Ja Morant gifts MVSU uniforms to kick off 2026 in a way that hits different for HBCU hoops. The Memphis Grizzlies star and his mother, Jamie Morant, surprised Mississippi Valley State University’s women’s basketball team with brand-new, all-white jerseys and multiple colorways of Morant’s latest signature sneaker, the Nike Ja 3—an upgrade that instantly adds pride, visibility, and real on-court value for a program that’s long had to stretch every dollar. The news first surfaced through coverage of the gift and details around the gear package, including the sneakers’ bright color options and the team’s public appreciation of the Morants’ ongoing support.
Ja Morant gifts MVSU uniforms and levels up the full game-day look
According to reporting on the donation, the Morants provided the Devilettes with fresh uniforms and exclusive Nike Ja 3 pairs in multiple colorways—an eye-catching mix that reportedly included blue and neon tones alongside the crisp white jerseys that will stand out under the lights. The moment also traveled fast on social media, where posts sharing the team’s thank-you message and images of the new gear sparked the kind of attention that smaller-budget Division I programs don’t always get to tap into. You can see the team’s gratitude and the visuals making the rounds via the posts that helped amplify the story, including coverage and embeds tied back to the original reporting and the Devilettes’ social accounts.
Why this kind of support matters for Mississippi Valley State athletics
For Mississippi Valley State, an equipment and footwear boost is never just cosmetic. The reality across many HBCU athletic departments—especially at schools competing in Division I with limited resources—is that “extras” often aren’t extras at all; they’re the difference between feeling like you belong in the conversation and feeling like you’re constantly catching up. Recent coverage has pointed out that MVSU operates under some of the tightest financial conditions in Division I, where funding realities can shape everything from travel to game-day presentation. In that context, Ja Morant gifts MVSU uniforms reads as both a morale lift and a statement: the Devilettes are worth investing in, and HBCU women’s basketball deserves the spotlight.
The Nike Ja 3 moment is bigger than the shoes
There’s also a branding and performance layer here that matters. Morant’s third signature model has been positioned by Nike as a shoe built for fast, explosive play—exactly the kind of energy that defines his game and the guard-driven pace so many programs rely on. Nike’s own release information and product write-ups emphasize the Ja 3’s design intent and rollout, underscoring why it’s a meaningful flex for college athletes to receive multiple pairs in rotation-ready colorways. When an HBCU program is seen rocking a current signature line—especially one tied to a marquee NBA face—that visibility can translate into more than social likes: it can help recruiting conversations, boost confidence, and create a sense of “we’re not an afterthought” that student-athletes carry into every matchup.
A continuing relationship with the Devilettes and HBCU hoops
This isn’t framed as a one-and-done gesture, either. Multiple reports note that Morant has supported Mississippi Valley State women’s basketball before—most notably when the team received an unreleased colorway of an earlier Ja signature model, putting the Devilettes in rare company nationally at the time. That continuity is what makes this moment resonate: it signals a relationship and a pattern of showing up, not just a headline-friendly donation. For HBCU women’s sports, that kind of sustained attention matters, because it tells the next wave of athletes that support can be real, public, and consistent.
If you’re tracking the ripple effect, this also lands at the intersection of culture and competition—HBCU programs building identity and momentum while the broader sports world finally pays closer attention to what’s happening in SWAC gyms and beyond. For more on Mississippi Valley State coverage, keep an eye on the MVSU archive and SWAC tag, and for broader context on women’s hoops across HBCUs, the women’s basketball tag stays updated as the season moves.