According to Deadline, the WNBA is set to receive its first scripted TV series, The W, developed by Peacock. The comedy, centered around professional women’s basketball, is created by two-time WNBA All-Star Chiney Ogwumike (Los Angeles Sparks, ESPN) and GLOW creators Carly Mensch (Orange Is the New Black, Nurse Jackie) and Liz Flahive (Roar, Nurse Jackie). The series follows a hot-shot rookie player and her inexperienced agent navigating the challenges of women’s professional basketball.  The project is inspired by Ogwumike’s real-life partnership with agent Allison Galer, who she chose as her representative in 2014.

The W highlights the journey of women in sports, with Ogwumike’s unconventional path serving as a core influence for the show. Ogwumike, drafted first overall by the Connecticut Sun and later traded to the Los Angeles Sparks, signed a deal with ESPN in 2018. “Our mission with Victorious is to build a future where women in sports can win big,” Ogwumike told Deadline, emphasizing her company’s purpose. The show aims to explore the “glamour and grind” of women’s sports, with The W offering a unique, humorous lens on the life of a rookie WNBA player.

The series marks the first scripted project from Ogwumike’s production company, Victorious, which previously created the ESPN Films documentary 144. Flahive and Mensch, who co-wrote the pilot with Tori Collins (Babestation ,Hollywood Demons), are responsible for the creative direction. Universal Television, Condé Nast’s Glamour Studios, and Victorious are producing, with Deadline reporting that Ogwumike, Galer, Flahive, Mensch, Helen Estabrook (Up in the Air, Mrs. Fletcher), Lajoie St. George (Sister Boniface Mysteries), and Jodi Hildebrand (Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway, Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke) will executively produce.

Deadline also revealed that Glamour’s Global Editorial Director, Samantha Barry (Are You Proud of Me?,  The Real Housewives of New York City), expressed excitement about the project, highlighting how it aligns with the magazine’s history of spotlighting female athletes. “With more eyes focused on the world of women’s sports than ever before, we couldn’t be more thrilled to partner with WNBA icon Chiney Ogwumike,” Barry said.

The W represents a significant milestone for women in sports media. As Ogwumike and Galer continue to break barriers, the series is set to introduce the broader public to the powerful stories of female athletes. With its compelling mix of humor, drama, and real-life inspiration, The W promises to put women’s professional basketball front and center on a global scale.