Tattoos are like other genres of art — there are a wide range of them, and even the ones that appear identical have intricacies and unique meanings to the people whose bodies they canvas. WNBA players’ tattoos are no different.
Some were created out of spontaneity, few are viewed with regret, but many have a special meaning.
The Sun-Times spoke with several Sky players to discuss their tattoos and the significance behind the art.
Cheyenne Parker
Asked about one of her favorite tattoos, Parker immediately revealed the newest ink on her forearm: “Relentless.”
After being described as relentless in a negative way throughout her adolescence, Parker flipped the meaning of the word on its head in order to represent her in a positive light: how she approaches her work on and off the court.
Though “Relentless” is her new favorite tattoo, her family tree scroll on her back titled “My Superwomen” — featuring her great-great grandmother, great- grandmother, grandmother, mother and sister — will always be the most meaningful.
“My mother is such a strong woman, and she’s obviously an inspiration to everything, so she was the main reason that made me want to get it,” Parker said. “Then the stories she’s told me about her mother, grandmother, they were all such strong women, and I know that’s why I’m such a strong woman, so I had to put my superwomen on me because they paved the way.”
Stefanie Dolson
Dolson’s tattoo journey has included many artists: All 12 of her tattoos were done by a different person. She has two dedicated to the back-to-back national championships she won at UConn. Her most memorable? The first tattoo she got at 16 with her sisters, the matching Marvel’s Avengers-inspired tattoo (she’s a big Thor fan) she got with her younger brother and the initials of her immediate family.
Chloe Jackson
Jackson’s grandmother has a simple rule when it comes to tattoos: “Get something that means something special to you.” Jackson has delivered on this with all 12 of her tats, the most special being “Jeremiah 29:11” inked on her left shoulder. “I got this one when I fractured my foot at [North Carolina] State,” Jackson said. “That was my first major injury, and that was actually a time when I was transitioning into a transfer to LSU, so I was out for two years. I really leaned on this scripture at that time. Really it just says, ‘God has plans to prosper you, never to harm you.’ ”
Jamierra Faulkner
Three Sky players listed one of Jamierra’s tattoos as their favorite aside from their own. Her favorite inks are her first tattoo and the first one she got on her back — both dedicated to her mother, who died in 2003.
“She was such a strong person; I think that’s where I get it from,” Faulkner said. “I’m probably going to get her name or her face a couple more times. She’s just special to me, and she’s always going to be special to me.”
Kahleah Copper
Of her five tattoos, Copper’s favorite is scripture on her leg that reads, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” The saying is her grandmother’s favorite Bible verse, and she repeatedly reminded Copper of this on her route to the WNBA.
“I was worried about getting drafted, I wasn’t playing well and she was like, ‘You can do all things; you can do all things through Christ,’ ” Copper said. “It registered with me, and it hasn’t left since.”