The W in Designer ’24: Makeup Artist Heather Bates Creates Signature Glamour for Athletes

From the 2024 Draft to All-Star Weekend, beauty brands are increasingly making an appearance in the WNBA space. The league is buzzing with multi-year partnerships and increased endorsements for individual players, creating more opportunities to hire professional makeup artists.

Based in Las Vegas, makeup artist Heather Bates uses her “less is more” approach to elevate an impressive list of clients including Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, Alysha Clark, Candace Parker and more. Bates notes that the players “have always used makeup artists, but with the new spotlight of the league, it’s more on display.” During her travels to All-Star Weekend for her clients, Bates creates (and recreates) signature looks for her athletes, which can be seen on Media Day, commercials and events like the Aces’ visit to the White House.

Though Bates played basketball her entire life, it was never professionally — it’s a full-circle moment for her to “do what (she loves) in a world that (she loves).” Banks runs through her glam schedule during All-Star Weekend, explaining the “KP signature glam” and various makeup moments throughout the season.

Kirsten Chen: Who was your first WNBA client?

Heather Bates: My first WNBA client was Darling Hamby. I was hired to do makeup for a podcaster, and she interviewed Dearica. I touched up Dearica’s makeup, and from that moment on we just hit it off.

KC: How is working with WNBA players different from working with other celebrity clients?

HB: The difference between my WNBA clients and other celebrity clients is the style of glam: less is more with my WNBA clients. They love glam and they all have their own style. But with my athletes, I do more of a no-makeup makeup look than I do stage glam or dramatic glam.

KC: Tell me about how you worked with multiple players during the 2024 WNBA All-Star Weekend.

HB: I was doing 3-4 clients a day, trying to make sure everyone was done at specific times. When I got there on Thursday morning, I got right to work. I started with Andraya Carter from ESPN, then Aliyah Boston right after that. From there I went to the hotel and did Chelsea Grey and her wife Kind; I ran to the next room and changed Kelsey Plum. We left for the Oranje Loper and I updated it Jackie Jong before her interviews.

KC: How did you and Kelsey come up with her makeup for this year’s Orange Carpet?

HB: Kelsey and I came up with her look based on previous shoots we’ve done. She likes a simple glam look with a nice contour and a clean eye, so we stuck with what we call our signature KP glam.

KC: You’ve done makeup for players like Alysha Clark, Jackie Young and Sydney Colson for Media Day. How is doing makeup for team photos different from doing commercials?

HB: Media Day is more fun – they have free rein to express themselves through art and their own (image and) identity.

KC: How do you want your clients to feel after you apply their makeup?

HB: I want people to feel like themselves when they leave my chair, but more confident. (They) know they look like themselves and that I’ve heard everything they like and don’t like about glamour.

WNBA reporter Kirsten Chen writes a lifestyle and fashion column during the season on WNBA.com and can be reached on Twitter at @hotgothwriter. The opinions expressed on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the WNBA or its clubs.