leadership, reputation management and the evolving relationship between organizations and their audiences. She explains why successful marketing is about more than generating attention: it is about building trust, creating experiences and delivering on the promises a brand makes to its audience.

For sports executives, marketers, business leaders and professionals interested in branding and reputation, this episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at how one of the WNBA’s rising franchises is navigating growth, change and increased visibility while building a brand designed to last.

Why listen?

In this episode of Reputation Matters, Elyse Slayton shares what she’s learned about building brands, engaging fans and protecting reputation during periods of rapid growth and change. From the rise of women’s sports and the Dallas Wings’ new era to the team’s future at American Airlines Center, Slayton offers valuable insights into how organizations can build trust, adapt to change and create lasting connections with their audiences.