News

Brand ambassadors Minnesota Lynx Forward Napheesa Collier and Peloton Trainer, Good Morning America Contributor, ESPN College Gameday Reporter and New York Liberty Host Jess Sims will support the bank’s overall sponsorship with the WNBA

U.S. Bank announces today it is increasing its support of women’s athletics and women leaders by way of two new sponsorships – Minnesota Lynx Forward Napheesa Collier and Peloton Trainer, Good Morning America contributor, ESPN College Gameday reporter and New York Liberty Host Jess Sims. Both are multi-year sponsorships.

“When we signed on to be a WNBA Changemaker sponsor two years ago, we always intended to extend our support of women leaders and women’s athletics to yet another level,” said Chris Lee, senior vice president and head of sponsorships for U.S. Bank. “Phee and Jess will bring an awesome presence to our work not only with the league but also with our employees and community partners.”

Collier and Sims will help U.S. Bank with its financial wellness programs and partnerships as part of its WNBA Changemaker sponsorship focused on empowering women leaders through financial wellness programs. Specifically, they will serve as ambassadors to conduct outreach and awareness around financial wellness to U.S. Bank employees, other WNBA players and the community.

Collier is currently a forward for the Minnesota Lynx. She was selected by Minnesota in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2019 WNBA Draft. Collier was named WNBA, ESPNW and Associated Press Rookie of the Year in 2019 and named an All-Star in 2019. Collier was a member of Team USA’s gold-medal win at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. She played collegiate basketball at the University of Connecticut, where she helped lead the Huskies to a NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship in 2016.

“I’m so proud to work with U.S. Bank,” said Collier. “Their support for the WNBA is not just financial, but truly practical. They really listened to us as players and created tools to help us with some of the unique financial challenges we face as female athletes. I couldn’t be happier to work with them and share their commitment to gender equity and inclusion.”

Sims is a Peloton Trainer, sports reporter and host based in New York City. Jess is a reporter on ESPN’s flagship program College GameDay, works as both an in-arena host and sideline reporter for the New York Liberty, and most recently became a contributor for ABC’s Good Morning America. A former collegiate athlete, Sims began her career as a teacher for Teach for America in Houston. After working in multiple administrative roles in education, she eventually found her way to teaching fitness classes. At Peloton, Sims teaches tread, strength and bootcamp classes to over seven million members worldwide, for both adults and families, recognizing the importance of both physical and mental wellness at every age

“I'm so honored to be joining the U.S. Bank family - a brand that is committed to empowering women as leaders, athletes and human beings,” said Sims. “Financial wellness is inextricably linked to everyone's overall health and well-being so I am excited for two of my worlds to come together to help educate others to build financial confidence.” 

Throughout the course of the WNBA season, Collier and Sims will be included in U.S. Bank social content spots, activations at the AT&T WNBA All-Star Game and other community partners.

About U.S. Bank
U.S. Bancorp, with approximately 77,000 employees and $682 billion in assets as of March 31, 2023, is the parent company of U.S. Bank National Association. The Minneapolis-based company serves millions of customers locally, nationally and globally through a diversified mix of businesses: Consumer and Business Banking; Payment Services; Corporate & Commercial Banking; and Wealth Management and Investment Services. Union Bank, consisting primarily of retail banking branches on the West Coast, joined U.S. Bancorp in 2022. U.S. Bancorp has been recognized for its approach to digital innovation, social responsibility, and customer service, including being named one of the 2023 World’s Most Ethical Companies.